Legend of the Supreme Soldier - Chapter 521

t was this fear that made him lose his confidence as he flew his flying vessel. What would happen in this fast paced battle if the pilot hesitated?

Scared out of his wits, the pilot did not realize that he was flying towards the strange giant that he had been making fun of.

When he noticed, it was already too late.

The passive giant in black armor moved. Zing! A dark red alloy sword shot out of the weapons pack on its back and landed in its hand. The giant did a swipe and a slash, the sword seemingly meeting no resistance, and the bright purple flying vessel crumbled into pieces in the air.

Old Wei and his group members were stunned speechless.

They did not make out exactly what the giant did, but they could see that behind the swipe-and-slash attack was a combat veteran of great experience.

This allowed them to conclude that the giant in black armor was highly threatening.

The playboys had never seen battles like these. They usually spent their time showing off their tricks, but had never seen real combat and spilled blood. Now that their strongest comrade was killed, they panicked. Some of them began to cry.

Duo Ka and his beloved fighter machine headed towards Dual Forest. He heard that people saw a giant in black armor, reaching over 10 meters tall, and wanted to see it for himself.

Duo Ka’s fighter was a light blue colored Blue Flounder II. Nicknamed Blue Lightning, it was a fighter vessel that was first designed more than a decade ago. The fish shaped fighter had two fins that arched inwards. Right above the pilot cabin in its main body was a fixed wing that looked like a shark’s dorsal fin. This was the iconic structure of the model. The fighter was packed with powerful weapons. It had long range shooting capabilities, and could even fire high explosive grenades.

The model was over 10 years old, and was now in its seventh iteration. Nevertheless, Duo Ka never thought of switching to a new fighter. For more than 10 years, he had used and maintained his fighter. He was probably more familiar with his fighter than with his wife. Curiously, the fighter was like a lucky charm for the man. He had survived against impossible odds time and again with his fighter.

“Duo Ka is here,” Gu Reming was the first to notice his arrival. He quickly passed on the news to his friends.

Old Wei looked around and saw Duo Ka’s blue, old model.

Duo Ka enjoyed a high reputation in Yedda, since he was the only Level 6 shooter in the city. For shooters, Level 5 separated the mediocre and the skillful. A shooter would be considered a pro if they reached Level 5. Levels 3 and 4 were not exactly common, but most shooters fell into these two levels. To go one level up from Level 4, however, was a challenge that all shooters will face. The difference between Levels 4 and 5 was more qualitative. A Level 5 shooter can easily win against a few Level 4 shooters. The difference in strength was so apparent, that many shooters found themselves never achieving Level 5, and could only accept the fact with regret.

Going further up the hierarchy, the second challenge was in going from Level 7 to Level 8. This was much harder than the first challenge. With talent and effort, and some luck, a shooter might just cross the gap. Level 8 shooters were considered geniuses, but the legendary Level 10 shooters were even rarer, and mostly from the past.

Yedda’s citizens recognized Duo Ka’s old, blue model, and quickly made way for him. They were excited at his appearance, for Duo Ka was Yedda’s best shooter, and rarely fought in public. There were many Level 4 shooters here who would like to see Duo Ka fight, and hopefully gain some insight from it.

Duo Ka was just in time to see Celest’s swipe-and-slash and attack. His face turned serious at that. He recognized the bright purple fighter. The pilot reached Level 5 at a young age, a rare talent. However, it seemed that he would not survive. Duo Ka sighed inside, regretting the loss of a genius.

The giant’s skills surprised him. As Yedda’s only Level 6 shooter, he could discern more than the average person. He sensed great strength behind the giant’s every move.

On the contrary, he was not surprised by the giant’s huge figure. The universe was vast and full of mysteries. It was not impossible for a giant to exist.

More surprising was the red longsword and armor. He recognized the material, though he did not know its name. He had seen trace amounts of the element in the darker half of Dual Forest. There were more in sandy areas, but only in bits and pieces. He had heard from an elder that these elements were everywhere in that the inner parts of Darkniss, where they came in a variety of colors. Even the plants in the inner parts of the Darkniss were unusual. The creatures that resided in the inner parts of Darkniss were all mysterious and powerful. The inner parts of Darkniss were places that only shooters who reached Level 8 or above could afford to explore. It was a dangerous and elusive place.

Could this odd giant be from the inner parts of Darkniss?

Duo Ka was shaken by where his thoughts lead. However, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The heavy black armor, the dark red sword, and the black weapons pack on its back were all made of materials that could only be found in the inner parts of Darkniss.

If that was the case, how did the giant escape from Darkniss? According to his seniors who had entered Darkniss before, the creatures in there seemed to obey certain rules, having clearly delineated boundaries of activity. This was why none of the creatures from within Darkniss had ever been seen outside.

…

Ye Chong did now know that an expert was watching him. He was now on the aggressive. Without their strongest fighter, the rest of the playboy gang was no threat to Ye Chong.

He had already destroyed three aircrafts. Celest was faster and more agile in the sky compared to these fighter aircrafts. The disparity in their strengths was clear.

Duo Ka decided to act. He may not like the playboys much, but he knew their parents, and could not simply watch from the side as they died in the giant’s hands.

Aim, fire.

A blue laser beam shot out from the front of Duo Ka’s fighter, aimed at the giant’s throat.

Ye Chong had been fighting carefully. He had the upper hand in the battle, but he was still surrounded by many other aircrafts which might ambush him at any time. His vigilance saved his life.

Celest did a Thomas’s Spin, while the blue laser barely grazed past the mech’s cheek.

Ye Chong was surprised, and looked around to see the blue aircraft. The other aircrafts were watching from a distance, but the blue one had inserted itself into the clearing that was his battleground.

Ye Chong stopped attacking the aircrafts. He felt an intense sense of danger emanating from the blue aircraft.

Without hesitation, Ye Chong executed the move he was most familiar with – Non-Orderly Wavy Leap. Celest zigzagged in the air like a weightless spirit, defying all laws of physics with its every twist and turn. No one understood what he was doing.

Five laser beams shot towards the spots where Celest was at almost the same time.

The shooter was skilled! Of the five laser beams it avoided, three nearly hit Celest.

The blue beams continued to strike, leaving Ye Chong barely enough time to process them. Duo Ka did not have the habit of talking it out.

The Level 6 shooter was powerful. The shooters around him watched in awe. There were no bells and whistles, but his solid techniques were enough to suppress the giant. Each shot was faster than the one before it. A normal shooter would not have survived the assault.

Ye Chong was experienced in defending himself against long range attacks. Ever since he chose to specialize in close range combat, he had faced all kinds of long range mechs time and again.

However, he was now in a very, very precarious situation!

Compared to all the ambushing or sniping he had survived, this time was much, much worse. The shooter barely took time to aim between shots. The laser beams came strongly at accurate and dangerous angles that made Ye Chong’s life difficult.

Celest had switched its alloy sword for a diamond shaped shield. Even so, avoiding the shots was hard.

Ye Chong suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Mu a long time ago. He had once asked Mu if the mech was the strongest attacker. Mu had said no. When Ye Chong asked why, Mu had said that his attacks lacked spirit.

Ye Chong remembered that particular exchange right now. He knew now how deadly a skilled and focused shooter could be. Strength, speed and spirit – of the three elements, the spirit was the most neglected. However, when excellent spiritual training met long range shooting, the result was a deadly long range attacker.

Xi Feg Tribe had its mentalists, but Ye Chong felt that the shooters here were the ones who truly unlocked the potential of combining spiritual training and shooting.

Ye Chong was not in control of his thoughts. He did not know why he was thinking about all these irrelevant thoughts when in the midst of a battle.

He did now know that his body was fighting back in the most direct way right now.

Evasion!

Evasion and shooting are like twins or nemesis to each other. In the Five Galaxies, long range mechs had been developed for a long time. In this time, evasion techniques were also innovated at an astonishing rate.

Ye Chong’s evasion techniques were all over the place.

Irregular Veers, Parallel Retreat, Thomas’ Spin, Speckled Moon Spin …

Effective evasion techniques worked not only to avoid the enemy’s attacks, but also to interrupt the shooter’s rhythm of attack. Only then could a close range mech close the distance between itself and its opponent. The evasive techniques were all designed to confuse, to make the shooters shoot off target.

Celest moved like a ghost, avoiding all the blue lasers raining down on it.

If Duo Ka’s shooting was impressive, Celest’s evasion measures were even more astonishing to the observing shooters.

They could not figure out how a massive figure like this giant could make such impossibly deft movements in the air. Compared to the giant, their aircrafts looked unwieldy.

Duo Ka turned grim. He had not wounded the giant so far. The giant was too fast, using evasion techniques that he had never seen before. So far, he could not do real harm on the giant.

Ye Chong was also having a hard time. His hands never stopped moving. The blue aircraft never stopped shooting its blue laser beams. All he could do now was avoid being hit at the mech’s vulnerable spots.

Duo Ka decided to ramp up his attack. The giant was too slick to tackle.

He activated all the guns on his aircraft, and even put his rarely used high explosive grenades into the fray.

Ye Chong noticed Duo Ka’s change in strategy instantly.

However, he could not think of any solution aside from trying his best to defend himself. His hands moved faster, turning into a blur on the controls console.

The sudden increase in intensity of the battle came as a surprised to the onlookers. The battle turned more violent as Duo Ka’s fighter began spitting out laser beams with even higher frequency.

The giant’s diamond shield was already covered with holes, all from the laser beams that hit it.

Without the shield, the laser beams would have hit on Celest’s main body.

Ye Chong held on with difficulty as he tried to figure out another way. He must get out of his situation quickly. Just then, a high explosive grenade hit his shield.

Bam! The air cracked with a loud explosion, together with a bright sphere of white light that hurt the eyes.

The explosion was so powerful that it broke the diamond shaped shield into pieces. Celest was pushed to the ground from the shockwaves of the explosion.

Then, Ye Chong cursed himself for being an idiot.

The battle had started suddenly, and Duo Ka’s attacks were so intense that Ye Chong did not have time to think properly. He now realized that fighting a bunch of crazies in the sky with his close range mech was just turning the odds against him.

On the contrary, the dense forest down below was a close range mech’s home ground.

Celest curled into itself, blasted its engines at maximum and shot down like a meteor to the bafflement of the onlookers.

f course Duo Ka would not let it go so easily. In fact, he was curious of the giant in armor. Another concern he had was, if the giant was really from within Darkniss, it would spell trouble for all of them. Could it be that something terrible happened in Darkniss?

The problem was a crucial one, for him and for the City of Yedda. Yedda was at the edge of Dual Forest. If the creatures residing in the mysterious Darkniss could cross the Dessert and Mist and enter Dual Forest, it would be a disaster to all of humanity. Besides, Yedda would be the first in line. These creatures that only Level 8 shooters could handle would surely bring about devastation. Would there be a bloody massacre? Or would humanity itself go extinct?

The answers all lie within this giant.

Duo Ka turned his fighter and dived into the forest in pursuit.

An excellent shooter would not lose their target easily. They would rely on their parapsychic sense to locate their prey, and not their eyes. Parapsychic sense was harder to fool.

The sudden twist in events led to puzzlement amongst the onlookers.

Ye Chong stared at the ground that grew larger and larger in view. Celest was too fast, almost at its maximum speed. Any carelessness on his part would have heavy consequences.

