Legend of the Supreme Soldier - Chapter 591-600
The mech was well preserved. Aside from the damages it received, the other parts did not look like they had aged much. Of the Three Aristocratic Families, Ye Chong was most familiar with mechs from the Ye Family. He had piloted many of the Ye Family’s mechs. With the exception of Ye Yin’s mech, he had used even a Mandate class mech, Moon King. Most of the Ye Family’s disciples could not hope to compare with him.
This mech, however, did not look like a familiar model. Ye Chong could, of course, ascertain that it was no ordinary mech. From the thick layer of dust and soil covering it, he knew that the mech had been here for a very long time. Thus, this mech must be a very old model of the Ye Family. It was only natural that he had not seen it before.
The pilot cabin was heavily damaged, so it was easy to open the hatch and enter. Of course, only someone crazily strong like Ye Chong could lift the damaged pilot cabin hatch up easily with his bare hands.
Ye Chong and Rui Bing entered the pilot cabin while Sha Ya waited outside. It was a tight fit for both Ye Chong and Rui Bing inside the pilot cabin.
The controls inside the mech’s pilot cabin were arranged very differently compared to modern day mechs. This was further proof of the mech’s age. On the pilot seat was a pile of skeletons, probably the pilot’s. Ye Chong and Rui Bing carefully avoided the skeletons, but Ye Chong could not help but notice that there were many broken bones in the pile. The mech pilot must have suffered grave injuries before death.
Ye Chong’s attention finally went to the control console, which was completely intact. Usually, the control console would have a memory chip that automatically recorded all information on the mech, including holographic recording. By inspecting the contents of this chip, one could know all about the mech.
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Mechs from the Three Aristocratic Families were guarded with proprietary technology. Only a person of the Ye Family’s bloodline could access a mech of the Ye Family. Ye Chong had seen how it worked with Moon King. He did not know why he had Ye Family blood, but Ye Luo’s test suggested that he did.
The second time was easier. Ye Chong took out his dagger and made a small cut on his finger. He pressed a drop of blood onto the control console. Rui Bing watched Ye Chong quietly, feeling sorry for him.
“Identity authentication is successful. Access granted.” A bionic voice suddenly spoke up, surprising them both.
Ye Chong was not surprised by the fact that he was granted access, but he was surprised by the mech’s energy cell capacity. After so many years, the mech still had power! Since when was energy cell technology so advanced? He found it odd, but kept his curiosity contained while he began to look through contents of the mech’s memory chip.
Zip! Suddenly, the holographic screen lit up.
“Shang, prepare for battle!” The first words that came from the video on the holographic screen caught Ye Chong completely off guard. Shang. He did know if this “Shang” was the same one as his friend. “Perhaps they share the same name,” Ye Chong thought to himself. The man who said those words sounded cautious.
Ye Chong continued watching the video.
“Wah, what’s that monster, it’s so ugly!”
That comment hit Ye Chong like a lightning bolt. His body froze as he stared at the holographic screen.
Shang! That was definitely Shang’s voice! Ye Chong could not believe his ears. How was Shang related to this mech? He thought of Mu and Shang’s mysterious past and how he lost his memories. All of that remained a mystery so far. Shang had said that Mu’s consciousness had emerged after his. Before Mu was born, Shang was the only consciousness in his body.
Could it be … This was his chance to know about Shang’s origins. Ye Chong’s heart raced.
“Haha!” The man laughed easily. “Shang, as usual, I’m the striker, you’re the defense! I’m doing all the heavy lifting here, so you better to look after my wife and son, Shang!”
“Stop blabbering! Lil’ Luo Luo, can’t you just get to it already?” Shang sounded lazy and insolent.
“Wife, watch how your husband kill this monster! Son, don’t you dare pee in your mother’s lap.” The man sounded proud of himself.
A woman hidden from view laughed softly.
Suddenly, a creature appeared on the holographic screen. A red-tailed beast! Ye Chong’s gaze focused on the animal. He hit the pause button to freeze the video.
One, two, three … Ye Chong counted to himself … There were eight fingers! Ye Chong’s heart skipped a beat. Eight fingers. He had only seen one eight-fingered red-tailed beast, and that was the most powerful one he had ever encountered. Could this red-tailed beast be the same one that he saw?
Ye Chong could not be sure.
As the video continued, the image began to shake violently. The red-tailed beast was constantly shifting around the mech, coming in closer and then moving away again. Ye Chong believed that this was probably some battle strategy of the mech pilot.
After a while, Ye Chong was able to gauge the mech pilot’s abilities. He was very strong! Not considering the mech’s capabilities, Ye Chong thought that this man was at least on the same level as Ye Family’s ace, Ye Yin. No, this mech pilot was probably stronger than even him. He was obviously more experienced than Ye Yin.
Even Ye Chong himself only had a 50-50 chance of defeating this mech pilot. However, since Ye Chong had Celest, he was sure he would be able to best this mech pilot. Celest had much better specs than this old mech. Besides, after its upgrade, Celest had become much stronger than before. If they used the same mech, Ye Chong believed that he would be on about the same level as this mech pilot.
Ye Chong saw the date indicated on the video, and found that it was recorded 26 years ago! To have this level of ability 26 years ago was amazing! 26 years was a long time for a mech pilot who could learn fast, enough to have several breakthroughs at least.
The mech pilot was strong! Ye Chong felt deep respect for him, as he would for anyone who proved to be strong.
“The Three Aristocratic Families are no longer what they used to be,” Ye Chong thought to himself as he continued to watch the 26-year-old recording.
However, what did it matter to him? He did not care about the Three Aristocratic Families. Ye Chong did not know where that thought came from. Even though he was of the Ye Family bloodline, he never felt anything special for the Ye Family.
Lil’ Luo Luo … Ye Chong suddenly recalled the legendary Ye Family’s ace 20 years ago – Ye Luo. Could this man be Ye Luo? Ye Chong thought it highly likely. Perhaps only the Ye Family’s ace could reach this level. Ye Chong never expected himself to one day think of this so-called Ye Family’s ace, someone he was inspired by and thought highly of, to be just another opponent of equal strength.
Only the strong would have this level of confidence in their own abilities. Such was Ye Chong’s situation.
Ye Chong continued to watch the holographic recording.
The battle was intense. This red-tailed beast was very strong. Ye Chong thought many times that the mech pilot could hurt it, but the creature easily avoided these attacks. Ye Chong imagined the battle himself. If he was in the mech pilot’s position, fighting against this eight-fingered red-tailed beast, could he win?
Ye Chong studied the holographic screen closely, not noticing the sweat that was already forming on his forehead. Rui Bing looked at Ye Chong worriedly, but bit down on her lip and forced herself to keep quiet.
More and more sweat formed on Ye Chong’s forehead, which then rolled down his neck.
Suddenly, Ye Chong’s breathing turned shorter. His eyes gleamed meaningfully. Ye Chong’s body jolted as he broke out of his trance. Ye Chong panted heavily, but his eyes showed that he was now calm and collected as usual.
Rui Bing heaved a sigh of relief.
“This red-tailed beast is powerful,” Ye Chong plainly. He looked back at the holographic screen. The red-tailed beast had a firm upper hand. If it was not a red-tailed beast, Ye Chong would have thought it had parapsychic abilities. The animal fought like Xi Feng Tribe’s mentalists, with the ability to predict its enemy’s next move. Compared to the mentalists, however, it was far stronger.
Even Xi Feng Tribe’s Huang Jiming, their so-called ace, would have a hard time dealing with this creature’s attacks, much less normal mentalists.
The battle soon turned critical.
Shang’s lazy demeanor was replaced with great solemnity. He provided support fire from behind Ye Luo. With his assistance, the battle came to a stalemate.
The animal was able to evade even Shang’s gunfire. Ye Chong’s expression was somber. Shang was inferior to Mu when it came to combat, but the difference was very slight. Ye Chong had never seen any mech pilot able to best the mech.
However, this battle recording showed that the combined effort of Ye Chong and Shang was only just enough to hold the eight-fingered red-tailed beast at bay.
It was a terrifying though! A chill went up Ye Chong’s spine.
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Judging by the current state of the battle, it was almost certain that the battle would end in a stalemate. The red-tailed beast was stronger, but Shang and Ye Luo working together put them on equal ground. The only thing that Ye Chong could not understand was why Shang remained stationary throughout the battle.
Shang was a lazy fellow, but he always treated battle seriously. Besides, this was a critical situation. Why would the mech choose to fire his weapon while remaining at the same position? Shooting from a stationary position was easier than shooting and moving at the same time, but the latter was more effective and powerful in actual combat. Moreover, Ye Chong knew that Mu was a particularly competent shooter.
Why, then, did Shang choose to shoot from a stationary position?
Ye Chong suddenly remembered that Ye Luo mentioned his wife and child earlier. Were they sitting inside Shang? That would explain why Shang did not move about. A child could not withstand the pressure from these motions. The holographic recording had limited information. Ye Chong had to make guesses based on what was available to him.
The battle soon turned to a stalemate. Ye Luo and Shang worked together seamlessly like they had done it hundreds of times. The red-tailed beast tried to escape the Ye Family mech’s control but to no avail. Shang’s long range suppression fire also restricted the animal’s movements.
Even so, victory for Ye Luo and Shang would be very difficult. They did not know how to achieve that for the moment. Ye Luo could keep the red-tailed beast at bay, but not injure it.
“Luo, there’s someone on the trash planet! I’ll ask him to look after the baby, then we’ll take care of this monster together.” A woman spoke with determination through the comms.
“Trash planet” – Ye Chong frowned at the word. He noticed a planet in the background for the first time, and then his heart raced. It looked very familiar!
Wasn’t this the trash planet that he had lived on for more than a decade? Could it be …
Ye Chong felt his mouth turned dry.
“Alright, is 20 minutes enough?” Ye Luo replied swiftly. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would be for them. Once the animal identified the pattern in their attack coordination, they would quickly lose control of the battle. Shang could not execute any evasive maneuvers with the baby inside. It was simply too dangerous.
“Stay safe.” The woman sounded deeply concerned, but did not delay her departure. She went straight for the nearby planet.
Ye Luo laughed and replied smoothly, “Don’t worry, wife, if we can’t beat it straight, we’ll outsmart it!”
Once Shang left, the pressure on Ye Luo escalated. It was obvious from the recording that he was in a dire situation. The red-tailed beast was agile and fast, much faster than a human could react to it. Ye Luo had never seen anything like it. He was momentarily at a loss.