Ye Chong placed his fingers lightly on the console. His breathing was short, not out of nervousness, but because the evasion techniques earlier had drained a lot from him. However, Ye Chong did not have time to regulate his breathing now. This was truly a terrible situation for him! He had never encountered such a suffocating round of assault. The lasers never stopped coming, and they were all on mark. Ye Chong could not imagine what it would take to fire so quickly and at such high accuracy. Once, he had thought that only Mu and Shang could do it. Now, he could only marvel at the talents found in this world. In the end, he had to give his all just to keep himself from being shot. He had succumbed into a semi-conscious and half-crazed state, and his hands had moved that much faster.

Now, his mind was concentrating only on the forest. There was no room for further consideration. The blue aircraft had followed him closely from behind.

Ye Chong stopped breathing abruptly. His eyes gleamed as his hands danced across the controls in a blur.

Celest stretched its limbs out midair, bending them slightly as it continued to crash downwards. The mech was about to hit the ground. Duo Ka was anxious. Any aircraft that went shooting down at this speed would definitely be reduced to useless debris. Could it be that this giant be able to withstand the impact?

Just as Dou Ka felt concerned, the giant suddenly slowed down in its trajectory in a seemingly physics defying instant. It was now on level with the treetops. The giant pushed its hands and feet against the branches and extended them again like unwinding springs. It was using the trees to slow down its descent.

Creak crack creak!

The branches gave way as Celest crashed into a tree with a girth that went a few meters across, bringing the tree down with it. The huge tree crashed into the ground, kicking up soil and dust into the air. Seen from above, the giant had seemingly vanished into the dense forest under the cover of dust.

“Do you think you can get away so easily?” Duo Ka thought to himself with a cold smile.

The dense forest was Heaven for a close range mech like Celest. Celest landed its feet heavily into the soft ground and continued pushing forward, making use of the momentum from its descent. Its body tilted, its left leg extended out straight, and its right leg bent into an arch. The left leg traced a long gash into the earth like a plough.

Finally, a chance to catch his breath. Ye Chong panted heavily. Once he entered the forest, the complicated terrain would be disadvantageous to long range combatants. The branches that crisscrossed irregularly everywhere would make it difficult to aim. If they were to fight in the air in the forest, the canopy leaves would prevent light from entering their battleground.

Suddenly, a blue laser beam shot through the leaves and right through Celest’s thigh!

How was that possible? Ye Chong’s chest tightened. He immediately made Celest dash forward. Ye Chong felt the threat behind him growing stronger and stronger. Cold sweat ran down his back. He could almost smell death itself. It was too long ago since he had a similar feeling!

The opponent pressured him constantly, suffocating him. So far, he had reacted passively without returning an attack even once.

The terrain had not affected his opponent one bit! Ye Chong felt his calmness slowly gave way. However, he knew that he should not slow down now. If he did, the next blue laser beam might just shot through Celest’s throat.

…

In fact, the forest did hinder Duo Ka. The shooter shook his head in dissatisfaction. The complicated terrain made it harder for him to shoot. He had aimed at the giant’s throat, but shot its thigh instead. Nevertheless, a shooter will have to be at least above Level 5 to be combat effective in the forest. Lesser shooters would be more severely affected.

Without a fighter aircraft, fighting against a creature as strong as this giant would be suicidal. The difference strength would be too great. If the first shot missed, the consequences would be deadly.

The forest was not suitable for flight. Besides, the giant had shown how agile it could be. Duo Ke thought it was terrifying that the giant could move so quickly despite its bulky size, even faster than a fighter aircraft.

There was no other option for him. Duo Ka flew his fighter close to the ground, waiting for the right time to attack. As long as he kept close to his target, there will be plenty of opportunities.

…

Stay calm! Stay calm! Ye Chong reminded him repeatedly.

He forced himself to slow down his breathing. It worked. As his breathing slowed down, his mind became calmer. Throughout the whole exercise, his hands never slowed down.

There must a way! Ye Chong told himself. As long as he was calm, he would figure it out.

His rich battle experience allowed him to stay in control despite the imminent threat. His gaze turned clearer.

What was his opponent’s strength? Astonishing shooting accuracy and frequency, unhindered by the environment.

But that did not sound right. Ye Chong recalled then something that Huang Baiyi once told him. A mentalist was best suited for a flat and open battleground, since the open space allowed the mentalist to spread his senses further. If that was the case, this forest should be effective against mentalists.

However, why was the shooter able to hit him? The shooter must have very strong parapsychic sense!

Ye Chong realized suddenly that the shooter had hit Celest’s thigh. Back when they were fighting in the open, the shooter had always aimed for vulnerable spots such as the throat. Now, it was the thigh that was hit! Ye Chong concluded then that the forest was making things difficult for the shooter.

Having arrived at this conclusion, Ye Chong felt encouraged. His eyes gleamed brighter, and his mind began to race through possibilities.

…

Duo Ka frowned again. That the giant was able to move easily through the foliage came as no surprise. What made him frown was the fact that it appeared to be experienced in fighting in the forest, taking cover behind the tree branches. Duo Ka could sense the general location of the giant, but it was not enough for him to shoot accurately. Besides, he could not understand how the giant’s movements were not affected by the wound on its thigh. Once again, he marvelled at the strength of this creature!

Since accurate shots were out of the picture, Duo Ka decided to try a different strategy.

Wide coverage high explosive grenade attack!

…

Celest’s holographic scanning system was highly advanced. This was not something Ye Chong got to enjoy every day. Aside from Mu and Shang, the best holographic scanning system he had ever used was Moon King’s. However, Moon King was still slightly inferior compared to the best mechs.

Celest was the culmination of the Research Consortium’s best research works, which included its holographic scanning system. It was as good as the holographic scanning systems of the Three Aces from the Three Aristocratic Families, and the result of three decades of research by the Consortium.

This allowed Ye Chong to observe the blue fighter’s trajectory clearly.

Suddenly, hundreds of grenades rained down on him.

Ye Chong had a taste of the grenade earlier. They were highly explosive. Celest’s diamond shaped shield had been blasted into pieces from just one of them.

However, if it was not a direct hit, Celest would probably remain intact.

With his calmness restored, Ye Chong was now a formidable opponent. He did not panic, His hands moved even faster, but steadier.

As the grenades came down, Celest demonstrated its impeccable evasion techniques once again.

Boom boom boom boom!

The explosions never stopped. Where the giant had been moments ago was now a wreck of blown branches and leaves.

Old Wei watched from afar, and thought the situation odd. He had only met Duo Ka a few times, but the man he knew was not one to kill without mercy.

“Strange,” their captain, Re Guming sent the message to his group members. He too noticed that something was not right.

Duo Ka never liked to use the high explosive grenades, since they were low accuracy weapons suitable only for wider coverage. Shooters who strived for accuracy never liked imprecise weapons like these.

Now that Duo Ka had used his high explosive grenades, what could it possibly mean?

It meant that Duo Ka was ready to do anything necessary to kill the giant. Why was that, though? Could there be a story behind this? Re Guming and Old Wei both considered the situation. The other shooters who were watching had also realized something was amiss.

Duo Ka noticed that the giant had left his first attack range, and immediately shot out another round of grenades.

With one giant fleeing in front and a fighter attacking without reserve from the back, the forest was quickly marked with a long trip of burnt clearing, about 500 meters wide and over seven kilometres long. All the trees in the clearing were burnt to a crisp, and the ground was marred with holes. Such a violent and nonsensical attack left the onlookers confused.

Had Duo Ka gone mad?

Ye Chong piloted Celest through the shower of grenades, slippery as a fish. The attack did not leave any significant damage, only coating Celest with ash.

Ye Chong did not understand why the shooter was so keen on destroying him, but he was now thinking of how to get rid of the shooter.

So far, he had not figured out a way to overcome the shooter’s precise aim.

What was the shooter’s weakness? The fighter, of course! In fact, while the shooter had given Ye Chong a hard time, the shooter’s fighter was the only thing that made him so powerful against Celest.

The aircrafit was fast, flying at around Mach 22 to Mach 25 by Ye Chong’s estimate, and much faster than Ban Meng’s Wood Kite. It was obviously something top of the line. To reach this speed within the atmosphere was extraordinary. Even Celest could only reach up to Mach 30, and that was in outer space. Here within the atmosphere, air friction reduced that maximum speed to about Mach 28. Ye Chong was surprised by the fact that this primitive aircraft packed so much power in it.

Nevertheless, the aircraft’s speed could not overcome a weakness of its primitive structure –aircrafts were simply not a very flexible transport. Even compared with average mech models, aircrafts would be found wanting. They were only suitable for flight within the atmosphere. They obeyed aerodynamic laws, and had only one engine at the tail of the aircraft. Every change in direction had to be achieved with a curved trajectory. Turning around required the aircraft to make a U-turn. The faster the turn, the larger the U-turn must be. These aircrafts could not change directions instantly like mechs can. Since the shooter’s parapsychic sense had a limited range, this provided Ye Chong with an opportunity.

If he could make use of this opportunity well, he would be able to escape the opponent’s pursuit.

Celest suddenly stepped on a thick branch and fell backwards. As the mech’s body became parallel to the ground, its legs pushed strongly and its engines blasted at maximum power. The giant launched backwards like a cannonball.

Ye Chong could see the blue aircraft grazed closely past him from above.

The giant’s abrupt move backwards left Duo Ka unprepared. He quickly changed his fighter’s trajectory, but he had a feeling that his efforts would not be enough.

He was now beyond shocked by the giant’s behavior. He never thought the creature would have such intelligence, to recognize his weakness in such a short time and figure out a countermove. What a scary being!

If this giant was really from Darkniss, then the creatures that resided in that place must be terrifying. Duo Ke felt a chill down his spine.

There was no room for his pride or dignity now. He chose the safest option – ask for help!

he trees around him receded as Ye Chong made his way forward. He did not care to look at the blue fighter above him. He needed full concentration just to avoid running into trees. It was dangerous to fly at high speed in the forest.

Fortunately, he had not run into anything so far.

This was not easy, even for him. After all, one needed to stay completely focused and calm when flying so fast. Any mistakes would cost him dearly.

The onlooking shooters were surprised to receive Duo Ka’s call for help. To think that a Level 6 shooter, Yedda City’s ace, would ask for help from the mediocre Level 3’s and 4’s.

Old Wei was taken aback when he got the message, and so was Re Guming.

Nevertheless, as a worthy captain of the group, Re Guming reacted first.

“Get ready for battle! But keep each other safe.”

If even a Level 6 shooter cannot kill this creature, then their group of Level 3 and 4 shooters could hardly make a difference. That was what Re Guming believed. However, since Duo Ka had put down his ego and asked for help, it could only mean that Duo Ka had good reason to kill the giant.

There was no time to ask Duo Ka for details, but everyone knew that Duo Ka must think that this was a situation serious enough to call for everyone’s cooperation.

Duo Ka had a respectable place in Yedda. Thus, in the next instant, all the fighters stood up and joined the battle.

However, in the short pause when the other shooters were still deciding what to do with Duo Ka’s request, Duo Ka had lost track of the giant through his parapsychic sense.

Celest was moving as fast as it could, racing pass the trees like a madman. Even so, running through the forest would always be slower than flying over it.

However, Ye Chong’s holographic scanning system allowed Ye Chong to see more around him compared to the other shooters. He could see everything that was happening in the sky around him.

His allowed him to slip past the aircrafts. If the shooters were all as strong as the one in the blue fighter, Ye Chong would have lost his life that day.

Fortunately, the other shooters who joined the fight later were all much weaker compared to the shooter in the blue fighter. The forest had stopped them all from tracking him down.

Ye Chong stepped out of Celest and withdrew the bio-mech into its dimension keystone. He looked up at the aircrafts that flew past him and jumped headfirst into the river.

He went straight down to the riverbed. “It should be impossible for their parapsychic sense to penetrate the waters, much less when they are flying so fast,” thought Ye Chong.

Once he shook off the blue fighter, Ye Chong’s extensive experience in escaping allowed him to get out of his predicament.

Down on the riverbed, Ye Chong kept his pulse steady. Holding one’s breath was a practice that many combat schools would teach. It was therefore not a challenge for Ye Chong. He could even ride the current and move further downstream.

The overgrowth of seaweed kept his figure hidden as he made his way forward. Once, he saw a huge freshwater creature, but it barely spared a glance at him before swimming away.

When Ye Chong withdrew Celest, the shooters were doomed to failure.

This was because they never thought the giant was actually a machine. They had believed that it was a living organism, despite how ridiculous it seemed to be. Perhaps the idea of the giant being a machine would be even more unbelievable to them.

News of the giant’s appearance in Dual Forest spread quickly in Yedda. Duo Ka’s battle with the giant was also discussed heatedly. The fact that hundreds of fighters were unable to find the giant in the end left the incident shrouded in mystery.

Many people asked Duo Ka about his thoughts after the encounter, but aside from his look of concern, Duo Ka refused to comment further. The shooters who had helped Duo Ka in the forest were indignant at his silence.

On the other hand, Duo Ka had left Yedda in a rush soon after the fight that day to God-knows-where.

…

Ye Chong returned home on the second day. He had made a wrong turn earlier and had to make a huge roundabout.

Once back home, Ye Chong finally felt safer.

The battle had left a deep impression in him. The shooter in the blue fighter left him shaken. It was good that there not many shooters like that one, or he would be toast.

The thought of that blue fighter gave him a headache. So far, he could not think of an effective way to fight against the blue aircraft. If he had a long range mech, he would be able to take advantage of the mech’s mobility, agility, and larger holographic scanning range to overpower the blue aircraft.

Unfortunately, he was a close range mech expert. To win against his opponent, he would have to get close.

Celest, a biomech that could escape detection from holographic scanning systems, could not hide against the shooter’s parapsychic sense.

This meant that if Ye Chong was in danger, he would not be able to defend himself. He would not use Celest again for fear of creating another incident like that yesterday. Ye Chong would not count on his luck holding out every time. He decided to not use his mech until he had a solution to this quandary.

Ye Chong’s investigation stopped. He had wanted to use an auxiliary mech to study the life forms in Dual Forest, but it seemed that the plan would have to be scrapped. Auxiliary mechs were not designed for combat. If he was engaged in a fight again, he would be completely defenseless.

Ye Chong rested at home for two days before fully recovering, completely unaware of the uproar that the whole affair had caused in the city.

Two days later, when Duo Ka brought 12 Level 6 shooters back with him, Yedda City trembled with excitement. Something was going to happen, and everyone knew it! People quickly pointed out that it was a direct reaction to the giant incident two days ago. The 12 Level 6 shooters were a formidable army! Could the giant held some kind of secret that was worth the effort of 12 Level 6 shooters?

Ye Chong was oblivious to these events.

Once he was fully rested at home, he began to analyze the battle two days ago. The first thought that came to him was that he was too unfamiliar with the local workings. If he had known earlier how strong the shooters here really were, he would have found himself in deep trouble earlier.

However, he was also comforted by how fast Celest was recovering. In just two days, the hole in its thigh had all disappeared without a trace. The battle was a close one, but Celest did not suffer any irreparable damage.

The bio-mech was much superior than local primitive aircrafts, but Ye Chong found himself completely suppressed by his opponent that day. It was not a good feeling at all!

However, Ye Chong was also patient. He knew exactly what he had to do now – get to know the in-and-outs of this new world better.

He must investigate with care, or people would notice something was amiss. If that happened, he would never be able to escape.

“Someone’s coming,” the photon processor in the room alerted him.

Ye Chong quickly directed his attention to the holographic screen, wary of this intruder. He lived in a secluded place, and did not expect any visitors.

On the holographic screen, Kristen dragged Ban Meng by his ear and yelled at him, “Is it here?”

Ban Meng nodded quickly,” It’s here, it’s here!” He pleaded, “Cousin Sis, please let go of my ear, it’s going to fall off.”

“Humph, and wouldn’t you deserve it! You’re the one who was lying, showing off even right in front of me. That’s just stupid,” Kristen argued with disdain, but she let go of his ear.

Ban Meng mumbled to himself but did not talk back.

Kristen walked to Ye Chong’s front door and put her right hand on it. She hesitated for a moment, her expression unreadable.

After a good half a minute, she finally made her decision. She clenched her right hand into a fist and knocked heavily on the door.

After a while, the door opened with Ye Chong behind it. He asked flatly, “What is it?”

Kristen blushed deeply, but could not utter a single work.

“I’m closing the door,” Ye Chong announced calmly.

Kristen felt indignant at that. She immediately pushed her chest forward and declared proudly, “Hey, boy, don’t think that you’re so cool just because you have a few tricks up your sleeves. You rude b*stard, is that a way to treat a lady?”

Ye Chong said nothing, his hand swinging the door close.

Kristen panicked and quickly put her foot in to stop the door. “Wait, wait, I’ve something to say!”

“Say it.” Ye Chong was unmoved.

“I – I want to be your student,” Kristen was blushing red as a tomato now. She seemed encouraged by her confession, and announced loudly, “That’s right, I said it. Tell you what, I want to your student. Seeing as you have some good moves there, I’ve come here to be your student. What do you think? You gonna accept me?”

“No,” Ye Chong was ready to close the door for good now.

Kristen panicked again, “Wha – you – you’re not accepting me? This pretty lady here is asking for you, and you said no? How can you be so heartless -”

Ye Chong had no patience for this. His hand went for the door again.

“Hey hey hey, wait a sec, I’ll give you amapolla wood for teaching fees, how about that?” Kristen sounded anxious.

Ye Chong considered for a moment. Amapolla wood was not valuable to him, not even worth a bunch of ordinary plant specimens. He rejected her, naturally, “It’s useless to me.”

“How about a million ao?” Kristen could read him easily. She could see what Ye Chong was thinking of just now, and realized that she should switch tactics.

Just as Ye Chong was considering this new offer, she upped her game, “Make it two million ao.”

Ye Chong made his decision then, “Deal.” He needed money.

Kristen burst into a grin, “Wonderful! Hehe, you should’ve just told me, I can afford to pay you. And just when I was getting nervous, haha!” Kristen was not exaggerating. As a famous weaponsmith, she did not lack income.

Ye Chong opened the door and let Kristen in.

Ban Meng wanted to follow her in, but the door was shut in front of him.

“Humph, b*stards, both of you,” Ban Meng muttered in complaint, but only quietly to himself. He went back alone. Ever since he met the cold and emotionless man, his life made a turn for the worse. This time, he had to bring his cousin sister all the way here, dragged by the ear, and he was not even invited inside.

Ye Chong closed the door and put out his hand, “Pay first.”

“For real? Are you a man? I’ve never seen anyone so blunt,” Kristen groaned, but upon seeing Ye Chong’s stony expression she conceded, “Alright alright, I’ll pay up.”

She produced two green cards and handed them to Ye Chong.

Ye Chong accepted them unabashed.

“Hey, now that I’m your student, where will I be staying?” Kristen asked.

“Staying?” Ye Chong threw an odd look at Kristen, “You’ll stay at your own house.”

“No way, the student has to live with the teacher. How else can I learn from you?” Kristen shook her head in protest, then smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in your skinny figure. I’m more into the muscular type.”

Kristen looked at Ye Chong up and down suggestively.

Ye Chong ignored her look entirely and said without expression, “You can stay here if you want to, but there are rules.”

“What rules?” Kristen asked, curious.

“You will have your own space, but there will be restricted areas.” Ye Chong looked serious about it.

“Why?” Kristen asked, intrigued, “You hiding something here? Scared I’ll find out about it?”

“Either you agree or you stay elsewhere,” Ye Chong said without expression, his voice turning cold.

For some reason, Kristen felt a chill from his response. She mellowed, “Alright alright, I agree, not that I care.”

“Then you’ll stay there,” Ye Chong pointed towards a small house at the edge of his courtyard.

“What, you’re asking me to stay there?” Kristen studied the house in disbelief. It was so small that it would accommodate only one person.

Ye Chong did not deign to explain. “Is that a yes or no?”

“I’m staying,” Kristen declared with grievance, but Ye Chong was unmoved by her. Before he turned back to his own house, he said, “You’re allowed only to move around your house and the courtyard.”

“What?!” Kristen looked her own little house and the empty courtyard, and wanted to cry.

Ye Chong returned to his own house and worked on his door. Now, the door can only be opened from inside. If no one was inside, the photon processor will scan if the person outside was Ye Chong, and allow only him to open the door. If the door was forced open, it will trigger a defense system that will blow the intruder to bits.

…

Kristen felt extremely bored.

She never saw Ye Chong come out again after her first day there. Her so-called teacher never left his house. She could not understand how someone could stay indoors for so long. More importantly, she had been surviving on simple rations all this while.

The place was too secluded. No one was willing to send meals over. Besides, she was ordered to stay in her own space, which was her tiny house and the courtyard. There was nothing she could find here that she could use to cook a proper meal.

On the third day, she could no longer stand it. She went to Ye Chong’s door and knocked.

“What is it?” Ye Chong’s stony expression appeared through the crack in the door.

Kristen could feel a dam of resentment within her burst open when she exclaimed, “Just what do you think you’re doing? I’ve been living out here alone, what about my meals? F*ck, it’s been three days, and I’ve learnt nothing new, so you tell me, right now, are you going to teach me or not?”

Kristen was practically spitting her words out as she rolled up her sleeves in agitation.

Ye Chong found it a curious request. “Should I be providing you meals?”

Kristen wanted to laugh. She grabbed Ye Chong by the collar and said, “Of course, you think I live on air and sunshine? Let me tell you, you got paid so you need to act responsibly -” She stopped abruptly, caught up with an idea, and blushed.

Even with his collar grabbed by her, Ye Chong was unaffected. He tilted his head in thought, and asked earnestly, “You really think that I should be providing you with meals?”

Kristen was stunned. She spat back, “Of course!”

“I see,” Ye Chong replied calmly, “Since this was not part of our initial arrangement, please pay up for your meals.”

“You – you -” Kristen pointed at Ye Chong, unable to continue.

Was he in the wrong? Ye Chong did not think so. They had agreed that he would be her teacher, not caregiver.

“Fine, fine by me. I’ve never seen anyone so greedy. Fine, I’ll take care of my own meals. But since I’ve paid you two million ao, how can you just leave me alone outside?”

“You can come to me if you have questions.” Ye Chong’s reply could drive her crazy.

After awhile, Kristen calmed herself down and said with a cold smile, “Hehe, I have questions, loads of them, just you see, boy.”

Kristen was not joking. She had plenty of questions ever since she saw the laser gun that Ye Chong built. Now, she began to go through them, one by one.

…

Back in Dual Forest, a group of 13 were at where the battle against the giant took place, deep in discussion. They were Duo Ka and the 12 Level 6 shooters he brought with him.

“As you can see, this is where we fought that day,” Duo Ka pointed at the forest.

No longer was the place all lush greenery. The ground was full of broken branches and twigs. There were holes in the ground, where the grenades landed. The soil was charred from the explosions.

Everyone in the group looked solemn. They had been suspicious of Duo Ka’s narrative, but now that they were here, they believed him.

The fallen trees and broken branches here told them how intense that battle was that day.

They knew how strong Duo Ka was. If the battle escalated to this degree, the giant must be formidable, and if what Duo Ka said was true, it was very worrying indeed.