Nevertheless, despite the dangerous situation he was in, Ye Luo was still the ace of the Ye Family. Every time the red-tailed beast’s arrowhead tail went for him, he could avoid by a hair’s breadth.
The tail of a eight-fingered red-tailed beast was much stronger than one with six fingers. The arrowhead tail was black in color, and moved like it had a life of its own. It was faster and stronger than its weaker counterpart. Ye Chong watched with a sinking heart. He knew that if he were to encounter this eight-fingered animal, he would probably not make it out alive.
The red-tailed beast seemed to be able to predict its opponent’s movements. This was just like a mentalist. This made the animal even more dangerous, and Ye Luo suffered because of it. The eight-fingered red-tailed beast was much stronger and faster than a Jie expert. Its arrowhead tail was also a formidable weapon. From the looks of it, the animal also had parapsychic-like abilities. This made the animal an even more dangerous enemy.
The battle progressed with Ye Luo being overwhelmed by his opponent. The red-tailed beast managed to brush past Ye Luo a few times, but Ye Luo was also fast enough to survive them with only scratches to show for.
Suddenly, the red-tailed beast seemed to realize something, and began to attack with even more vigor.
This was the turning point of the battle.
Ye Luo’s situation became even more dangerous. He received multiple injuries in just a short while. This was only five minutes after Shang left.
The battle turned vicious. Ye Chong heard Ye Luo yelling furiously now and then. One of the best mech pilots alive was forced to retaliate with all he got. The red-tailed beast began to sustain injuries as well, and this made it more cautious. The animal began to move more slowly.
This gave Ye Luo a chance to catch his breath. Ye Chong could hear him panting heavily in the recording. However, it was still 10 minutes until Shang returned!
These 10 minutes were like hell on earth.
The red-tailed beast did not give Ye Luo long to rest. It charged again. The battle continued as before, with Ye Luo at a heavy disadvantage.
The red-tailed beast’s figure suddenly appeared on the holographic screen. Just as it was about to brush past Ye Luo, it suddenly turned around and striked out with its tail towards Ye Luo.
Crack! The arrowhead tail destroyed one of the auxiliary engines.
Just like a dam with a piece of its wall chipped off, this led to a chain reaction. Ye Luo reacted quickly, but it did not stop him from descending further into a tight corner.
Ye Chong shook his head. Even he could not turn the tides of the battle were he in the mech pilot’s position. The man was in great danger. His death was imminent.
“Luo!” His wife cried out through the comms. Ye Luo had almost lost control of the fight, and his life.
A laser beam went straight for the red-tailed beast, hoping to force it away. The red-tailed beast was cunning, however. It knew that this was its final chance. If the two humans were allowed to join forces again, it would not survive the battle.
The animal braced itself for the laser beam attack and went for Ye Luo.
The arrowhead tail penetrated Ye Luo’s pilot cabin! The recording shook violently. Scraps of metals were flying everywhere. The red-tailed beast’s tail went through the left side of Ye Luo’s abdomen. Ye Luo was stuck to the animal’s tail. Blood sprayed everywhere!
“No!” The woman screamed with grief. Countless laser beams were fired.
Ye Chong saw Shang’s full form for the first time, with a blue-white energy gun in its hand. Shang’s image quickly vanished as the holographic recording switched back to the pilot cabin’s interior.
Ye Luo groaned, but his hands were still typing fast on the control console.
The red-tailed beast was about to pull out its arrowhead tail when the mech brought its two arms in and caught the animal’s tail tightly in its grasp.
The red-tailed beast froze. All the laser beams fired by Shang landed on the animal’s body. Like rocks thrown against a marsh, the back of the red-tailed beast was littered with holes.
The red-tailed beast looked like it was in pain. Ye Luo did not wait for it to recover from the shock. The mechanical arms pulled the mech towards the animal. The two of them were close to each other now. The red-tailed beast did not expect its enemy to be able to retaliate still.
The mech’s knee crashed heavily into the red-tailed beast’s abdomen. Ye Family’s mechs were designed like porcupines. A mechanical joint like the knee would always be fitted with barbs.
Inside the pilot cabin, Ye Luo could not endure much longer. He vomited blood all over the pilot cabin. His last counterattack was done with his final breath.
Wham! The red-tailed beast’s face twisted. It wriggled like it was mad. The mech could no longer hold on to the red-tailed beast and was flung away.
Ye Chong saw two large bloody holes in the abdomen of the red-tailed beast.
“No!” The voice was devoid of hope. There was the sound of blood dripping.
Rui Bing’s eyes reddened. She inched closer towards Ye Chong by instinct, and Ye Chong felt his chest tightened.
On the holographic screen, the red-tailed beast charged towards Shang like a mad animal. The two figures grew smaller and smaller on the holographic screen. Ye Chong noticed that Ye Luo’s mech was flung towards a spatial window. This was probably where the red-tailed beast came from.
By now, Ye Luo had stopped breathing. His final attack had drained all life from his body.
The recording turned dark, and then flashed. There was a loud crashing sound, and the recording shook. Ye Chong knew that this was when the mech crashed into the ground.
Things quieted down soon. What Ye Chong saw on the holographic screen now was comparable to what he could currently see outside the mech. The mech must have landed where it was today.
The recording became silent. Nothing changed.
Ye Chong pressed fast forward until three days later. The multiply injured red-tailed beast emerged from the spatial window. It looked even more pitiful than before. Basically, the animal was shot full of holes. One of its arms was barely connected to the body.
This was probably how Shang lost his arm. Ye Chong realized that the woman must be dead. When he found Shang, the mech’s dimension keystone indicated that it had no master. Only when a mech pilot died would a mech automatically refresh its dimension keystone to a blank slate.
However, it seemed that the red-tailed beast was also gravely injured. It looked bloody all over.
The red-tailed beast turned to Ye Luo’s mech with a hungry look on its face. However, it quickly shifted its attention to the mech’s surroundings and hesitated.
“The mech’s surroundings? But there’s nothing there on the holographic screen!” Ye Chong thought to himself in bafflement.
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“Could it be the dimensional crack you told me before?” Rui Bing recalled with tears welling up her eyes after seeing the visual just now. She might have experienced parting with loved ones but she was still a rather simple person who only fought with her fists and kicks for justice and love. Her voice was muzzled by her nasal as she spoke.
“Mhmm, maybe,” Ye Chong nodded in agreement.
In the visual projected, the harshly wounded red-tailed beast had a moment of hesitation before it left the place for good, and the motion looked still for the next few minutes. If it was not the dust particles rolling on the ground, Ye Chong would have assumed the visual had ended. It was clear that this mech was installed with a powerful detection system, or a powerful energy system, more precisely speaking.
The visual was fast-forwarded at drastic speed and Ye Chong could see the constant harassment by other red-tailed beasts 26 years after that. The detection had never stopped working for the past 26 years and certainly had justified its outrageously long-lasting energy reserve.
Towards the later part of the visual, Ye Chong finally understood why that red-tailed beast left the scene at first, as well as how the mech lasted till now – perhaps, the prey was not meant to be consumed after all. As Ye Chong continued observing, he saw a small pack of red-tailed beasts being shredded into countless pieces upon approaching it. The densely formed crack of dimension seemed to have distorted them into a swirl of flesh.
The mech was apparently a fly-trap for the red-tailed beasts, captivating and deadly.
The red-tailed beast that decided to leave the mech alone had 8 toes, while these seemingly blind red-tailed beasts had 5. From this, Ye Chong could speculate that red-tailed beasts with more than 5 toes could sense the dimensional phenomena, though it was a wild guess.
As time passed by, Ye Chong witnessed the massive migration of the red-tailed beasts while the timestamp matched the period where red-tailed beats were first seen, at an abrupt occasion, in He Yue galaxy.
This place was obviously a real place of death with these spatial distortions around. Ye Chong gave up counting the deformed carcasses piling up by the mech as he shifted his attention to the number of packs of migrating red-tailed beasts. There were 57 packs of them that attempted a migration in the last 26 years and only 12 of them actually made it.
The strange thing was… only a handful of them were spotted at He Yue galaxy, so where were the rest? No one knew, but clearly a majority of their compatriots had been slaughtered mercilessly by the dimensional cracks.
There were a few of them scouting the escape path and mostly they were sacrificed. Ye Chong’s speculation could be true, judging how the scouts all had more than 5 toes and they also happened to be the leader of their respective packs. Their leadership made them take up the most dangerous task ever while their innate ability only gave them a partial chance of survival, as they still needed luck in order to survive.
Ye Chong was not able to perceive their full departure however. The record seemed to have not captured the exact manner the red-tailed beasts “transported” themselves via the spatial window.
Nevertheless, this mech contained precious information, a large amount of them.
And one of them mentioned Shang.
Shang had always been a total mystery to everyone and this time Ye Chong had something like a biography about this tactical ally of his, which included a clear, complete visual of him in his prime.
There were bits of information about Ye Luo and the pilot of Shang, but those failed to grab Ye Chong’s attention. His sole interest was always on either the friend or the foes, Shang or the red-tailed beasts in this context. Ye Chong believed he hardly associated with Ye Luo and the family.
While still being remained in the shock after witnessing the destruction caused by the dimensional cracks, Ye Chong began reading the journal entries stored in the processor. There was nothing particularly futuristic about storing a journal for mech pilots. No fancy hologram projection, no audio record, it was just an ordinary page of words written by the pilot as believed to be about rather significant events. It was more manageable, perhaps, for space exploration pilots to keep their journals in text form since it had a smaller file size. It also seemed like the “black box” for the mech since the journal was stored at the most well-protected component of the processor.
Ye Chong evaluated each entry carefully. The journal was concisely written yet every single sentence was terrifying to both Ye Chong and Rui Bing.
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
It was my 17th birthday today. I was gifted ‘Lazunite’.”
Lazunite was probably the name of this mech, which was a combination of lazunite and nightfall.
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Lazunite was a great ally. It’s been 3 months since obtained. Lost only in the 39th round in clan war. The other clan members was defeated by Lazunite in less than 10 moves.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Free space zone, encountered strong enemies of 20, defeated 19 and had a draw. Departed home, during which Xue Lai clan scouting team encountered, all destroyed.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Another encounter with the Xue Lai team. 110 casualties this time, smashed 42, wounded 17 and the rest escaped.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
The third time encountering Xue Lai, with 178 units. Utilized the geographical benefits, smashed about half of the group, escaped the scene safely.”
…
The following entries seemed much later…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Age: Over 30. Skills: honed apparently. A master of oneself, ranked the top. Improvements were significant. No one in the clan could defeat me. Overjoyed.”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
A man with broken heart, without the will to fight. The greatest depression comes from the heart. Sigh.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Encountered a large group of Xue Lai, presumably coming to challenge for fun. Cleared 2/3 of the entire army. We might be the greatest nemesis to each other, not even the other aristocrats could compete.”