All the shooters here were combat veterans. They identified the damages caused by the giant with ease.

“Look here,” one of the shooters pointed at a huge footprint in the ground. It was imprinted a good 30 centimeters deep.

The other shooters exchanged wary glances.

“The foot size suggests a 10-meter height, alright. Hmm, it must be quite heavy. I’m curious how a bulky creature like that can fly, and move with such agility. It’s remarkable.” The one speaking was the tracking expert of the group.

They continued to search the forest. The giant left obvious marks in the forest, and this allowed them to follow its tracks easily.

They tried to guess the giant’s methods and its intentions.

When they finally reached the river, all traces of the giant were gone.

“It must have flown away from here,” the tracker suggested. The group agreed with him. However, it was no easy feat to escape the extensive search by the aircrafts. How did it manage to slip away unnoticed? Why did it choose to fly when it reached this river? Was this a coincidence or was there some other factors at play?

The 13 shooters all had questions of their own.

“Let’s not rush things. We should stay in Yedda in the meantime. I think that this giant will re-appear soon enough, and we’ll get our answers then. Besides, Du Ka had said that the giant is not a threat to us. Let’s treat this as a vacation of sorts,” someone in the group, their leader perhaps, offered.

His words relieved the tension in the group. Someone added, “Duo Ka’s sponsoring our vacation!”

“Haha!” Everyone laughed.

“Of course!” said Duo Ka warmly.

quot;This problem is related to many principles. Firstly, do you understand Herb’s Law?”

“No,” Kirsten looked lost.

“Then let us begin with Herb’s Law …” Ye Chong did not look impatient. He was a picture of patience and serenity.

For the past few days, Kristen became absolutely convinced of Ye Chong’s abilities. She felt grateful for taking that bold step in asking this young man to be her teacher.

Kirsten had asked about everything she did not understand in the past few days. In fact, they were now still discussing only her first question. She did not imagine that there was no much knowledge involved in just a simple question.

It was on the fourth day that she finally figured out her first question. However, in these four days, Kirsten felt that she was getting more than she hoped for.

There was something she could not understand, however. How did her teacher come to be so knowledgeable at such a young age? Whenever they talked, she felt a deep respect for him. All this knowledge was so mysterious and interesting. It was a fully structured and developed field of knowledge, built upon layers and layers of understanding and discovery.

“Let’s stop for today. We’re going out to buy something,” Ye Chong said plainly.

Kirsten looked up in surprise, “We’re buying something?” In the past few days, his teacher had never left his house except to impart his knowledge to her. As long as she did not ask him questions, the man would stay inside his house with the door shut.

“I need samples of common raw materials. Please give me a list of them,” Ye Chong said to Kirsten.

“What do you need them for?” Kirsten thought it was a very strange request. As a weaponsmith, she had to understand the properties of basic materials at the beginning of her career. In fact, while there were many materials that were suitable to make weapons, only a few of them were common.

If they wanted samples of all the materials, it would cost quite a sum, and she did not see how it was necessary.

“They’re useful.” Ye Chong’s reply did not convince Kristen, but she also knew that if Ye Chong did not feel like explaining to her, no amount of asking was going to get her anywhere.

“Boy, I have to warn you, this is going to cost you at least a million ao. Think it through,” Kristen advised despite herself.

“I see, that’s not a problem.”

…

After so many days of staying in her tiny house, eating simple rations, Kristen felt wonderful as they finally went outside.

“Say, boy, I didn’t get your name yet,” Kristen took a side glance at Ye Chong.

“Ye Chong,” the man himself replied, his eyes looking straight ahead. It had been too long since he used his real name. All this while, he had been going under fake names. For some reason, Ye Chong felt bitter at the thought, but he quickly composed himself.

“Ye Chong? That’s not a bad name,” Kristen said, but still teased him a bit, “But it sounds too ordinary.”

Ye Chong ignored her.

Kristen was like an eye magnet on the streets. Her clothes were revealing, and her body curved enticingly at the people around her. She carried herself with passion and allure; her red lips moved seductively.

She was tall, almost as all as Ye Chong.

Unlike Kristen, Ye Chong looked like an ordinary dude. He looked ordinary, wore simply, and perhaps only the sharpest eyes could see the confident ease and calmness in his eyes.

Many of the onlookers looked at her sympathetically, and this made Kristen even more pleased. She turned back at Ye Chong but found that he was not looking at her. This angered her.

“Boy, you have a woman?” Kristen suddenly thought of the question and asked him.

Ye Chong considered it for a moment before replying, “I guess so.” An image of a woman in white training garb came to mind.

Kristen was instantly hooked on the topic. She continued with excitement, “Wow and wow, didn’t think you have it in you. Your skinny ass got you a woman? But I gotta say, you’re being too irresponsible, what do you mean by ‘I guess so’? You either have one, or you don’t, you don’t ‘guess’ okay? What a loser, no wonder I don’t fancy you.”

Ye Chong darted a glance at Kristen, thinking about how she get along swimmingly with Shang.

Kristen glared at Ye Chong, her arms akimbo, “What’re you staring at, am I wrong? I hate men who’re careless like you!” Her furious expression made her look even more stunning. Some of the onlookers around them wished they could interfere and lend her a helping hand.

Ye Chong remained stony and expressionless, so Kristen lost interest in the subject. Suddenly, she thought of something else. She approached Ye Chong and whispered in his ear, “Honestly though, what’s it like?” She asked and wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully.

“It was good,” Ye Chong replied without thinking. The memories he had of “tasting” Rui Bing were carved deep into his mind.

“Hahahaha!” Kristen gave up her ladylike image and laughed loudly, doubling over with one hand on her stomach. She did not realize that Ye Chong was not talking about what she meant.

Ye Chong did not feel embarrassed. He only found it strange – was it really that funny? Why could he not appreciate the joke?

Ye Chong watched Kristen calmly, waiting for her to finish laughing.

Thus, a strange scene presented itself on the streets. A woman in revealing overalls was laughing beside herself, while a man stood in front her emotionlessly, watching her.

Everyone who walked pass them stared in bafflement.

Fortunately, no one interfered to “help” Kristen. Most of the people here knew her. She was beautiful, true, but she was also bad tempered and an odd character. Moreover, she was a Level 4 shooter. It would make anyone think twice before getting involved with the beautiful lady.

Kristen finally stopped laughing.

“Are you done laughing?” Ye Chong asked calmly, “If you’re done, let’s keep moving. If not, do continue.”

Kristen was speechless at that.

…

Kristen trailed behind Ye Chong, confused by the man in front of her. Sometimes, he was so good tempered that all the teasing would simply roll off him, like he was made of stone. Other times, he felt so dangerous that even minor things could get him worked up.

You never knew what his next step would be. Kristen was confident of her looks, and knew that many were seduced by her beauty. However, this man here had always looked at her with such clear eyes. His expression was always so flat and calm, as though nothing in the world held his interest.

A man at his age should be passionate, ambitious and eager to please. However, this man did not look anything like that.

Kristen can call him “boy”, tease him all she wanted, and he would never mind. She remembered clearly of a teacher she had once who always ordered her to be respectful at all times.

This was a strange man. Everything about him was a mystery to her. He was much more knowledgeable than his age suggested, and Kristen suspected that he was probably the most skilled weaponsmith in the world.

Currently, the man had made a very strange request. Such a skilled weaponsmith was willing to spend a million ao to buy all kinds of raw materials. Was he just bored out of his mind? He was also such a money-grubber, or at least as far as Kristen could see.

“We’re here,” Kristen pointed to a light green colored building, “It’s the largest material store here. You can’t get everything in the list, but you should be able to get most of them.”

Ye Chong nodded, “Alright.”

The shop was spacious inside. They sold all kinds of raw materials, and would even buy them from customers. Many shooters would sell their haul here in the shop.

“Welcome, Miss Kristen!” The storekeeper saw that it was Kristen, and came to greet her. Kristen was a famous local weaponsmith, and her weapons were popular around. She was an important customer of the store.

Kristen nodded in greeting to the storekeeper. Suddenly, she slapped her head lightly in annoyance and said to Ye Chong, “Ah, I forgot that this is Mr Mo’s shop. We could’ve just visited him directly. Hehe, I think you must have left quite an impression in him last time.”

The storekeeper was surprised. Kristen was a huge customer in the store, but he never knew that she knew the boss himself. Besides, from what she was saying, it seemed that this man beside her also knew Mr Mo. This made him wary.

“Oh, so it’s Mr Mo’s store,” Ye Chong nodded in recognition. It was just a short peek, but Mr Mo had left a good impression in him.

Ye Chong studied the inside of the store. There were not many people around, but one of them got his attention.

It was a woman in thin, white clothing. She wore a strange hat that had a thin veil covering her face. What caught Ye Chong’s attention was not her clothing, but her aura.

It reminded him of someone he had not spent only a brief time with – Huang Baiyi.

One was an old man, the other a young lady, but they shared a certain kind of aura.

The woman seemed to notice his gaze, and turned her head over slightly.

In the next instant, Ye Chong felt a kind of wave go through him. This felt very familiar! In his time with Huang Baiyi, the man had wanted to pass down his knowledge to Ye Chong. To do this, he had demonstrated many ways mental waves can be used. Huang Baiyi was surprised to find that Ye Chong, despite his lack of talent in becoming a mentalist, was very sensitive to mental waves.

It was later that he realized something – Ye Chong was not sensitive to mental waves in particular, but to every detail in his surroundings. This sensitivity he displayed was off the charts compared to normal people. It was what allowed him to notice even metal waves, something that normal people could not detect.

Ye Chong did not like the feeling – it was like he was being scrutinized without permission.

He twisted his upper body slightly to the left and right, and got free of the mental waves. He had achieved nothing through his meditation training, but it allowed him to be familiar with mentalist powers. Getting free of the mental waves was no challenge at all. A lot of things are like this – when you do not understand it, you may feel that it is full of mystery, but once you realize what it really is, you will find that it is really nothing special.

“Huh?” It was a faint gasp of surprise.

Ye Chong heard it, however. As suspected, it was her. Ye Chong’s expression did not change, but he was now more vigilant.

“This is the list. We need 50 grams of each,” Kristen and the storekeeper did not notice Ye Chong’s interaction with the woman in the corner.

The storekeeper was disappointed when he heard they only wanted 50 grams, but when he saw the entire list, he was simply speechless.

After a long while, he managed to compose himself again. “Forgive me, Ms Kristen, but do you really want everything on this list?”

“Yes,” Kristen replied after looking to Ye Chong and did not see him opposing.

The storekeeper handled the business professionally. He did not inquire further into their reasons for buying those materials, but instead said, “Of all the items in your list, our store can directly supply 3,112 of them. There are another 424 which we do not have in stock at the moment. If you’re amenable to it, we can acquire the items from other stores for you, but it will take longer, about a week’s time. Do you need these 424 items?”

Kristen looked at Ye Chong again, and saw him nod. She replied, “Yes, all of them.”

The storekeeper saw both times when Kristen looked to Ye Chong, and felt even more cautious of them. Not only did this man knew his boss, even the wild and intractable Kristen was obeying him. Who was this man? He did not the answer to that question, but he did know that this was a man he could not afford to displease.

“Since there are many high value items in your list, the price is a bit high. The total is 1.7 million ao. As you are our honored customer, you will receive a discount of 20 percent as per our store’s policy. The total after discount is 1.36 ao,” the storekeeper explained to Kristen after checking his calculations.

Ye Chong paid straight away. The storekeeper was pleased with the huge transaction. He said, “Since there are many items in your list, we will package and label them in detail. Your items will be delivered to you this evening. The remaining 424 items will be delivered in a week’s time.”

Even Kristen was not unaffected by the huge 1.36 million ao trade they had just made. She cursed Ye Chong inwardly for being such so wasteful. However, when she looked at the man she called a money-grubber, his expression was simply serene, as though he felt nothing at all.

There was nothing left to do here, so Kristen and Ye Chong turned to leave.

“Please wait,” a soft female voice spoke from behind them.

No one saw the cold gleam that flashed in Ye Chong’s eyes right then.

risten turned in response, and saw the veiled woman in white. Her graceful body curves were visible through the thin fabric of her clothes.

“I heard that Ms Kristen is the best weaponsmith around here. I’d like to purchase a weapon from you,” the woman bowed slightly in greeting.

Kristen fixed her eyes on the woman, looking her up and down passionately. “I say, to think that I would meet someone as beautiful as you are! How may I address you, dear?”

Standing beside them, the storekeeper felt goose bumps all over when he saw the look in Kristen’s eyes. He thought of the rumors about Kristen and felt like warning his lady customer, but he said nothing in the end.

The woman in white smiled, “I am Shu Mo’er.”

“You’re so gentle, Miss Mo’er, no wonder I like you,” Kristen held Shu Mo’er hands eagerly.

Shu Mo’er was uncomfortable with Kristen’s enthusiasm, caressing her hands like that. She felt her body turn rigid.

“Aha, is that so?” Shu Mo’er replied awkwardly.

“It’s true! You feel just like a long lost friend,” Kristen held her hands even tighter.

“Haha, you have a way with words, Ms Kristen,” Shu Mo’er pulled her hands back as she said.

Kristen put her arm over Shu Mo’er shoulders like it was the only natural thing to do, “Haha, Sister Mo’er, don’t call me Ms Kristen like I’m some stranger. Just Kristen, or Sister Kristen.”

Shu Mo’er hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “I will.”

“What kind of weapon do you want, Mo’er? Just pick one from my place, I’ll show you everything I have,” Kristen offered generously as she lightly pinched the other woman’s shoulders teasingly.

Ye Chong was certain by now that Kristen would get along splendidly with Shang. For the moment, he chose to play a silent part. He did not know why the woman in white looked unsettled, but this might just be the perfect chance to understand her more.

Shu Mo’er bowed slightly, saying, “I’ll be most grateful, Sister Kristen,” as she slipped out of Kristen’s embrace easily. Kristen smiled sweetly with her tantalizing red lips, “Sister Mo’er, won’t you show me what you look like now?”

Ye Chong silently approved of Kristen’s methods.

Shu Mo’er hesitated, but soon replied, “The veil is for convenience of travelling, please forgive me, Sister.” She took off her hat and showed her face.

She had an oval face. Her skin was smooth and tender, her eyes shining black. Her delicate nose was matched with small lips. Long hair reached her shoulders. She looked graceful and serene. As Shu Mo’er lifted her veil, the store went silent in awe.

“You’re so beautiful, sister, even I can’t help but adore you,” Kristen’s eyes sharpened as she said this. She licker her moist lips, an act which was also appreciated by the other customers in the store.

Ye Chong was unmoved by all that. He did not know this woman’s background, but her strength was enough to make him wary. Besides, since this woman had tried to probe him, and now greeted them, Ye Chong could only think that she must be up to no good.

“Please forgive me,” Shu Mo’er apologized to Ye Chong and Kristen as she put on her hat. Her face was once again veiled, but anyone who had seen her face would never forget its beauty.

Since her arms were hidden behind her long sleeves, Ye Chong could not make out how strong she really was.

“And how should I address you, sir?” Her soft voice was like a refreshing sprinkle in spring.

“Ye Chong,” he replied with a precise and strong voice that erased all traces of her graceful demeanor.

Shu Mo’er smiled almost imperceptibly at him.

“What kind of weapon are you looking for, sister?” Kristen asked enthusiastically.

“Um, I haven’t quite decided, do you have a suggestion, sister?”

Ye Chong smiled coldly inside. This was obviously a pointless conversation. What kind of combatant would not know their weapon of choice? This woman was up to no good.

Kristen had not thought about that. She considered the question for a moment, one hand on her chin, “Hmm, your weapon must not be too heavy, or it’ll just be a drag. It must be powerful enough, else your pretty self gets into trouble if you lose. You have a tiny frame, so the weapon shouldn’t be too long.”

After a long while, Kristen could not think of anything suitable. She said, “Sister, why don’t you come over to my place? You can pick and choose from there.”

“You have my thanks,” Shu Mo’er answered with a thin smile.

Kristen put one arm on her waist and waved off her thanks with her other arm, “Don’t worry about it, you’re just my kind of girl, sister.”

Ye Chong felt his body shudder for no reason.

The three of them left the store together.

“Come, sis, let’s go to my place,” Kristen invited her warmly.

Shu Mo’er answered softly through her veil, “I thank you very much, sister.”

Kristen smiled teasingly at her, “You’re too courteous, sister.” She turned to Ye Chong and said, “You can head back first, tea – I’ll be back after Sister Mo’er here chose her weapon.”

“Okay,” Ye Chong said briskly and turned to leave.

“Will Mr Ye not join us?” Shu Mo’er asked in surprise.

Kristen groaned, “He’s just a dull guy, more like an eyesore if he comes with us. He’s like a rock.”

Shu Mo’er smiled, “Mr Ye is a very interesting man.”

“Interesting?” Kristen scoffed, “That guy can’t say anything worth noticing.”

Ye Chong walked along the streets, thinking of Shu Mo’er. He must be careful of her, that was for sure. The woman had something up her sleeves, perhaps because he had gotten her attention by escaping from her mental probing. Ye Chong did not know how strong she really was, but she must be pretty strong. It was this gut feeling, and his dangerous battle days ago that made him even more vigilant.

There was not much he could deduce of Shu Mo’er. They had only met briefly. He quickly moved on from the topic to another – that of money. Now that he had spent 1.36 million ao in one go, he still had about another million left.

Ye Chong knew that he had zero sense in financial management. His research work was going to cost a lot. Without an income source, he would be broke very soon. He did not want to worry about money again. There must be some kind of solution out there. However, he did not know what it could be, as he simply did not know much about finance in general.

What a dilemma! He would have to take his time and figure out something.

Suddenly, Ye Chong began to move to the side, into a corner.

It was a narrow alley, but deep and very quiet.

Ye Chong walked to the end of the alley and turned around. He asked calmly, “Who are you?”

There were two men, one tall and the other short, with guns in their hands. They were surprised that Ye Chong noticed them following him. However, they quickly composed themselves.

The shorter guy laughed, “Hehe, bro, you can only blame yourself for being careless. Tsk tsk, I say, you don’t look like it, but that’s some money you got in your account. Just hand it over.”

The taller one glared fiercely at Ye Chong, looking wary. His gun was pointed at him.

Ye Chong felt like rolling his eyes. To think that he would be robbed like this! Shang would definitely have a field day once he found out.

Ye Chong had no intention of wasting time with these two. Skilled shooters were powerful, but these two here did not even merit his attention. Ye Chong leapt like a spring, launching himself into the air.

When a shooter fought against a combat expert one-on-one, the shooter did not have any significant advantage. A shooter may be able to predict their opponent’s moves with parapsychic sense, but they could not react as fast as a combat expert. As a Jie expert, Ye Chong himself was even faster. In the short time before a shooter could fire their gun, a combat expert could do all kinds of damage. Combat experts were the true masters of close range combat. A combat expert with excellent mental training would be even more powerful.

To these two shooters, the man in front of them seemed to have just vanished into thin air.

Ye Chong spread his arms wide like a pelican. He appeared suddenly between the two men and reached out with his hands towards their throats.

Just a light twist in his hands, and the two men would die.

Suddenly, Ye Chong showed hesitation! A strong mental wave had reached him.

Ye Chong attacked, breaking the necks of the two robbers with a crack. He bent down low and slid backwards, then sprang up with his toes like a cat and got onto the wall. He took a quick glance at the alley before turning around and began to run.

It was only then that the two corpses slumped to the ground.

A man with bushy eyebrows appeared in the alley. He was just in time to see the bodies collapse and the figure that made its escape.

The man looked unsettled. He dashed towards the two bodies. His face twisted when he saw the unnatural twists of their necks.

…

Ye Chong got home, still shaken from the incident. This world was too simply dangerous. Having met two very strong people in just a single day, Ye Chong was shocked! Could this world be full of so many strong people? The world felt more and more threatening to Ye Chong.

He had thought that people on level with the blue fighter’s pilot must be rare enough. To think he actually met two today who were just like the pilot! Today’s events told him that the mentalists in this world were far more powerful than those in the free space zone.

What a terrifying place!

Ye Chong had been to many places, but his strength had always kept him safe, be it in the Five Galaxies, He Yue Galaxy or the free space zone. This world, however, had put him in a dangerous position.

It did not feel good to be forced to lie low.

The items from the store arrived soon after. Ye Chong decided to stop thinking about the problem for the moment. Here, the only person who could help him was himself. He was confident of finding a solution to his predicament. He had survived harsher times. His determination was honed long enough to withstand the challenges around him.

The items filled up his courtyard.

The store was meticulous, having labelled every one of them.

Ye Chong wasted no more time. He began to do his research. He needed to analyze all the materials here. It would be a huge project – huge in the sense that there were many items to go through. However, since Ye Chong had very advanced equipment at his disposal, the real analysis work should not take him too long.

Now, all he needed to do was create a database of information for all these materials.

Ye Chong worked with full concentration. In this state, his mind was like a speedy processor. He soon discovered that most of the materials here had high energy content. It was like the natural ingredients here could absorb the rich energy around them.

When it came to the semi-transparent crystal that locals used as their energy source, Ye Chong could not withhold his surprise any longer. The crystalline body was pure, with an enormous energy density. Ye Chong had never seen anything that could store so much energy aside from the teardrop mineralite.

From the receipt, Ye Chong noticed that the crystal itself did not cost a lot. This meant that the crystal was a commonly found material here. What a blessed human world! Energy was a necessity for all human societies. They had plenty of them here.

Using this crystal as an energy course could boost the engine power greatly. Ye Chong finally had a glimpse of why the primitive aircrafts here could fly so fast. With this wonderful power source, and incredibly light but strong wood material, it was no wonder the aircrafts here were so fast. The wood materials were even lighter than the skeletons that Ye Chong used!

This place was so blessed with natural resources that it was really unfair!

Ye Chong looked at the big piles of materials in his courtyard with excitement. Who knew what other surprises awaited him there?

For the moment, however, he would have to stop working, since Kristen had come back.

Kristen was back, alone. Ye Chong did not ask her about Shu Mo’er. However, seeing Kristen looking a little dreamy did make him a little curious.

…

Shu Mo’er was feeling happy today, having met someone quite interesting. She had thought that a small city like Yedda would just be boring, but it seemed that there were still people of note here.

That the man could escape her parapsychic sense so easily told her how powerful he was. Besides, she was interested in particular with his methods. The man had a cold expression, but Shu Mo’er thought he looked cute.

As for the overfamiliar Sister Kristen, Shu Mo’er squirmed a little when she thought of her.

She was surprised to find that the man who seemed to be younger than Kristen was actually her teacher. When she asked Kristen further about Ye Chong, she could not believe who he really was. In the end, however, she believed the woman. She could tell that underneath Kristen’s affected indifference was a sincere respect for him.