That was when Ye Chong clicked the next entry and saw something.
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Xue Lai had a backup this time. A formidable foe. Possibly their top mech model Shang.”
That was it.
That was really it. Ye Chong enlarged his eyes, as finally confirming Shang’s identity, being a mech of the Xue Lai clan, the top-notch model too, 2 decades back. That explained his capabilities even today, handicapped. Ye Chong could not help but to marvel Shang at his prime.
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Shang challenged. Pilot: Unknown. Fought 10 days straight, outcome: negative.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
20th day. Outcome: negative.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
A few fights had been done with Shang coming back. Outcome: negative.”
“Outcome: Negative.”
“No outcome after the battle.”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Shang had won over my respect. Intend to ally. Lack of a method however.”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
A gentle touch, a fateful encounter truly. The top pilot of Xue Lai clan was a woman! Her name was Yu Yu. Heart: pumping fast. Body temperature: rising.”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Formed a party. No regrets in life, not anymore!”
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Utilized pathway of Xue Lai and entered 5 major galaxies. Rapports grew, travelling in relaxation. Hope the journey never ends!”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Officially engaged. Today was the marriage. Not even the difference of our family could stop us from getting married. We shall hide from the world, away from the families. Now I finally realized where my heart was broken.”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Yu Yu was pregnant. Felt happiness. Jaws were sore from long hours of smiling. If Ye Juxing saw this, he would be laughing.”
…
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
Our child was born. Yu my love was fine. It was a boy and he was named Ye Chong.”
Ye Chong froze, his logical formulation of mental schema had gone chaotic! He seemed to have no longer recognized the world.
It took him a while to recover from the shock, during which he realized his hand was held by Rui Bing.
Her eyes were passionately on Ye Chong, her lips could not help but to constantly biting each other upon perceiving Ye Chong’s confused stare and a tighter grip.
Somehow these little gestures had given Ye Chong a kind of strength. His eyes grew clear as he nodded at Rui Bing, returned her a grip too. Rui Bing’s face reddened while her eyes fixed upon Ye Chong’s.
Ye Chong’s parents had been revealed. It had always been a concept more foreign than the red-tailed beasts, the unknown creature across dimension to Ye Chong whenever it came to “home” or “family”. He only knew, the closest term to such sense of belonging, “Papa”.
He finally realized which Trash Planet the girl in the visual mentioned was, and the recipient too, as well as Shang’s point of existence.
So, they were his parents. Out of the sudden, Ye Chong had a strong urge to see their faces. He tried searching through the database, only turning out to be a wild goose chase. He could not see a clear visual of them, and could only pick up a few brief lines from the recording.
He repeated the recording countless times, listened with a passion like it was the first time he heard it.
He imprinted these voices in his head, then he carried on reading the journals.
“XX Month XX Day XX Year
The bloodline of our Ye Chong had always been our worry. What could happen if blood of Ye family and Xue Lai clan came into connection? But the outcome was, surprisingly, positive. The blood test result reflected a clear characteristic of Ye family. Our son would have a great body like his father. Yu my love had conducted test on our son’s Xue Lai bloodline too. The result matched, perhaps he could inherit the intelligence and powerful calculation ability of his mother. Well, the downside was, as his mother stated, it was not confirmed even among their own kind.
But, I believe we had made a major discovery! The marriage across both families would not taint and kill the bloodline! This would be significant to both Ye family and Xue Lai clan, though I am not sure if it is applicable on all families. Still, I strongly believe that this would be quite something for every family in the galaxy!”
Ye Luo no longer sounded concise as he was in this entry. One could almost feel his excitement from the writing.
The entry explained everything!
Ye Chong finally understood how he was able to activate Mu/Shang, while having the bloodline, thus the inhumane physique of Ye family.
His mind ran fast, as he pieced everything together.
The reason of his appearance on Trash Planet.
The motive of the MPA, also the Xue Lai clan hunting down Mu/Shang upon seeing him.
The explanation to the fading effect of the toxic of silver liquid in Black Coves.
The strangely terrified reaction of Mu upon seeing the 8-toed claw underground that time.
The reason why Mu/Shang’s database contained mostly information from Ye family and Xue Lai clan.
Yes, it all made sense, made perfect sense!
Ye Chong took the journal, along with the microchip that contained the mentioned visual out of the mech. No expression could be perceived on his face, not even Rui Bing could discern the thoughts of her man.
Ye Chong then booted the energy management system of the mech for further investigation.
There was one last question unanswered, what kept the mech running for so long? What kind of energy source?
And the details on the glowing interface answered him, as what he had suspected – it was Teardrop, which was not a far-fetched choice for a superior model from a superior family. What he found far-fetched however, was the fact that Shang never thought of utilizing Teardrop for his own energy consumption, despite also being a superior mech model.
No wonder the red-tailed beasts were catching the mech like moths to the flame. All these while, it was because of the energy signature, not the mech.
Ye Chong was not sure how these beasts would use a Teardrop but he was very sure that these beasts wanted it hard.
He dismounted Teardrop and took a look at the circuit. The materials involved might have been considered top-notch back then, but now they appeared obsolete in the eyes of Ye Chong who had mined an inventory full of rare minerals from Darkniss before.
His calm eyes shifted to the piles of dusty bones across the seat, there might not be words from him but his heart was rumbling with something complicated.
Was that … my father? My true father?
His mind spoke softly, never believing that it would be such a reunion with his father when it happened.
“Ye,” Rui Bing’s heart ached upon the grimly indifferent expression of Ye Chong, “Let’s bury our father.” Her hands gripped Ye Chong tight.
He responded with a nod as he began picking up the crumbling bones piece by piece.
Both of them exited the mech. Ye Chong withdrew his dagger, an action foreign to the bewildered Sha Ya as he started digging a hole on the ground to place the pieces.
The experience was not particularly new to Ye Chong since he was also the one who buried Papa back then. He still could remember it like it was yesterday. It was so sad that he feared as Papa was his only relative who had taken good care of him since he was young.
Ye Chong might be apathetic at times, but he was still a child back then. There was fear in him, over losing his only close relative who had been taking care of him since he was still crawling the ground.
And now he was there, watching his signpost of blood and flesh disintegrating into the ashes on the ground. It was a complicated feeling of seeing a reunion having to go like this.
“Let’s salute your father…,” said Rui Bing softly.
He was not entirely clear about this concept of saluting people but he just imitated Rui Bing’s action as he bowed before the tomb thrice.
Ye Chong intended to leave the scene afterwards, as he looked at that old damaged Lazunite gasping for air on the ground. The mech was beyond repair and only components like the detection system were working as if yesterday, with a few glitches that could be fatal to the pilot.
Let ashes be ashes.
Let memories remain as memories.
Let the mech stay the place it was, with its owner for all eternity.
“We are going back,” said Ye Chong hoarsely to Sha Ya who was unaware of what happened in the abandoned mech far away from her. Nevertheless, she was fully aware of what should be asked and what should not, so she just remained quiet and followed the order as they returned to Darkniss.
Ye Chong’s crew had been following their leader for quite some time so they could tell his mood despite his apparent indifference. Their leader might be a wise and calm one, unexpressive of his emotion yet they demonstrated cautious obedience, as part of their deep respect to Ye Chong their leader.
“My lord, perhaps we could use this window,” said Aried as he inched towards Ye Chong.
“What do you propose?” replied Ye Chong as he got back from his deep thoughts. He did not see how one could utilize this dimensional window that broke the surrounding with horrendous cracks, other than killing the place of course.
“Sir, the cracks are fading away,” added Sha Ya.
“Fading…” Ye Chong flinched, “away?” That was a plot twist.
“Wait, Sha Ya, did you say ‘fading away’?” Aried was astonished too, “Impossible! We did not detect any high energy activity at the surrounding, at least not high enough to stimulate the disintegration.”
High energy… activity? Minerals?
Teardrops?
Was it because of Teardrop?
The thought flashed in Ye Chong’s mind.
The dimensional cracks were far more denser at Lazunite yet…
Could there be a relationship… between the space distortion activity and Teardrops?
“Sir!” Screamed Sha Ya, “There are formation of dimensional cracks around us! It’s increasing!”
Ye Chong jumped up from his throne.
I knew it! It is the Teardrops! It has to be! The Darkniss utilized Teardrops as the source of energy. Of course Aried could not detect any high level of energy activity nearby!
We are the high level energy activity itself!
“Avoid them, Sha Ya, you’ll lead us!” Ye Chong commanded as he turned to Aried and said, “We MUST get through the dimensional window, now! Tell me what do you need!”
“But.. but… my lord… We aren’t aware of where the dimensional window leads t-”
“I KNOW!” Ye Chong interrupted as he looked at Aried. “We can go anywhere but it’s definitely not here! Leave now!”
Aried replied, “Y-yes sir,” giving a few dramatic nods.
“What do you need? Report!” said Ye Chong.
Aried pondered for a few moments, “Teardrop. Give me one Teardrop.” It was a confident reply from him.
Without hesitation, Ye Chong removed a Teardrop and passed to Aried.
The crew members got busy as bees in the control room, while the rest were looking at the hologram that reflected their upcoming fate.
As we all know, piloting a giant warship to perform hectic and minimal evasion was an art, a tremendously challenging movement that required precise coordination.
Therefore it was justifiable to see the crew members being this tense, as a long chains of command was uttered in shrieks from time to time, from one member to another.
The dimensional cracks were forming at a moderate rate round the ship, which was the saving grace for the crew. If the cracks came a bit faster, they might have to join the stars.
Aried led Sang Kan to the dimensional window as surrounded by a formation of Level 8 shooters. Even though they could not clearly feel the structure of the dimensional window like their Level 9 counterparts, at least they could tell the location.
Aried and Sang Kan began setting up the apparatus, which were all the creation of Aried. Thankfully the ship was well-facilitated, so it did not take him long to build these, especially with the microchip from Ye Chong that contained insane amount of space science information. The Consortium was their aid, ironically.
There were a few blueprints and Aried had built machines upon them, yet no test was actually performed before.
It was a set of 14 silver round disks about half a meter in diameter, with complicated circuits over them. Aried and Sang Kan placed these disks right below the dimensional window.
The crew was curious. Aried was the scholar to them so they were interested in his latest experiment.
Both Aried and Sang Kan first connected all 14 disks and the wiring took them about 30 minutes. They spent the next 10 minutes performing final check.