When she found out that Ye Chong had used speckled blue fir wood to make a laser gun for Level 8 shooter Sha Ya, a gun that could shoot through five centimeters of nubis stone, Shu Mo’er thought that her heart could burst with intrigue.

Sha Ya was a name that she was familiar with. Both she and her teacher knew the shooter.

This man had built such as powerful weapon for a Level 8 shooter at a young age, and even had his own mysterious powers. No matter how she looked at it, Shu Mo’er felt that she had gained plenty today.

Beneath her veil, Shu Mo’er smiled very softly. She had already arranged for a visit to Kristen’s little house.

Shu Mo’er returned to her lodgings. She opened the door and found a bearded man sprawled out lazily on the sofa in the living room. He had a bottle in one hand, and he looked drunk.

“Edward, you’re too lazy. There’s such a nice weather outside, the air is refreshing as well,” Shu Mo’er commented, displeased, as she wrinkled her nose in response to the alcohol smell in the air.

Edwards took a side glance at Shu Mo’er and broke into a grin, “Our lil’ Mo’er is back. How’s it going? Do anything fun today?”

“I met an interesting person,” Shu Mo’er said with a smile. She took off her hat, revealing her charming features.

Edward took a gulp from his bottle and burped. He muttered, “Interesting? Even an ant will be interesting to you.”

“Edward!” Shu Mo’er chided him with a glare. Edward quickly laughed it off, “Lil Mo’er, Duo Ka and the rest are in the study, go find them.”

“Humph!” Shu Mo’er pouted and fixed him with another angry glare before she stomped off to the study.

uo Ka’s study was large. It could host a dozen people and still felt spacious. Currently, there were about seven people in there. Some were sipping tea; a few were chatting quietly in small groups; some were resting their eyes; some were already asleep, and even snoring a little.

“Lil’ Mo’er is back.” This came from Duo Ka, the owner of the house.

“I’m back,” Shu Mo’er nodded obediently. She was adored by everyone here. They would all offer the beautiful and kind young lady their utmost attention and generosity.

However, do not be fooled by her innocent looks. She was not shabby at all, qualifying herself as a Level 6 shooter at a very young age. This showed how talented and hardworking she was. Besides, she had more combat experience than many shooters of her age, and that was quite rare.

“Did you enjoy yourself today, Mo’er?” Wei Zheng asked. His age was closest to Shu Mo’er compared to that of the rest in the group. At 24, only 4 years older than Shu Mo’er, he was also considered a genius shooter.

Shu Mo’er did not like Wei Sheng for some reason. Logically speaking, Wei Zheng was remarkable in both his looks and heritage. Wei Zheng came from an aristocratic family. He was a well-bred young man who would always have a mesmerizing smile on his face. He conducted himself gracefully in a pleasing manner. Besides, as an heir of the Xi Ding Tribe bloodline, he was absolutely handsome. After all, the Xi Ding Tribe was known for their men’s good looks.

Many women would have thought of Wei Zheng as their dream partner, but Shu Mo’er was an exception. If Wei Zheng was not as skilled as he was, or part of the group, she would not have cared to tolerate his presence. Even the drunkard Edward was better company than Wei Zheng.

However, Wei Zheng seemed to treat Shu Mo’er with exceptional interest, and that was a bother to Shu Mo’er. The man had asked to accompany her on her trip today, and Shu Mo’er had spent a long time convincing him to stay behind.

She did not feel comfortable talking to him, but Shu Mo’er still answered him obediently, “Yes, I did. Thank you, Brother Wei.”

Wei Zheng smiled handsomely, “That’s wonderful.”

“What did you do today, Mo’er? I see that you’re quite happy,” Duo Ka asked with interest.

The subject of her outing today filled her with excitement, “Uncle Duo Ka, Mo’er met a very interesting person today!”

Duo Ka looked at her with complete adoration. He asked with a smile, “What could possibly make our Mo’er so excited?”

“Haha, maybe our Mo’er has met the man of her dreams,” the joke came from Peng Acha, the oldest in the group. The man had a drunkard’s nose, and his hair grew uncontrollably like a wild bush. He often behaved like a child, and liked to make jokes.

Wei Zheng still had a smile on his face, but his eyes widened meaningfully at the joke.

Shu Mo’er quickly explained herself, “No, that’s not it! I met a very skilled weaponsmith today. He’s built a weapon for a Level 8 shooter before.”

“Oh, so Yedda has someone like that?” The rest of the group who were resting had all sat up by now. They were curious of this news.

Duo Ka frowned, “That’s impossible, I would have heard of it if there’s someone like that. If you’re talking about a skilled weaponsmith, the only one around is probably a woman called Kristen. However, skilled as she is, even she was not good enough to make a weapon for a Level 8 shooter.”

Shu Mo’er smiled, pleased of herself, “Hehe, I’ve met that Kristen today too. She’s the weaponsmith’s student.” Shu Mo’er’s expression turned a little odd at the mention of Kristen. That woman was a little scary!

Wei Zheng caught her look. For some reason, his eyes turned colder, but his smile was even wider.

Duo Ka was surprised. “Kristen’s teacher? I’ve never heard of that. If it is Kristen’s teacher, then I suppose it’s quite possible.”

Shu Mo’er teased them, “By the way, you all know this Level 8 shooter.”

“Who is it?” Peng Acha asked, curious.

Shu Mo’er declared victoriously, “Sha Ya. You all know her. It was said that she exchanged a piece of amapolla wood for the weapon. I heard that it was a laser gun that could shoot through five centimeters of nubis stone.”

Everyone was riled up by the revelation. “Five centimeters of nubis stone? Amazing!”

Shu Mo’er felt even more pleased of herself, as if she was the one who made the laser gun. “You wouldn’t have guessed what the gun’s made of.”

“What is it made of? It is wood from the star birch tree? Or nightmist fir?” Peng Acha asked, intrigued.

“Hehe, you’re wrong!” Shu Mo’er was close to Peng Acha. She smiled teasingly, “I knew you couldn’t guess it. I was very surprised when I found out. The laser gun was made of the most common material – speckled blue fir wood.”

“Impossible!” A few of them broke out simultaneously.

The ones who still looked sleepy moments ago were now wide awake. They exchanged looks of concern. It was surprising news, indeed. It was unheard of for a weapon made of speckled blue fir wood to shoot through five centimeters of nubis stone.

“Lil’ Mo’er, bring to that person now! Hah, I must get me one of those!” Peng Acha’s eyes were practically shining. He was eager to visit the mysterious weaponsmith immediately.

Shu Mo’er looked hesitant, “Peng Peng, that man’s weird. I couldn’t even get through to him. Besides, Sha Ya had traded amapolla wood for her laser gun. What do you have to trade?”

Peng Acha was crestfallen, “Nothing. Amapolla wood can only be found in the inner parts of Darkniss. This old friend of yours isn’t capable of entering that dangerous place.”

“Be patient, Peng Peng, I’m also trying to figure out a way. Since we’re going to here for a while, let’s take our time and come up with a plan,” Shu Mo’er consoled the older man.

The rest of the group went silent. Amapolla wood and the like could only be found in the hands of Level 8 shooters. They were all only at Level 6, a large gap of strength from Level 8.

Just then, someone rushed into the study. It was a man with bushy eyebrows.

“Naver, what is it?” Zong Wen asked. He was the group’s leader. Zong Wen had a thin face and a pair of keen eyes. He was 40 this year, the prime age for shooters. Naver was usually more reserved and composed, but his panicky look today alerted Zong Wen.

Everyone directed their attention to Naver.

Naver raised his eyebrows in agitation as he explained, “I met someone.”

“Who was it?” Zong Wen asked, concerned. Naver would not be surprised by just anyone. Who amongst them did not have an enemy or two? Could Naver have encountered of his enemies?

“I was walking around the streets today when I sensed that someone was being robbed close by. I headed towards that direction, but saw something shocking. A single person had killed the two robbers,” Naver spoke in a low voice. His expression was grim.

Peng Acha smiled at the man, “I say, Nav, you’re just overreacting. What’s so surprising about one person killing two robbers? If it was me, humph, even seven or eight will be a piece of cake.”

Everyone else looked to Naver in confusion. Peng Acha had voiced their question out loud.

Naver shook his head and elaborated, “It’s not uncommon for one person to be able to kill two robbers, but what if he did it with his bare hands?”

“His bare hands?” Everyone turned concerned.

Naver nodded, “Yes! The robbers had a laser gun each.”

Now that shut the rest of group up. How many of them in the group could stand against two robbers unarmed? Soon, everyone concluded that it would be impossible for the man to fight the two robbers with his bare hands unless the robbers were not shooters themselves.

“The two robbers were shooters. One is Level 3, the other’s Level 4,” Naver added, thus eliminating even that possibility.

“That’s impossible. Even a Level 8 shooter can fight against two armed shooters with their bare hands,” Wei Zheng said sceptically.

Naver inhaled deeply before he continued, “I saw it myself! They were fighting just in range of my parapsychic sense.”

The rest in the group believed him then. They knew that while the eyes could be fooled, their parapsychic sense could not. Besides, this calm Level 6 shooter’s parapsychic sense was definitely trustworthy.

“That man was callous. He only attacked once, twisting the necks of the two robbers. I inspected the two bodies, and found that their throats were completely destroyed!”

Naver’s low voice sounded like it came from a dream, delivering a shocking piece of news to all of them.

The study was quiet and heavy with tension. Each of them was considering their odds against this terrifying man.

Naver looked up at his group mates, and smiled bitterly, “I have come to realize that if I were to face the man one on one, I will definitely lose.”

His words shocked the rest of the group.

Zong Wen forced a smile and said, “Don’t underestimate yourself like that. You’re a Level 6 shooter. If your words got out, those who don’t know us might think that we’re just a bunch of useless thugs.”

Zong Wen’s words were encouraging to his group members. It was true that they had all qualified themselves as Level 6 shooters. That set them apart from the rest.

Naver looked even bitter as he said, “I said that because when the man made his move, my parapsychic sense could not pick him up at all, much less lock on to him.”

“How’s that possible?” Now, even the calm Zong Wen was shaken. The rest of the group too looked alarmed.

Seeing everyone’s reaction made Naver calmer, for some reason. He elaborated, “It’s true. He moved fast, like lightning. I couldn’t sense him clearly. He seemed to notice my parapsychic reach. From the moment he made his move, my parapsychic sense lost track of him.”

He looked like he was reliving the moment as he said, “I had never seen anyone move so fast, so deftly before. His hands are strong, being able to crush the throats of the two robbers in just one attack. The robbers never had time to shoot. He was simply too fast. Besides, he was able to jump up a wall three meters tall without any assisting device, just his legs. I had thought I was watching some kind of fox or something.”

“Did you see his face?” Zong Wen asked.

Naver shook his head in reply, “No, only a shadow.”

When Naver was finished, everyone went into deep thought. In just a single day, they had come across two very strong people. Could this small city of Yedda actually be harboring so many masters of their art?

…

Ye Chong ignored Kristen, who was behaving lifelessly. He had much to do. He had just finished inspecting some of the materials that he had used before. He now understood the properties of commonly found materials like the speckled blue fir wood. This was all thanks to the high end gadgets from the Research Consortium. The equipment was all highly advanced. Some were even unheard of in public. The Research Consortium’s secretly built devices were now benefiting Ye Chong.

Ye Chong had a solid foundation in weapon making, especially when it came to the underlying principles of the weapons themselves. He had the elders in Aurora to thank for this knowledge. It was why he was able to adapt to these new materials quickly and easily.

The defensive weapons that he built earlier were crude since he was not familiar with the materials. Now that Ye Chong had a better understanding of the materials, he decided to modify those weapons accordingly.

…

He took out all the weapons that were hidden in the courtyard.

Kristen stared at him with her mouth wide open. She was absolutely flabbergasted!

What was he trying to do?

She never knew that this seemingly empty courtyard was hiding so many deadly weapons! The corners of the courtyard and the edges of the walls were all hiding weapons. Even more extreme was a stone block at the center of the courtyard that could be slid to the side, revealing beneath it a cannon array that consisted of 49 large-caliber photon cannon barrels. There were no less than five of these cannon arrays in the courtyard.

Kristen was shaken. All this firepower was enough to arm a military outpost.

When Ye Chong began to dismantle these terrifying weapons right in front of Kristen naturally as though it was only part of his daily routine, Kristen felt that she could go mad right there and then!

No, the one who was mad was this man! This man was the real crazy!

Kristen was also chilled by her observation of Ye Chong. The man looked entirely peaceful and calm when he was modifying the weapons. He did not look like he handling dangerous materials, but only doing something very ordinary, like sipping his tea. Besides, he worked swiftly with familiar moves. It was obvious that he was experienced in the business. Kristen swallowed heavily.

When Kristen saw Ye Chong sitting on a large cannon that could bring down a fighter with a single shot, munching his lunch, she finally fainted.

The last thought she had before she blacked out was how crazy her world had become!

t took Ye Chong three days to finish modifying his entire defense system. In those three days, Kristen watched how Ye Chong disassemble and reassemble the cannon barrels with ease. Her initial fear had now dwindled down to normalcy. By the third day, she began to lend Ye Chong a hand.

The heavyweight firepower was an eye-opener to her. As a person who was dedicated to the art of weapon making, the power of the cannon arrays made her realize just how insignificant her earlier works were! Kristen had always been inclined towards violence. When she got over her initial shock, she began to study the small but powerful weapons.

However, the complicated structure soon overwhelmed her. She knew that her own knowledge was only some of the basics of whatever education system that Ye Chong subscribed to. It was too early for her to study these cannons, but this did not stop her from admiring them. If Ye Chong was not there to stop her, she would have loved to take a few shots with those babies and see if they were really as powerful as Ye Chong claimed.

There was something else that was curious about these weapons. They could not be controlled with parapsychic sense. How then should the user aim? Ye Chong offered no explanation on this part.

The truth was, Ye Chong was too lazy to explain. It would take at least days for him to help her understand. Right now, he was short of time and could not afford to spend time on helping her.

Three days later, his work was finished. All the cannons were hidden once again, leaving no traces of their presence in the courtyard. Kristen was infinitely impressed by this.

Just then, Ye Chong received an alert from the photon processor in his house. Someone was approaching them. Ye Chong entered his house quietly and shut the door. He activated the holographic screen and saw a man and a woman approaching him. Ye Chong recognized the woman as Shu Mo’er. The man, however, was a stranger to him.

What were they here for? Ye Chong frowned.

He came out of his house and shut the door.

A knock came from the door.

Kristne went to open it, and he heard her voice of joyful surprise, “Sister Mo’er, come in, come in.”

Shu Mo’re smiled warmly, “Sister Kristen, I’m here to visit.”

Kristen giggled happily, “You finally turned up, I’ve been waiting for days.”

Ye Chong watched them coldly from the side. He was more convinced than ever that this Shu Mo’er had ulterior motives. His eyes glistened coldly as he watched from behind Kristen.

The two of them entered the courtyard. Shu Mo’er greeted Ye Chong, “Good day to you, Mr Ye Chong.”

“Good day to you,” Ye Chong returned the gesture. He may not believe that such superficial gestures were necessary, but he was also no longer the greenhorn he once was. His past experiences allowed him to become long familiar with these kinds of tactics.

Shu Mo’er did not wear her veil today. Her flawless countenance was presented to everyone around her. Just a short glance at her face was enough to make people notice her graceful presence.

“This is my friend, Wei Zheng,” Shu Mo’re made the introductions. Ever since she found out from Kristen of Ye Chong’s address, she began to plan her visit. However, Wei Zheng had insisted on going with her. Zong Wen was concerned about her safety, especially because of Naver’s encounter with that mysterious person. Everyone felt that their safety was threatened, and agreed that Wei Zheng should accompany Shu Mo’er. Shu Mo’er did not want to reject Wei Zheng openly, so she agreed.

“How do you do,” Wei Zheng smiled in greeting to Ye Chong. Ye Chong caught the fleeting hostility in the man’s eyes.

As expected, they were up to something. Ye Chong reminded himself to be alert. He decided to act without reserve should a fight become inevitable later.

Kristen whistled and gave Wei Zheng a flirtatious look. She smiled teasingly and said, “Hey there, handsome!” Wei Zheng did a double take on her, but greeted Kristen graciously.

“Are you inviting us in?” Shu Mo’er asked Kristen with a smile.

Kristen replied with another one of her mesmerizing smiles, “Oh, you’re wrong about that, sister. I’m not the master of the house.” She was not stupid. Ye Chong had warned her to never enter the house without his permission, or suffer the consequences. Earlier, she did not fully appreciate his meaning. However, the past few days of seeing all those cannons were like a refresher course to mind her conduct.

Her teacher, this expressionless man of stone, was not as harmless as he seemed to be. Beneath his emotionless shell of an exterior was an intense will to kill.

If she was not allowed to enter the house, how could she expect the visitors to be given exception? Thus, she passed the request to Ye Chong.

The three of them looked at Ye Chong expectantly.

Ye Chong replied with his stony face, “I’m sorry, the house is not ready for guests.”

No one expected him to reject them. This was an extremely arrogant and rude attitude towards his guests.

The atmosphere in the courtyard turned heavy with awkwardness.

Shu Mo’er looked shaken. Wei Zheng looked worse. They had never been treated like this before. As Level 6 shooters, anyone who met them would offer their utmost respect.

Kristen never thought that Ye Chong would reject them so quickly and decisively. She wanted to say something, but Ye Chong’s cold look at her made her swallow her words.

Ye Chong was not interested in socialising with them. He did not know these two people. Besides, he had never like people who came to him with hidden motives. Moreover, the equipment and life specimens in the house would surely kick up a riot if these two saw them.

Wei Zheng had a huge ego, and he could not stomach Ye Chong’s outright rejection.

He asked gravely, “What do you mean?” Shu Mo’er kept quiet.

Ye Chong looked straight into Wei Zheng’s eyes and said, “Did you not understand me?”

Wei Zheng stared back at Ye Chong, looking seriously offended.

Ye Chong’s expression was calm. His whole body’s muscles were relaxed, but ready to move at the slightest provocation! No one would suspect the terrifying strength he had in his slight figure.

Shu Mo’er was already prepared to interfere from the side. However, she did not plan to help Wei Zheng, but to separate the two of them should they fight. If they killed a weaponsmith just because they were denied entrance, their reputation would be tarnished. Shu Mo’er knew that Wei Zheng was not as easy-going as his smile often suggested.

Wei Zheng’s eyes gleamed. Just when everyone thought he was about to attack, he suddenly laughed, “Haha, Mr Ye is a man of character. Since Mr Ye is not free today, we’ll come visit another time. Farewell.”

Wei Zheng went out the door. Shu Mo’er fixed Ye Chong with a long, meaningful glance before going out as well.

Kristen groaned in anguish and studied Ye Chong for a moment. She said, surprised, “Didn’t think you had it in you, boy. You should know that they’re both Level 6 shooters. You’re doomed if you fight them head on!”

“Oh,” Ye Chong replied with disinterest, but did not argue with her. Words would achieve nothing. The fact was, when Wei Zheng locked onto him with his parapsychic sense, he was confident of breaking free and defeating both the shooters. However, he did not do that, but chose to restrain himself. He did not know how strong a Level 6 shooter was. He only knew that the woman called Sha Ya was a Level 8 shooter. Thus, a Level 6 shooter should not be a problem to him.

Nonetheless, the man’s strong parapsychic sense came as a surprise.

The look in Wei Zheng’s eyes told Ye Chong that this thing between them would not end so easily. Ye Chong was not afraid of trouble. It did not matter how strong his opponent was.

“They’re here to help Duo Ka. Rumor has it that it’s because of the 10-meter tall giant in black armor that appeared in Dual Forest. Even with hundreds of fighters, the giant could not be caught. Strong, right? I don’t know what kind of crazy thought Duo Ka had, but he went to get a bunch of Level 6 shooters. There are 13 of them now, including Duo Ka. What a team! They’re waiting for the giant to re-appear, so they’re mostly idle right now,” Kristen whistled through her tantalizing lips.

“I see,” Ye Chong finally found out who the pilot behind the blue fighter was. So it was Yedda’s ace, the Level 6 shooter Duo Ka. He finally understood how strong a Level 6 shooter could be. His horrible experience with the blue aircraft was still fresh in his mind.

If 13 aircrafts of that calibre were to join forces and fight him, escape would not be easy.

“Now you know,” Kristen mocked, “Hehe, I’m curious if you’re really hiding something in there that no one should find out. Now my dear Lil’ Mo’er and the handsome Wei are both gone, don’t you feel sorry them?” Kristen affected a look of pity.

Ye Chong ignored Kristen’s drama acting. He was thinking about Celest. He must not use the bio-mech here again, it would be too dangerous.

…

Night came. Ye Chong was organizing his files. Results from the daytime’s analysis were out. These were the last batch of numbers. He needed to organize the data first. Kristen had already gone to sleep. The morning’s incident had drained her.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded – “Intruder alert.”

Intruder? Ye Chong had his suspicions.

He activated the holographic screen and saw Wei Zheng on it.

Wei Zheng had gave some excuse to slip outdoors. He still could not let go of the morning’s humiliation. His pride could not accept that unjustified treatment! Shu Mo’er and he had both kept the incident at the courtyard a secret from the rest in the group.

If they caused trouble and were found out, people would think they were bullying the weak. Their image would be tarnished.

What if they were not found out, though? Wei Zheng laughed coldly inside, his handsome face looking a touch menacing. Shu Mo’er had shut herself in her room, still bothered the incident. What use was that? The d*mned man was probably still pleased at himself for rejecting them both.

The thought of that wretched man’s expressionless face made Wei Zheng even angrier.

He quickly headed towards Ye Chong’s courtyard. His strong parapsychic sense allowed him to avoid the dangers around him. He wanted to know what that man was trying to hide in his house. Perhaps there would be some ultimate weapon, and wouldn’t that be a gift to him?

If the man found him out … Wei Zheng’s eyes flashed with killing intent. Some things had to be done.

…

Ye Chong was speechless. Wei Zheng’s movements looked like some amateur’s act. Ye Chong could not understand it. Stealing or robbing required skills, and a man of Wei Zheng’s level should not have even bothered with this dangerous attempt.

Ye Chong looked at the holographic screen with cold eyes. He had made his decision.

If it was earlier in the day, Ye Chong might be worried about his comrade joining the fight. However, since the man had opted to enter his place at night, the man definitely deserved what he was about to give next.

A few dark holes appeared in the thick walls surrounding the courtyard.

Wei Zheng was still about two kilometres from the courtyard. Since this was near Dual Forest, there were no people around. Hence, he had simply moved without concealing himself.

What could a weaponsmith possibly do? He was a Level 6 shooter! Wei Zheng was conceited in this respect.

Suddenly, he felt a threat coming towards him.

He stopped running and spread his parapsychic sense further out.

His expression twisted as he stumbled backwards quickly.

A laser beam, thick as a finger, shot a deep hole into the ground where he was standing earlier.