Aried gestured Sang Kan to back away. He hesitated and eventually left Aried alone far ahead.
Aried was grim, as he installed the Teardrop on the centermost disk.
Beep.
The disk glowed with sea blue energy flowing through the entire circuit over the surface. In no time, the energy reached the other disks too.
Aried was relieved, the apparatus seemed to be working. He began sprinting, sprinting towards the warship. Sang Kan grabbed the running man over his shoulders and ran hurriedly as well.
The moment they got back to the ship, the dimensional window was morphing.
Ye Chong looked this strange planet sending nostalgia to him. He was having mixed feelings.
Trash Planet-12. The planet where he grew up. He recognized every piece of trash on this planet. The abandoned spaceships, the commander’s throne with a broken cushion, the pile of rusty cogs giving one the sharp stench even by just looking at it.
It had been 10 years since he departed from Trash Planet-12 and this filthy home of his remained filthy as ever.
Ever since the Big Bang, the planet had lost its life. Those overwhelming monsters Ye Chong once terrified of, had all been vanquished, annihilated, wiped, as if Judgment Day. He strolled through the pile of debris which looked as if before. Leading Rui Bing, they got home, Ye Chong’s home in the past.
“Where is this?” asked Rui Bing.
“Home. I grew up here.” The indifferent reply from Ye Chong made Rui Bing grab her man tightly. She could not imagine her beloved living on this trashy place alone as a child before.
Ye Chong’s home remained the way when he departed back then. Nothing was touched. No footprint of the notorious Engulfer was even discerned around his home. The Engulfers once always outnumbered the other species with their reproduction, and now they stayed as history, a faint flavor wafting in the palate of Ye Chong. It was a shame to be no longer able to taste some lovely roasted Engulfer.
Well, at least, as conveniently as a lazily written Sci-fi, the daring gamble of the crew plunging into the dimensional window led them to Trash Planet-12. Ye Chong did not notice the window at all, as it was cleverly hidden behind a few space rocks.
Aried was talented after all, since he picked the right blueprint that produced a window expander. The Darkniss eventually passed through the distortion seamlessly. Nevertheless, the window disintegrated not too long after they had landed on Trash Planet-12. Aried’s hypothesis was, the disappearance of the dimensional window could be due to the intensive energy stimulation produced by the machines, which led to destabilization.
Well, assuming that was a dimensional window created by nature, a new one should be coming, though the catch was, no one would know how long it would take, and no one would ever know if it still led to the same place.
Trash Planet-12 was dead, not surprisingly to the denizen. It was meant to be a giant space rubbish dump. The residents around the planet had already been migrated to other planets. The red-tailed beasts might have devoured the entire galaxy as attracted by the metals in it, yet they were never interested in the metallic junks on Trash Planet-12. The junks were substandard after all. They remained on the same spot as ever, quietly.
Ye Chong knew Fal galaxy well. He had the necessary information of the entire galaxy the moment he left Trash Planet, thanks to Mu/Shang.
There was no signal to transmit anything. Apparently the connection had been cut away from the main transmitter a few lightyears away. Well, it made sense. Who would transmit things from a rubbish dump anyway?
Ye Chong, as his instinct told, decided to head to Blue Ocean first. It was the planet where he first met Rui Bing, in her loving white garb and Grandpa Qian, at his little noodle shop. All was fine till a strike came to the Five Galaxies and everyone on Blue Ocean was forced to migrate. Rui Bing and the people he cared moved to Csebesini galaxy and no one knew what had happened to this blueish planet after that.
They got back to the ship and led the ship to the coordinate of Blue Ocean.
It was a shocking scene when they got there.
It almost felt like a blue Trash Planet-12 when they hopped off the planet. The same ruins, the same silence, the similar stench, the same dead atmosphere. The buildings had fallen. The streets were scattered with yellowish wallpapers. Mechs rested the ground with broken arms. The city was completely destroyed as they saw the puddles of brownish water tainting the street.
They tried shouting but only echoes returned. There was nobody but the packs of red-tailed beasts which just marched before Ye Chong fearlessly. They were the survivors to this chaotic place. Their adaptability gave the citizenship here.
It was expected by Ye Chong, well he was the one who witnessed the higher ranked, 8-toed red-tailed beasts after all.
“No one survived,” reported Sang Kan grimly, who saw the destruction by the terrifying beasts the first time. He was utterly blown. He could see how developed the city was in its former glory and now… But, fortunately, he did not discovered dead bodies around, not a large number of them, probably everyone managed to escape before chaos ensued completely.
The production line was probably the area that suffered the most damage due to its abundant supply of batteries. Well, a production line was there… which now only the scraps remained. It was a fact universally acknowledged, that a red-tailed beast in possession of an actual berserk must be in want of immense energy. Ye Chong could verify this fact, throughout all his encounters with the red-tailed beasts, it had and only had always been a snatch of energy. And unfortunately, it had always been the wealthy, authoritative groups that possessed excellent sources of mineral energy, while they, despite their colossal amount of currencies, might not be able to have the security that would protect them from the strike of red-tailed beasts, though they were great runners when it happened. Nonetheless, Darkniss had far greater rare mineral inventory than these big shots in the Five Galaxies.
It was the nature of red-tailed beasts to compete for resources, but it was apparently not their nature to utilize these energy resources for evolution. Well, if such ability was inborn for them, the galaxies would be a goner by then. Extracting energy from minerals by humanity was seemingly an art, a hardly understood magic in the eyes of these beasts. Red-tailed beasts, in spite of their intelligence, lacked the actual capability of creation. To get energy they only knew how to steal. Certainly, they would steal candies from only babies, they would never pick anything of their own size. If they did, it would only be destruction for them. However, humans, while being possibly the right baby to steal candies from, turned out to be rather resilient to the beasts.
The production line was obviously destroyed. Nothing was left for Ye Chong. He needed information, regarding the current situation in Five Galaxies, on the warfare between red-tailed beasts and humanity.
That would be the only signpost for their discretion.
They were blind at the situation for the moment.
How many “clans” were there accommodating these red-tailed beasts?
Where were these clans?
What could Ye Chong do now?
Eventually, perhaps driven by nostalgia, they headed to Csebesini. While Rui Bing was kidnapped away to He Yue galaxy, Grandpa Qian and the others resided there. Moreover, judging by the intergalactic layout, Csebesini might hold the greatest likelihood of survivals. Well, geographically saying, it should.
Csebesini was not practically the largest among all Five Galaxies, yet it was the transition area interconnected with the other 4 galaxies. Csebesini had always been the neutral member of the party, with an open, welcoming policy that attracted flocks of talents from all over the universe. There was an influx of population during the chaos, making Csebesini no longer the overlooked galaxy among the five as rapid development ensued.
“That was valid till… well, I got knocked out and brought to He Yue,” said Rui Bing.
“Sir, we detected threats.” Right after Ye Chong got back to Darkniss, the alert came.
There was a small team of red-tailed beasts detected on the visual. Ye Chong, after a careful observation, deduced that these red-tailed beasts were of a far higher rank than those they encountered on Darkniss before. Yup, even higher than those he fought on Planet Yi Ju. The toes were clearly more than 3 on each. The leader was 5-toed. From Ye Chong’s experience, a 5-toed red-tailed beast could have been a supreme leader of a smaller clan in Darkniss, yet this 5-toed beast he was seeing merely came from a small team.
One could already imagine the difference in levels now.
They had evolved?
At least the beasts would not evolve all at once out of sudden. In order to initiate evolution, which was to gain that extra toe, to go up in rank, they would need a certain amount of minerals and energy which would increase tremendously each stage of evolution.
The red-tailed beasts seemed to be unaware of Darkniss, probably because of the distance as well as the layer of colloid fungus extract the crew applied at the body of Darkniss.
Ye Chong remained cautious as ever nonetheless.
He sent 100 mechs off to fight. Appilok who was the supreme commander of the mech military unit of the entire crew led the army, showing the extreme careful measures Ye Chong took.
Appilok did not find this an overkill. He, like the other members of the crew, was fully aware of the ranking system among the red-tailed beasts.
100 mechs went into a curvy formation, inching towards the 28 red-tailed beasts. Like Darkniss, the mechs were also coated with colloid fungus extract so they were invisible to the red-tailed beasts. Appilok was not noticed immediately, even though the leading red-tailed beast seemed to be able to feel his existence as it glanced at the place where Appilok stood. The captain remained undiscovered, even though it was a terrifying scene to behold on the visual in the ship.
Appilok was calm, unshaken by the threat. Fire was held despite seeing the beasts being completely inside their range of weaponry.
Timing and range were the prime factor to determine a successful assassination.
It was not the speed or the strength of the beast that threatened the crew. It was the extrasensory that could assist the beasts in dodging all attacks while making one.
The best way to eliminate the pack would be to fire at close range, densely.
The laser guns were initiated, charging.
And it was that quick charging of mech weaponry that alarmed the red-tailed beasts.
They began scattering!
“Fire.” Appilok commanded calmly.
The 100 beams flew over the air and struck upon the 28 beasts.
A combined beam attack was the technique the team had been studying.
In their latest discovery, the distance and the consistency of their shots were the most important, so by utilizing the processors to improvise, this was the outcome of their research.
16 red-tailed beasts had turned into 16 puddles of honeycombs, yet it remained an unsatisfying sight to Appilok. Logically speaking, it was a war of 28 against 100, carried out as an assassination yet only a majority of the wave was cleared – 16 killed, 12 remained. A dense firing that failed rather horribly in Appilok’s record. However, he was not puzzled. Being the commander, one must not only wield the charisma but also a mind in peace during the war, in order to make the right decision for the goods of his men.
His previous experience in the warfield had justified that.
“Attack in groups.” The next order had been given.
The team Ye Chong was leading now turned out to be much more complicated than before. They had been trained, “improvised” during the ample time they had in Darkniss. Ye Chong did not supervise most of their programs, being a man who was particular about results the most. During the process, Appilok, thanks to the competition and the consistent exposure to practical fights, matured in his leadership.
It was because of this lack of limitation from the author, most of the commanders’ ideas were managed to manifest. To be frank, Appilok was the brightest one among them, a genius, literally one made for war strategist whom Ye Chong believed to be on par with Arwa the legend in Gray Valley.
He was also a passionate learner with an open mind. On occasions where Duan Qian and the others came up with ideas, he would take all of them once proven effective. He just had that practicality from Ye Chong.
100 mechs were segregated into 10 small groups.
They had a detailed set of procedures which was meant to remedy the situation. Everything must be planned beforehand, even if the warfield was capriciously ever-changing. If changes happened, an army could break into chaos for not knowing how to adapt to the situation as a whole.
And this was one of them, based on a highly modified version of Ye Chong’s training course by Appilok.
A unit consisted of 10 mechs could fulfill the necessary dexterity and offense density for the war.
The pilots were shooting calmly. They did not really have to aim. tThey just had to follow the arranged shooting point at an assigned pace. Still, a combined attack that would form an Area-of-Effect attack engulfing the red-tailed beasts straightaway.
The technique was as effective as one could see. No masterly evasion could save any of these red-tailed beasts. Their number shrunk drastically, so were their sanity.
The group led by Appilok remained on hold of their fire. They were ones who scored 98% and above for shooting, the aiming bot themselves. Apparently after the misfortune of the 6-toed red-tailed beast escape, the trainees grew tremendously maniac over mastering their accuracy. That was when the grading set Ye Chong was overthrown as a new, more demanding training came to them in which only less than 10% of the group managed to pass in the first place.
There was hardly anybody who scored above 80% and the trainees certainly had tasted the hardship of their training. It was drilled in their head so hard that they could not help themselves but to lift their guns to aim whenever they spotted something moving. Despite all that, the training was very effective. Their performance was climbing while a few of them, driven by their passion, were able to obtain a perfect score.
Those who scored above 95% were considerably a true sniper mech pilot. And among the approximately 4000 trainees, only 234 of them managed to earn this complete liberty of unsupervised shooting in the warfield. The normal pilots would inform these snipers to clear the more troubling foes. These snipers also had the responsibility of protecting the commanders in the dark. So, in order to carry out these tasks, Ye Chong had produced them a mech model specialized in target-locking.
The red-tailed beasts were eventually swarmed upon by the combined beams.
A sudden raid unforeseen by the red-tailed beasts it was.
One of the red-tailed beasts managed to escape the combined attack, bleeding as it held its throat in disbelief.
One mech next to Appilok placed down the gun. He made the shot.
It was a rather quick fight, as only the leader of the red-tailed beasts remained on the field, in immense fury of course. It was always the one breaking the field and now it was the one going to be broken. Its enemies had never decreased, which brought confusion to it. It had wrecked a large number of them at different places before, it almost felt like a bunch of walking target dummies to the beast yet… how? When did these metallic target dummies got stronger?
Then the last beam came, blinding its eyes, then its life.
…(In Darkniss)…
Ye Chong had been observing the field.
The red-tailed beasts had definitely evolved, as expected by Ye Chong though. So his surprise was because of capabilities of not the beasts but his trainees.
He had never put in actual effort in training these trainees as he was already preoccupied by lots of mundane and puzzling works. He was only the mastermind, not the master coach, even during the R&D process of their military techniques.
Appilok was indeed a genius!
First step had been completed and there was no time for more exclamation or even celebration. This would only be the beginning.
He was right.
There were more red-tailed beasts, a whole lot more of them.
The entire Fal galaxy had been raided by red-tailed beasts. He was unsure of the situation in other galaxies. He must follow his plan – to Csebesini!
Darkniss, thanks to the special coating at its armor, was totally invisible to all detection system from distance. Ironically such attribute had also put them at disadvantage. They were undetected, therefore the red-tailed beasts literally crashed into them during the journey. The beasts could not see them, yet they could sense its existence.
The battle units were busy as bees while showering the beams upon the beasts, at an attempt to wipe them out quick. On one wave, one 6-toed red-tailed beast made a close escape, after which the number of red-tailed beasts increased in the following waves. Darkniss was in the dense sensory of countless red-tailed beasts, thus losing its former invisibility.
That was when the red-tailed beasts made their first full swing attack.
Darkniss maintained its high momentum as the bloody carcasses trailed. It sounded like a simple kill-and-go but both Appilok and Ye Chong could smell the upcoming trouble. The red-tailed beasts seemed to all coming for them. The war grew harder each day and mortality was perceived on Darkniss.
“The number of red-tailed beasts encountered yesterday was a 20% increase compared to the day before yesterday, while on today, at this point of time, the figure had exceeded the day before, with a potential to reach a 50% increase.” Reported Appilok, with slight worry.
“The figures… they are climbing…”
Appilok looked at Ye Chong while he further elaborated, “Yes sir, I believe, all these were an organized attack. And no doubt the figure would only increase further. Unless we come up with a feasible plan, we would be surrounded soon. We had lost 28 men today, with 6 injuries too.”
Ye Chong nodded, he knew the situation well. The mortality was because of fatigue. The trainees never had the chance to rest given how frequent the waves came, thus certain amateur mistakes which obviously costed their life during the process.
At one point, the pole would snap, the Darkniss would fall.
And they still were 3 days away from warping point to Csebesini.
Ye Chong pondered.
“Reduce the range of defense. All pilots must rest. Now.” He turned his head, “The shooters would take over and they must at least last for a day. Sha Ya, you’ll take this mission.”
“Yes,” nodded Sha Ya in serenity. She walked away.
Appilok gave a sigh of relief.
“Order them to retreat now. All units would be prohibited from the warfield for the rest of the day.”
“Yes sir!”
The mechs surrounding Darkniss began heading back to their mothership. during which they covered for each other.
And the red-tailed beasts were smiling.
It was an opportunity to attack.
They flooded upon Darkniss, like locusts.
Without any forewarning, countless beams spurted out of Darkniss. Compared to the combined attacks by the sniper mech pilots, the parapsychic sensible shooters were much more capable at delivering consistent accurate attacks, as their beams rained rhythmically at an exact order, causing Darkniss to look like a laser porcupine.
The dense wave of red-tailed beasts were impaled by the lights.
The most fearsome part was how almost every red-tailed beast was slaughtered by their throat. The aiming was more inhuman than the beasts themselves. Only 5 survived with severe injuries while the rest was killed on spot.
Among the crowd, a few packs of highly ranked red-tailed beasts even decided to retreat immediately, as fear imprinted on their distorted expression. It was the first time Ye Chong seeing such fright in them. What had seriously caused them such fright?
A few thoughts and he realized why. He recalled the content of the visuals left on Lazunite the abandoned mech, on which the log said only high-ranked red-tailed beasts could escape as they led their subordinates. Thus, they must possess a kind of sensibility like Sha Ya. Given that, they must be able to sense the overwhelming parapsychic forces coming from Sha Ya and the others.
It was an army consisted of 600 Level 6 shooters, under assistance of 3 Level 7 shooters and 6 Level 8 shooters, all under Sha Ya who was a Level 9 shooter. The forces exerted was so grand that even an airhead like Ye Chong felt the illogical distress taking over him, while those low-ranked red-tailed beasts tripping dead as they sprinted.
Well, a monster remained as a threat even when it was in fear, be they tripping or running away. Sha Ya did not intend to let them go. She might be a strong shooter, but that did not convince her to be boastful and hot-tempered. Her strength had also given her temperance, a clarity in mind.
That was when she convinced the world, what a true expert like a Level 9 shooter was, as she raised her weapon and poured 66 beams which bloomed like blossom from the cabin.
None of them missed.
50 5-toed red-tailed beasts and 16 6-toed red-tailed beasts had been pierced.
Even Ye Chong had a second of bewilderment upon the sight. A 6-toed red-tailed beast was not much of an issue for him. He probably could clear a small wave of them in his Celest, but Sha Ya only raised her firearm and a large pack of the beasts vanished in blinding lights.
The sailors in Darkniss were feeling pumped.
Jin Weidong, after the training in Sea of Threads, had his skills dramatically improved like the other shooters, while they seemed to have a sign of elevating to Level 9.
The amount of effort to go from Level 8 to Level 9 was almost astronomical, yet they were making something.
Thanks to the shooters who were able to dish out massive damage, the battle was ending rather soon after.
Nonetheless, a new wave had arrived.
Ye Chong knew there would be a new wave very soon as he could see how organized the attack was. Clearly the red-tailed beasts wanted to win the war by outnumbering humanity.
The war was strangely intense.
The energy meter on Darkniss depleted quickly. Luckily the Darkniss utilized energy crystal as its source of energy, which contained far more energy content than the batteries commonly used in the Five Galaxies. And Ye Chong had an inventory full of them. If he did not supply enough energy crystals they probably would inevitably lose the battle due to an immobile ship.
Darkniss was traveling at full speed and any incoming red-tailed beast was immediately killed.
That sounded simple, but the ship was still lagging behind the schedule even under the godly hand of Sha Ya, as the waves only thickened each time. The red-tailed beasts were fearless, unafraid of death, as they came back again and again, pouncing at Darkniss.
Many of the shooters had fully depleted their parapsychic strength as they collapsed at the cabin. The medical team was running from one corridor to another.
Sha Ya remained as the most amazing warrior at the scene, as her shooting frequency and accuracy were retained at high levels. She was not only strong but also very sustainable in war field, which had won over respects of the shooters. At this point of time, only Jin Weidong’s team could catch up with her shooting pace. Well, Ye Chong could see them losing the race soon.
Sha Ya had maintained shooting at a high frequency, high accuracy for SIX hours. The data was astounding to the folks. She was given the Ye Chong treatment by the people as they wondered if she was a human. They thought only the master could have honored such inhumanity, yet there was Sha Ya, deconstructing their perceived idea again.
And finally the war seemed to be coming to an actual end.
The mortality of red-tailed beasts was beyond their control. The shooters estimated at least 7000 kills in the past 6 hours, which the figure was sufficient to form a “clan”.
Ye Chong lost about 361 shooters, all because of extreme parapsychic fatigue.
According to the shooters, apparently it was not a norm for them to fight a long term war, since most outcomes happened in split seconds for them. Ye Chong did not want to drain them at first, but he was left with no other choice. The pilots had fallen and he had no backup force.
Fortunately the fatigue was not fatal to them, though it was hard to tell when they would wake up again – not a good news for Ye Chong.
The pilots would at least need 10 hours to regain their stamina. And so far only 6 hours had lapsed while most of the shooters had collapsed. If they had encountered another wave as frenzy as the previous, there would be problems.
But the wave seemed to have ceased, as Ye Chong looked at the floating carcasses around the void. It was a horrendous sight, a nightmare fuel. The crew members had gotten used to such sight however.
The escaped red-tailed beasts did not flee from the scene right away. Instead, they tailed Darkniss at a fixed distance. They were alert yet no action was taken ,yet.
Well, as long as they did not launch the attack, Darkniss would be safe.
Ye Chong sighed in a relief. He needed that catch of his breath.
As long as they lasted the following hours, all would be good.
The shooters did not leave the firing chamber, they remained as alert while eyeing those beasts far behind. They needed to last till the pilots got back online.
The large pack of red-tailed beasts army were following Darkniss and no one knew what could happen next. It was such a restless situation. But at least the captain seemed calm at the moment. The crew members believed everything was still under Ye Chong’s control.
Clearly they would be led to safety!
The captain was the greatest!
That was how the trainees saw Ye Chong. They knew it well, on how they would remain as the most peasantly peasant, the most trashy trash in the world if they did not meet the master. So, everything was for the master, by the master, of the master.
The faithfulness was almost a blind one. Appilok might have been their military leader, but it was this indifferent quiet young man who had given them the necessary mental support.
Ye Chong loved the obedient red-tailed beasts, as he prompted Darkniss to travel faster towards the warping point.
It felt strange the following days. The red-tailed beasts, as if they had been given enough punishments, behaved. Ye Chong could not foresee their next diabolical plan but he was feeling much more at ease. After all, his pilot army had fully recovered, all ready for battle. Most of the shooters had also regained consciousness.
Even if the red-tailed beasts decided to launch the attack, he could take them all just fine.
“Captain!”
And that was when he could already see the warping point.
He looked at the marching red-tailed beasts behind, a brief smile cracked his usual coldness, “Accelerate, prepare for space warp.”
“Perform space warp!” shouted the sailor.
Engines were all turned on, Darkniss blasted off into…
nothing?
That was what the red-tailed beasts witnessed.
In the midst of confusion, the giant metallic enemy disappeared.
Well, they might have evolved but this entire space-jumping Einstein rocket science was beyond their comprehension.
The warship Darkniss had just completed its warp jump when it stumbled upon a situation.
A full blown war was happening right in front of them. Ye Chong stayed in the background. He needed time to assess the battle. The fleet was huge, with probably over a hundred ships.
Ye Chong soon came to the conclusion that the fleet must belong to some aristocratic family, or a powerful organization. This was apparent from the starship designs. The fleet had encountered a large group of red-tailed beasts. From the looks of it, the battle had been going on for some time. Mech squads were scattered about the fleet. They seemed to be inferior to the red-tailed beasts, but had the advantage in numbers.
After observing the battle for a while, Ye Chong found himself taken aback.
“What rotten skills.” Sang Kan commented dismissively. He had good reason to look down on the mech pilots. The mechs were lacking in both group and solo combat abilities. He found the mech pilots to be quite disappointing.
Nevertheless, Ye Chong shook his head. This surprised Sang Kan. He did not think he was wrong. If all the students on their ship were on par with those mech pilots, he would definitely terminate their instructor, with or without the good sir’s orders.
Ye Chong did not explain himself as he continued observing the battle. After a while more, he felt even more certain of his speculation. It seemed that the Five Galaxies had been progressing in his absence. Darkniss had slaughtered many red-tailed beasts, and Ye Chong knew that exactly how his students would fare against the mech pilots from the Five Galaxies. Any average mech pilot from He Yue Galaxy would be considered a professional in the Five Galaxies.
Even He Yue Galaxy’s mech pilots were unlikely to win against red-tailed beasts, but these mech pilots from the Five Galaxies were able to force the war into a stalemate through their advantage in numbers. This was a big surprise for Ye Chong, since he never expected the Five Galaxies to survive the red-tailed beasts.
These were his thoughts that he did not share with Sang Kan.
Sang Kan studied the war with a look of puzzlement. There must a reason for the good sir to disagree with him, so he looked harder at the battle to see what he was missing. After a while, he hummed in surprise. “The fleet commander is good!”
Next to Ye Chong was Appilok on standby. He nodded and commented solemnly, “An expert! It’s incredible!” He looked very serious.
By now, many more people had noticed this. The truth was, the mech pilots in combat were not particularly skilled, or just simply weak, but they had kept the war at a stalemate despite this. There must be an outstanding commander who could identify the enemy’s vulnerabilities and command the fleet accordingly.
The scariest part was, the commander had excellent insights. Whether it was in the bigger picture of the smallest details, the commander had planned flawlessly. The mech pilots carried out their orders without hesitation or doubt. Hence, the war had arrived at a stalemate.
Appilok looked more and more shaken. His forehead was beaded with sweat.
What a terrifying commander! He could not help but felt that he may never reached that level of skills. However, he quickly reigned in his own emotions. All the mech pilots trained by Ye Chong were mentally tough. Appilok quickly rectified his attitude. His eyes glowed with ambition.
In fact, Appilok was asking too much of himself. He was still young, and had not received proper leadership training. Everything he learned was through experience. Only a genius could reach where he was given the circumstances. As long as he continued to learn and gather experiences, he will certainly reach greater heights.
Sang Kan could not appreciate the commander’s skills, but Sang Pu definitely would have.
The warship Darkniss did not draw any attention after completing its warp jump. Appilok and others looked to Ye Chong. They were waiting for his orders. Should they go to the rescue, or not? If not, where should they go next? Ye Chong must make decide for them.
Ye Chong’s wandered to one of the starships on the holographic screen. Suddenly, his expression turned into a mixture of emotions. Rui Bing quickly noticed the changes in him. She found it curious. Ye Chong rarely showed an expression like that. What had he seen?
She followed Ye Chong’s gaze and could not help but gasped.
In the warship’s bridge was a woman of about 28 years of age, with a few burly men and an old man standing around her at attention. She wore gold rimmed glasses that rested on her small nose. Her gentle face showed great determination. Her eyes were sharp, following movements on the holographic screens around her as she tapped lightly and rhythmically on the main control board.
“Squads 10, 19 and 21, assist starship Mo Yun immediately.” Her voice was deep and silky.
The burly men around her were not affected by her seductive voice. They quickly passed the order down. Starship Mo Yun looked like it was still faring well, but no one questioned her orders. They believed that the Young Miss must be right.
As expected, just as the three mech squads arrived at Mo Yun, the situation turned sideways. A large group of red-tailed beasts had arrived.
All the crew members were in awe of their Young Miss’s almost prophetic abilities. Without her, they could not have survive for so long.
Ye Chong and his crew saw what happened as well. Appilok looked taken aback. More sweat appeared on his forehead. Even in the highly complex situation they were in, the commander was able to pinpoint the enemy’s next move precisely. It was shocking!
“Prepare to assist.” Ye Chong’s order brought Appilok back to the present. He could read nothing from his commander’s expression, and did not know what he was thinking.
Appilok composed himself. “Yes sir!”
Despite seeing the chaos outside, Appilok did not hesitate and ran out of the bridge. At the same time, orders for their mech squads to prepare to deploy began to ring throughout the warship.
Rui Bing stood beside Ye Chong and looked at the holographic screen worriedly.
“Young Miss, look!” A crew member pointed at one of the holographic screens and gasped in surprise.
There was no need for his warning. Gu Qing saw what was happening. She kept this region under close watch. If she had anymore elite squads, she would have deployed them all to that region. It would give her the power to control the course of the war. However, she had lost almost all her elite mech pilots. There was not enough manpower to undergo this task.
A hundred laser beams shot through the red-tailed beast horde. The animals scurried about in confusion.
Gu Qing was surprised. Her breathing turned rapid, bringing a blush rising to her cheeks. The poker faced burly men around her finally could not help but swallowed deeply.
Gu Qing did not seem to notice. She was focused entirely on the holographic screen. There was nothing at all to see. She responded swiftly with a loud order. “Quick, switch to optical mode.”
The crew members around jolted awake from their reverie and rushed to switch to optical mode.
The image on the screen changed immediately.
A fleet of about 500 mechs were pushing their way into the horde of red-tailed beasts.
The mech were powerful. In particular, their laser guns could shoot a big, bloody hole in the creatures. Their battle strategy was unique, with clear roles of offense. The mechs at the front line all fired in unison, while the mechs behind them guarded the flanks and rear. This unique strategy and with their powerful laser guns were enough to open a path in the animal horde with ease.
Nevertheless, Gu Qing was not surprised because of this. Instead, she saw how the mech squad had chosen the perfect time and location to make their entry. This showed that their leader was capable.
If this strong mech squad was led by an excellent commander, they would surely make a name for themselves.
Gu Qing knew what she had to do next. She gave the order without delay. “Squads 1, 5, 9 and 16, disperse and surround the red-tailed beasts. Keep them distracted.”
“Squads 3 and 7, move towards the starships. Make way.”
This was all she could now. Now, she could only hope that the commander of the other party understood her actions.
She stared at the holographic screen in suspense. Her orders were actually a huge risk. If the other party did not understand her and respond accordingly, the war would be lost for good.
She did not notice that her knuckles were turning white from gripping too tightly. Her characteristic calmness yielded to the pressure in this decisive moment.
Appilok quickly noticed the changes on the other side. He was slightly taken aback, but also deeply impressed. Without further delay, he rounded up the entire squad and traced a beautiful arc in space. The mech pilots demonstrated their remarkable skills in this maneuver. They made a sharp veer without losing formation.
Gu Qing immediately felt relieved. She knew that the other party had understood her.
Gu Qing studied the holographic screen with amusement as the mech squad charged straight in. Squads 3 and 7 had drew close to the starships around them to make way for the squad. Thus, these newcomers could unleash their maximum potential.
The battle outcome was decided.
Gu Qing was only interested in a few things now. Where did this powerful mech squad come from? Who did they serve?
The Gu Family of Tian Luo Galaxy – a widely influential aristocratic family, was now in great danger. As a historical empire of the Tian Luo Galaxy, they had a strong base in the Galaxy, but nevertheless were helpless against the red-tailed beasts. In recent years, the Gu Family began to decline. With the disappearance of Gu Shaoze, the Gu Family lost a technical genius. For Gu Qing, she had lost someone very important to her.
Gu Shaoze was her only younger brother.
The ramifications were complicated. Gu Shaoze was the designated heir to the Family. His disappearance plunged the Gu Family into a state of turmoil. People who meant ill towards the Family began to make their moves. The lower level members of the Family panicked. When Gu Qing had moved past her grief, the Gu Empire was nearly destroyed.
All this while, Gu Shaoze had never liked dealing with family affairs. The one who really ran the Gu Empire was his sister, Gu Qing. In this crisis, Gu Qing commanded the Gu Family’s most loyal servants without hesitation. Few people knew of this powerful group who served the direct line of the family. They existed precisely for situations like this.
Gu Family’s internal affairs were swiftly managed. Gu Qing then took a series of precautionary steps to stabilize the Gu Family’s inner circle. The lower members of the Family witnessed for the first time the determination and austerity behind the mellow facade of the Family’s Eldest Young Miss.
Nevertheless, the Gu Family suffered losses because of the ordeal. Gu Qing faced the situation bravely, but just as the Family regained some of its power, the red-tailed beasts striked.
The invasion of the red-tailed beasts began at Tappero Galaxy. The creatures spread rapidly across the entire Galaxy. Few people managed to escape. Most of the residents in the Galaxy lost their lives in the invasion. The once prosperous Tappero Galaxy fell quickly. People from the other four Galaxies were shocked and afraid. Gu Qing soon realized that they must leave Tian Luo Galaxy as soon as possible.
However, the red-tailed beasts expanded their reach faster than she expected. The Family only managed to pack their most important assets on their starships. They did not even have time to load normal supplies.
Not many people managed to escape from Tian Luo Galaxy, but the Gu Family survived. The Gu Family was not the strongest military presence in Tian Luo Galaxy, but stronger organizations had fallen despite the fact. This was mostly because of Gu Qing.
Gu Qing was a masterful leader. Without her, their fleet would have perished.
After all the hardships they had been through in their escape, all of the Gu Family fell in line behind their Eldest Young Miss. No one imagined that their Eldest Young Miss, who was placed in charge of managing their Empire, was also capable in commanding a fleet. The truth was, the older generation had groomed her to become her brother’s advisor. This gave her the opportunity to learn these skills.
Her military strategies allowed the Family to balance the odds in the war. Her outstanding capabilities as their leader brought them so far. However, the Family had paid a heavy price for their survival. Only a fifth of the starship fleet survived so far in their journey.
Just as they were feeling grateful for arriving in Csebesini Galaxy, the red-tailed beasts appeared.
…
Where did this squad of mechs come from? Gu Qing watched the holographic screen in bafflement. She was surprised by the strength of the newcomers. All of mech pilots were extremely skilled. So far, none of the mechs were damaged or lost.
Besides, they totaled at least 500 in numbers.
Gu Qing had never heard of any organization with this much power. She was very curious about their background.
Appilok was focused entirely in the battle. He was also in good spirits, having been inspired by the performance of the other party’s commander. Appilok led his squad with exemplary skills. The red-tailed beasts were taken aback by his strategies, and were momentarily caught off guard.
After recuperating for a few days from their last intense battle, the students were restored to their best conditions. They had been bludgeoning their way through red-tailed beasts in this new world. This comparably small horde of red-tailed beasts were a walk in the park.
The battle ended quickly.
None of the red-tailed beasts escaped. Ye Chong learned his lesson. If they encountered red-tailed beasts, never let any of them escape alive, or risk being attacked by an even larger hoard of them.
Gu Qing forced herself to calm down. A 15-kilometer long extravagant warship had suddenly appeared behind her. Anyone would be surprised by it. Gu Qing found herself chilled once again by the numerous surprises she had today.
She studied the cold, young man before her carefully. He must the captain of the warship.
Ye Chong took a measured glance at Gu Qing, and spoke after a moment’s consideration. “Are you from the Gu Family of Tian Luo Galaxy?”
Gu Qing was taken aback. Could this young man be related to the Family? She composed herself and nodded. “Yes. I am the current head of the family, Gu Qing. And you are?” Gu Qing spoke confidently and steadily like a true leader, betraying no signs of her anxiety.
“Do you know Gu Shaoze?” Ye Chong shook off his memories and asked. He admired Gu Shaoze deeply. Anyone who could design a highly desirable mech like Guardian must be very talented.
Gu Qing’s expression froze. All the calmness she showed vanished. Her eyes lit up with hope. Overwhelmed with emotions, she reached out to grab Ye Chong’s hands and asked, “You – Do you know where Shaoze is? …” She choked up.
Ye Chong carefully avoided Gu Qing and replied flatly, “You need to calm down.”
Gu Qing felt like she was struck by lightning. She lowered her head and bit down on her lips until they bled.
After a while of silence, she looked up with a calmer expression. The Gu Family’s people around her all looked sorrowful. They knew how close she was with her younger brother.
Ye Chong saw Gu Qing looking calmer, and began to tell her the story of his encounter with Gu Shaoze. When Gu Qing heard him speak of Gu Shaoze taking his last breath, her eyes dimmed with grief. However, the grief was quickly replaced with calmness.
Only when Gu Qing caressed Guardian’s smooth surface that the grief in her eyes surfaced once again.
Rui Bing sighed quietly and consoled her softly. Gu Qing could not help but hugged Guardian tightly and sobbed loudly. The rest of the people left the room to give her space.
With Gu Qing onboard, Ye Chong finally had a better understanding of the situation in the Five Galaxies.
The only place that was considered safe was Csebesini Galaxy. The Galaxy was able to fend off the red-tailed beasts because of the massive establishment of what they called the “Xi Ding Defense Line”.
When the invasion of the red-tailed beasts first started, Csebesini’s authorities quickly began works on the Xi Qing Defense Line.
123 large space stations formed the center of this defense line. All the space stations were always on standby, with enough supplies to assist other space stations or defend themselves. Between the space stations were numerous laser gun satellites that ensured total destruction of any enemies that attempted to trespass.
Compared to the laser beam gun that Ye Chong had used before, these were used on a much grander scale. People from around all around Csebesini Galaxy came together to build this defense line, protecting their home. So far, none of the red-tailed beast hordes had breached their defense line.
The red-tailed beasts could not do warp jumps, so they need not worry about ambushes. Word was when the defense line was almost completed, a horde of red-tailed beasts attacked. They had no choice but to send mechs out for battle. After sacrificing nearly a thousand lives to buy them three more hours, the defense line was finally completed. The first thing the soldiers manning the space stations did was to open fire at full capacity.
More than a thousand red-tailed beasts were shot to ashes. Ever since then, the Xi Ding Defense Line became the strongest defense for mankind. Under its protection, residents of Csebesini Galaxy could live in relative safety.
As more and more people joined Csebesini, the defense line grew larger and larger. Xi Ding Defense Line now consisted of three inner layers and three outer layers of defense. The number of space stations increased from the initial 123 to 360. It was nearly impossible for the red-tailed beasts to breach this defense line.
When Rui Bing heard that Csebesini was safe, she felt greatly relieved.
Gu Qing hoped to seek protection under Csebesini, and Ye Chong agreed to it after some thought. He did not exactly need to enter Csebesini Galaxy for now. The defense line would keep the Galaxy safe from red-tailed beasts, at least in the near future.
Instead, he needed to return to He Yue Galaxy as soon as possible to regroup with the Sang Tribe, and then clear the Gateway to Gray Valley and reunite with Mu/Shang. However, since Darkniss needed to replenish its supplies, he agreed for a trip to Csebesini Galaxy.
Gu Qing was soon grateful for deciding to join Ye Chong’s fleet. They encountered a few hordes of red-tailed beasts along the way, but Ye Chong’s mech pilots made easy work of the creatures.
The mech pilots were strong! They were even stronger than the best soldiers in the Family. Their mechs, on the other hand … As the head of the Gu Family, which was also a large mech manufacturer, Gu Qing appreciated the power and significance behind these mechs. Besides, how did these people manage to hide their massive warship from holographic scanning?
What were these people?
Gu Qing was also pleasantly surprised when Ye Chong agreed to train the Gu Family’s mech pilots.
The results were apparent in the coming days. Gu Qing was not a combatant, bu she could see that her mech pilots were quickly transformed from their training.
Gu Qing wished the journey would go on longer, so that her mech pilots could improve themselves. Given their circumstances, it was highly desirable to have competent military strength.
“This is the Xi Ding Defense Line.”
Gu Qing made the introductions. She behaved carefully on the warship Darkniss. Even though she was head of the family, she was not foolish enough to flaunt her position in front of Ye Chong. She answered all questions from Ye Chong and Rui Bing without reservation, and did not actively seek to understand the warship she as on. Nevertheless, she was still able to deduce some shocking results from the subtles signs around her.
This was a very powerful military organization. They had impressive tech and capable mech pilots. Strict discipline was enforced by an outstanding commander.
Gu Qing spoke frequently with Appilok, but mostly on military strategies. Appilok was eager to learn and experienced in battle. He was also creative but meticulous, making him an excellent commander. This was a truly powerful legion of soldiers, no matter how she looked at it.
However, Gu Qing did not fail to realize that the cold young man was the real person in charge of this warship. In fact, Gu Qing got along well with Rui Bing. They rarely spoke of Ye Chong, but whenever he was mentioned, she always noticed the deep admiration shown by the crew members around her.
What a mysterious young man.
Countless laser gun satellites were scattered along the defense line. The massive space stations were in sight.
It was possible to enter Csebesini Galaxy through spatial warp jumps and bypass the Xi Ding Defense Line. This provided the humans a route inside. Nevertheless, many combatants were stationed at the warp jump points to prevent attacks by space pirates.
“Oh, here comes a big one.” The surveillance staff member whistled. “Luxurious starships are rare these days.”
Another staff member peered at the 15-kilometer long starship on the holographic screen and commented without enthusiasm, “Yeah, but the military’s gonna get a big kick from this. They liked this kind of ship.”
“True. The ship is just the right size to be modified as a warship.”
Ye Chong had ordered for the colloid fungus substance to be removed from the ship’s hull to avoid suspicion.
Finally, they entered Csebesini Galaxy. Skyscrapers and mechs dominated the skies. The Gu Family members were moved to tears upon this familiar sight that once had seemed so far away from them.
Compared to them, Darkniss’s crew members felt very curious instead.
It was hard for a large starship like theirs to avoid attention.
Soon, a mech squad approached them.
200 mechs were heading their way, fast. In the many years he was away, the mechs models in the Five Galaxies had changed a lot. Ye Chong could no longer tell their make. These were probably a prefabricated model. The mech had a pair of gray and blue colored fins and a compact body. It was designed for better flexibility in movements.
Appilok frowned. He could see that these mechs were in combat mode. He could not accept this open display of hostility.
He took a glance at Ye Chong, and the man shook his head. These 200 mechs were no threat to Darkniss. Their warship had the toughest hull in the world, and can surely protects its crew from normal mech attacks. Ye Chong did not want to escalate the situation. Once upon a time, he would have opened fire without hesitation. However, now that he had grown mature, he realized that he had no time to instigate unnecessary altercations.
“Let me handle this.” Gu Qing offered. She was the head of the Gu Family, after all. This was usual business for her.
Ye Chong nodded. It was better to have Gu Qing deal with this kind of problem.
Both parties were soon in contact.
“Please identify yourselves.” A cold voice hailed them.
“Gu Family of Tian Luo.” Gu Qing replied succinctly.
“Welcome to Csebesini Galaxy.” The usherer spoke rigidly. “We welcome anyone other than space pirates to our Galaxy. Immigration is notified of your arrival. They will soon assign you with accommodation. Please lend us your cooperation.”
“I see.” Gu Qing replied plainly. Of course she knew what sort of accommodation they would be getting. However, they should just be thankful that they survived. It was impossible to keep Gu Family whole given their circumstances. Csebesini Galaxy’s authorities would never allow any forces that could threaten their position to regroup.
“By our latest military rulings, all large starships will be expropriated and modified as warships for our defense against the red-tailed beasts. We will offer compensation according to the market price of your ship.”
“What?” Gu Qing was taken aback. She realized what a huge mistake this would be, and quickly replied, “No!”
Sweat beaded on her forehead. She understood very well the nature of this conflict. Ye Chong would never give up his warship.
“Please reconsider.” The other party’s hostility was clear. It was only to be expected, since anyone who seek their protection must pay the price. All the aristocratic families that came this way had surrendered their large starships without argument.
Gu Qing saw Appilok gesturing to his subordinates in the background and began to panic. Her mind raced for a solution as she spoke, “We need to keep our starship. You may have all our supplies onboard. In exchange, we will not seek compensation.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. I must abide by the military rulings.” The other party pushed her.
The crew of Darkniss had never been treated this way before, and felt indignant about it. If Ye Chong was not here, they would have shot down all the 200 mechs in front of them. Even Sha Ya looked angered. She had only ever been humiliated like this twice – once by Sun Sieha, and another by Ye Chong. One was the King, and the other her master. These, she could accept.
Shooters placed great importance in honor and respect. The unreasonable demands made by the other party was clearly a challenge to them.
Appilok gestured towards a crew member besides him. The latter nodded in understanding.
Ye Chong did not want to escalate the situation, but he would not simply lie down in compliance. Besides, Ye Chong could tell from the other party’s attitude that there was no room for negotiation.
If that was the case, a demonstration of greater power would encourage greater cooperation.
Ye Chong nodded at Appilok. Gu Qing saw them, and closed her eyes in despair. She knew that once the fight began, they would be put on the defensive.
Appilok was prepared to give the order. “Warning fire!”
12 laser beams shot out from Darkniss towards the mechs.
The throats of 12 mechs were shot. The mechs lost their balance fell from the sky. Boom! The 12 mechs made 12 craters in the ground, kicking up dust around them. None of the mechs exploded, but they were already rendered useless.
When the ship fired, Wei Zheng’s immediate thought was, “Are they crazy? Don’t they understand the situation they’re in? Don’t they realize that they are the ones seeking protection here?”
When the 12 mechs were shot down, Wei Zheng was surprised by their accuracy. He was also relieved when the mechs did not explode. After all, he had a close relationship with his subordinates.
However, the next thing he thought of chilled him to the bones. He now realized the distance between him and the ship, and how difficult it must be to shoot down the mechs at the throat without making them explode.
Sniper mech pilots!
Wei Zheng swallowed heavily. He thought he was going crazy. Sniper mech pilots, at least a dozen of them, were on that ship. What could this possibly mean?
It meant that … He wanted to turn tail and run, knowing that his comrades were easily shot down from this distance. In other words, if they started shooting at each other, he would be first to be shot down.
He could the God of Death running the blade of His scythe against his face. The cold sense of dread spread across his entire body.
Sniper mech pilots were known for their abilities to turn the tides of a battle. The first thought that people usually had on sniper mech pilots was not how strong they were, but how rarely they came by.
There were 12 sniper mech pilots in this starship, and Wei Zheng found himself paralyzed by the thought.
One sniper mech pilot was scary enough, but if 12 mech pilots banded together … Wei Zheng felt goosebumps all over him.
He immediately sent out a request for backup. It was better to let the higher-ups handle this.
Wei Zheng ordered his men to back down slowly. The longer they stayed so close to the ship, the more nervous he felt.
However, four laser beams quickly graced past the four mechs at the rear end. This warning stopped the entire squad’s retreat.
“Consider your next actions carefully. Your provocative actions will only threaten your safety …” A laser beam shot past his mech’s throat, off by a mere centimeter.
Time seemed to pass so slowly that it drove Wei Zheng crazy. He and his men all felt nervous. No one expected to encounter such a difficult visitor. The Gu Family of Tian Luo was not your average aristocratic family. Everyone sighed quietly about their misfortune to have to deal with this arrogant organization.
The other starships from the Gu Family did not know what was happening, but since Darkniss had fired, it was natural to assume that there had been a disagreement with the mechs. Having travelled together for awhile, they had come to think of Darkniss as one of their own. Since the mech pilots of Darkniss had also trained their mech pilots, they were more ready to side with Darkniss.
Thus, they made their move.
The starships immediately broke their current formation and regrouped into battle formation. All the ships raised their battle alarms. The combatants rushed to their positions.
Gu Qing watched their reactions with worry. It seemed that they would have to go along with Darkniss. After the initial shock, she quickly gathered herself and reassessed their situation. I turned out that this might be a good opportunity. Ye Chong’s background was a mystery, but she knew how much power he had on his side.
She had been focusing on going to Csebesini Galaxy that she had not considered about joining forces with him. The risk was great, but then the Gu Family would remain together. It also meant that the Gu Family’s fate would be tied with this man.
Gu Qing was always decisive. She made her decision quickly.
With orders coming directly from Gu Qing, the other Gu Family members acted more confidently. They were now prepared for a shootout.
The Gu Family’s adamant display left Wei Zheng deeply unsettled. The backup squad was still not here, and he cursed them inside for being so eager to share his better moments but refused to show up when trouble arrived.
Wei Zheng did not know that the matter had shocked Csebesini’s authorities. This was the first incident of its kind ever since the red-tailed beasts appeared. Their opponent was the Gu Family, but no one wanted them to set a precedent for fear of the many unpleasant consequences in future.
If they set a precedent, new visitors would surely imitate them. The local authorities would find their position in jeopardy.
Hence, they gave strict orders to the soldiers stationed nearby to destroy the Gu Family’s fleet if they refused to follow orders. To deter other parties from disobedience, the authorities decided to stream the battle live to Csebesini Galaxy.
Since soldiers were deployed to the warp jump point to prevent space pirates from entering, there were many soldiers in the vicinity, numbering close to 100 thousand.
News of there being 12 sniper mech pilots reached the local authorities as well. This made them even more determined to annihilate the newcomers. Sniper mech pilots were like a nightmare, enemies that were well concealed and impossible to avoid.
30 thousand mechs advanced towards the Gu Family’s fleet. They were the closest to the fleet, and the first to arrive.
Darkniss slowly flew out to the front of the fleet. Its massive hull raised more than a few jealous eyebrows. It would be so wonderful to have a huge starship like that. The 15-kilometer long starship made it look like a fortress in outer space, or a mobile high class headquarters.
Everyone’s attention was on the starship Darkniss.
Under their curious attention, the seemingly harmless Darkniss finally bared its menacing teeth.
“Open weapons ports.”
“Energy at max.”
“Target locked.”
…
The comms channel was flooded with chatter. The warship’s crew members executed their duties methodically. The warship’s armaments were brought to life.
Darkniss opened up its weapons ports, revealing huge ship cannons for all eyes to see. The cannon barrels were thick and intimidating. The energy core radiated a faint blue light that illuminated the dark hull of the ship.
The viewers inhaled sharply. The comms channel on Csebesini’s side went silent.
One, two, three, four … 46! There were 46 ship cannons. It was a staggering number.
The warship was not done yet, however. 600 shooters were now in position, and the 600 gun ports all opened, pointing their laser guns at the mechs outside.
This was a day that many would never forget.
The passageways opened, and rows and rows of mechs came out.
This left the viewers shocked.
Harmony of the Winter Aria was one of the more fancy mechs that Ye Chong had used. It was also the Ji Family’s best mech model. Since these mechs were built with large amounts of rare alloy metals, the mechs shone with a unique metal lustre that made them look even more solid and elegant.
Their laser guns were based on the work of the Research Consortium from Gray Valley. One could tell immediately that they were unusual weapons.
This world had gone mad!
Suddenly, there were so many identical advanced level mechs. All the mech pilots could tell that these were top quality mechs.
People inhaled sharply in the comms channel.
A single mech of this quality would not have warranted so much attention. However, the simultaneous display of over 4000 Harmony of the Winter Aria was an impressive sight.
The difference between having one advanced level mech and 4000 of them was more than about numbers.
As the broadcast went life, viewers were treated immediately with a view of the 4000 mechs. “The Gu Family of Tian Luo chose not to comply with the local authorities, and had responded provocatively. To ensure the safety of all residents, local authorities have -” The newscaster stopped short when she saw the image on the holographic screen.
She had just received orders from the higher-ups and could barely absorb the news when she saw this shocking image. Whatever she had planned to say was forgotten completely.
The viewers watching the holographic screen, however, were in an uproar.
“Oh my God! What’s happening?”
“They’re gorgeous! What mech is that, and where can I buy it? Do you think I can book one?”
“What a strong presence … That’s f*cking swell!”
…
Unlike the mech pilots at the scene, the public welcomed the image. The local authorities did not expect this, and could not respond in time. They had acted first and made Csebesini into the last haven in the world. People rushed towards the Galaxy for protection, encouraging acts of bribery and illegal agreements … The local authorities turned corrupt very quickly. They were no longer who they used to be.
30 thousand mechs positioned themselves firmly in front of the warship Darkniss firmly.
These mechs were on a completely different level compared to the ones from Csebesini. The Galaxy had more soldiers, but their opponent had a warship! That was a weapon that could turn them to ashes. The commander of the Csebesini army was able to glean some details and make certain conclusions. He could tell that the opponent was much more capable in battle. For example, over 4000 mechs were deployed into formation in under five minutes. His own army would need at least 15 minutes to achieve the same thing. This tiny detail told the difference in strength between both sides.
He was facing an elite army, what could he possibly do? He had strength in numbers, but the commander knew that the difference in strength between them could not be balanced with their numbers. Besides, there was that warship. The commander could only stare at it enviously.
Many of the viewers were gratified to see the local army being put in their place. After all, most of the people who escaped to Csebesini were taken advantage of. It was satisfying to see someone put up a fight to the local authorities.
Records would show that the official channel viewership at the time reached a record high of 42%, breaking the previous record of 11%. The newscaster never recovered from her shock to continue her script.
Everyone followed the event closely.
Ye Chong, however, decided to make his next move as he noticed a large army of mechs heading his way.