An ambush! He finally demonstrated his abilities as a Level 6 shooter, taking out his laser gun and sensing his surroundings with his parapsychic sense. He was furious. The day had been hard on him. He had met a despicable man in the morning, and now had to face an ambush at night.

However, he did not lose his calm despite his anger. In fact, he was very collected right now. With the laser gun in hand, he would shoot the moment his parapsychic sense informed of anything suspicious.

How dare they ambush him! Were they looking to die faster?

Huh, there was nothing around him! His parapsychic sense picked up no presence of life around him, much less an ambusher.

…

Ye Chong watched how Wei Zheng stepped backwards to avoid his attack, and felt more impressed by the man.

Nonetheless, he was not ready to stop attacking just yet. His defensive system was now finally serviceable. This was an excellent opportunity to test it out.

…

Another laser beam set Wei Zheng stumbling to the side again to avoid the shot. Wei Zheng was almost bursting with anger by now. He still could not locate the ambusher.

Had his parapsychic sense been stretched to maximum range, he would not have been able to avoid those two attacks.

Wei Zheng hid himself carefully behind a large tree and studied his surroundings. The rash impulse within him dissipated, replaced by extreme care.

His first thought was, could a Level 8 shooter be ambushing him?

Ignoring the fact that there were no Level 8 shooters in the city, a Level 8 shooter would not have missed the first two shots. However, how could he not detect this shooter’s presence?

Could the man’s house be home to a Level 8 shooter? Wei Zheng was stunned by the realization. If that was true, it would explain why the man refused their entrance. Wei Zheng was still aware of how inferior he was compared to a Level 8.

He was beginning to regret his mission. This was going nowhere. Nonetheless, he was grateful for being alive. If he could still avoid the ambusher’s attacks, then perhaps the ambusher did not want him dead. It seemed that he should be prepared to suffer tonight, but his life would not be endangered.

Unlike Wei Zheng’s interpretation of events, Ye Chong had attacked without reserve. Wei Zheng was able to avoid both attacks due to his own abilities.

If Ye Chong’s defence system had only two shooting stations, he would only be able to make Wei Zheng suffer, but not truly endanger his life.

However, what were the odds that Ye Chong had only two shooting stations?

Five straight laser beams shot across the air.

Wei Zheng felt them the moment they left the guns. This time, he was terrified! Five simultaneous shots! This must be a Level 8 shooter! The stronger a shooter was, the higher the shooting frequency. A Level 8 shooter can make continuous shots feel like they were shot at the same time. This increased their firing range and power, and made it harder to avoid.

Wei Zheng was proud, but he was also capable. He quickly raised his gun to his chest to block the attacks!

The laser gun flashed in a brilliant white. The other four laser beams graced pass his figure and burrowed into the ground.

Wei Zheng was sweating all over. His laser gun, made of blackthread wood, had a thumb sized hole on it. It felt hot to the touch.

Was this a test? Wei Zheng felt uncertain. He was absolutely terrified. Of the five laser beams that were shot, four were used to block his escape routes, and the final one to hit him directly. If he had tried to avoid the final shot, he would have been hit by one of the other beams.

If he had not thought of using his own gun to block the final shot, he would be dead by now.

Ye Chong was greatly surprised by Wei Zheng’s performance. Even he himself would not be able to avoid all five laser beams without a bit of luck. This shooter had managed to hold out for so long, and he was only a Level 6 shooter! What if he was a Level 8? Shooters were truly terrifying!

Ye Chong mused as he activated a few other shooting stations.

In fact, Ye Chong wanted to test his cannon arrays. That kind of wide range attack would be perfect for a long range combat loser like Ye Chong. However, since the attack would cause quite a ruckus, he decided to abandon that tempting option.

With 12 laser beams attacking him all at once, Wei Zheng finally felt like giving up! In that moment, he could only think of how much he regretted coming here!

Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh!

Seven laser beams hit him, leaving seven bloody wounds. One of them was right on top of his heart. Poor Wei Zheng, a Level 6 shooter, had died without knowing who had attacked him.

When Ye Chong arrived at Wei Zheng’s location, the man was already dead.

Ye Chong considered the situation for a moment, then lifted Wei Zheng’s body and vanished into Dual Forest. Two hours later, he returned. The body was already destroyed, leaving no traces behind.

Ye Chong had first returned to his house and came out with a bottle full of liquid. He bent down to Wei Zheng’s body and put a small and prickly grayish green seed on it. He then emptied the liquid in the bottle on the seed.

Soon after, grayish green vines began to sprout. They grew quickly and soon blended into the forest background. All traces of the body were covered by the plant. The grayish green vines of the plant blended in with the other plants, an effectively camouflage of the plant itself.

This was a fast growing plant borne from the Research Consortium’s studies. It was originally designed to rapidly transform the soil composition in arid or harsh environments, such as the desert. The liquid in the bottle was a growth catalyst for the plant.

Done for the day, Ye Chong returned quietly to his house.

All the items had been analyzed, and Ye Chong had also finished with assembling the information into a database. Aside from the 400 over rare plant specimens that still had not arrived, Ye Chong was basically done for now.

After some consideration, he deposited all his equipment into Celest’s dimension keystone.

hen Shu Mo’er got up from bed, it was nearly midday. She had gone to sleep unsettled the night before. When she got up, she found everyone in the group looked concerned.

She went to Pang Acha and asked, “Peng Peng, what’s the matter with everyone?”

Pang Acha replied lowly, “That boy Wei Zheng went out last night and hasn’t come back since. We’re just a little worried.”

“Ah,” Shu Mo’er gasped, “He hasn’t returned?”

“Yea, Naver and Duo Ka are out to find him. They’ll be back soon,” said Peng Acha, worried.

For some reason, the expressionless man who had kept her awake last night came to Shu Mo’er’s mind … She had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

Just then, Naver and Duo Ka came back. They looked unsettled. Peng Acha approached to ask, but Naver shook his head, indicating that they did not find anything.

“Wei Zheng is capable. We should not worry about it too much, perhaps he’ll come back some time later,” Zong Wen comforted his group members.

They thought to themselves, “That’s right, Wei Zheng is a Level 6 shooter. How could he get into trouble in this small town?”

They felt better after that.

Shu Mo’er quietly pulled Peng Acha to the side and whispered to him, “Peng Peng, come with me later, I’m heading somewhere.”

Peng Acha tilted his head, curious. “Where? Don’t go around wondering at this time, what if something happens to you?”

“I’ve got business, okay? Please come with me. Besides, what could possibly happen when you’re with me? We can ask Blackbrow there to come with us.” Naver’s eyebrows were thick and dark, and they earned him a nickname.

Peng Acha considered her request, then rubbed his nose and agreed uneasily, ‘Alright alright, sigh, you and your business.”

Naver was also easy-doing with the young woman, so he agreed as well.

“Lil’ Mo’er, where are we going?” Along the way, Peng Acha looked around him and kept asking Shu Mo’er about their destination.

Shu Mo’er was helpless against the old man’s enthusiasm, “You’ll know when we reach there.”

“Is it related to Wei Zheng?” The silent Naver finally spoke up.

Shu Mo’er hesitated for a moment before nodding in reply, “Yes.”

Peng Acha was scandalized, “What? Lil Mo’er, you should’ve told us earlier! We could’ve brought a few more with us!”

Shu Mo’re shook her head and said, “I wasn’t sure. It’s just a gut feeling. Best not to involve the others before we’re certain.”

The trio picked up their pace.

“It’s here,” Shu Mo’re said, pointing towards a huge residence.

Ye Chong had noticed their arrival the moment they entered the range of his defence system. He sighed to himself, “They all come, in the end.”

A knock came from the door, then he heard Kristen’s cry of excitement, “Sister Mo’er!”

Ye Chong came out of his house and watch Shu Mo’er and her companiosn enter his courtyard.

Shu Mo’er greeted Ye Chong, “Mr Ye.”

“Ms Shu Mo’er,” Ye Chong nodded in reply.

The man looked calm. Shu Mo’er could not see anything wrong with him. She was now even more uncertain of her suspicions. Still, she asked, “Mr Ye, have you seen my companion who came with me yesterday? We’re looking for him.”

“Your companion yesterday? Mr Wei Zheng, yes?” Ye Chong shook his head, “Didn’t he leave with you?”

If Shang were here, he would commend Ye Chong’s calm performance.

Ye Chong’s reply was a disappointment to Mo Shu’er. The man’s eyes were clear and honest. She was mostly convinced by his words.

She turned to Kristen. Kristen asked, surprised, “What is it? Sister Mo’er, did something happen to that handsome man?” She did not seem to be faking it. Kristen was unaware of everything that happened last night. Her reply convinced Shu Mo’er that Ye Chong was not lying.

Shu Mo’er broke into a smile and said, “It’s nothing. He went out last night but didn’t come back yet, we’re just worried.”

Peng Acha was studying his surroundings the moment he crossed the door, looking around the empty courtyard. Naver said not a word, his eyes focused on Ye Chong.

Shu Mo’er looked at the closed door behind Ye Chong and felt tempted. She asked with a smile, “Mr Ye, perhaps you might be open to let us visit your weapons workshop today?”

The house was empty inside. Ye Chong had stored away everything in Celest’s ring. However, Ye Chong realized what a big mistake it was. No weaponsmith’s workshop would be empty. That emptiness itself was something unusual.

“I’m sorry, it’s still not convenient today.” Ye Chong declined outright, just like yesterday.

Naver and Peng Acha exchanged a look, then split up and walked to separate sides, forming a triangle with Shu Mo’er.

“I’ve been thinking, Mr Ye, we admire your skills, so why won’t you let us visit your workshop?”Naver asked, looking Ye Chong straight in the eyes. Naver thought he looked familiar, but could not figure out why. Nonetheless, the sense of danger that came from the man had drawn his attention.

Ye Chong acted as though he did not see their tactical positions. He replied calmly, “I’m not used to it.” His breathing had begun to slow down. Underneath his cloths, his muscles were gradually relaxing, so that he would be prepared for any sudden movements.

“Can’t you make an exception?” Naver’s hand was reaching for the laser gun on his waist. He did not speak loudly, but he sounded suspicious and threatening.

Peng Acha and Shu Mio’er did not know why Naver insisted, but they followed his lead and stayed vigilant. Never may be a taciturn person, but he was treated business seriously, and had his comrades’ trust.

“Apologies,” Ye Chong offered simply.

Naver finally reacted, in part due to Ye Chong’s obstinacy, but also because he now knew why the man looked so familiar.

That silhouette! It was the same one he had seen in the alley that day!

Naver’s eyes widened. His right hand reached for his laser gun. Ye Chong’s cruelty had left a deep impression in him. A shooter’s instinctive reaction when threatened was to reach for their weapons.

Naver never realized that his reflex was a crucial and dangerous mistake.

Peng Acha and Shu Mo’er saw his reaction, as they were also paying attention to him. Naver’s reaction was a signal for them – a signal for battle!

It was a signal for Ye Chong – a signal that meant his opponents were starting a fight!

Both sides moved almost simultaneously. Ye Chong and Peng Acha did so without hesitation. Both of them were battle veterans, and trusted their own judgments.

Ye Chong directed power into his relaxed muscles. He disappeared from view in a flash.

Parapsychic sense!

Ye Chong felt it abruptly, stopped moving towards Naver. He leapt backwards just as a red laser beam grazed past his chest.

Peng Acha had saved Naver in the nick of time.

Naver quickly got on with what his doing. He cursed his own foolishness for being distracted. He did not attack Ye Chong immediately, but pulled out his laser gun and fired towards the sky.

Boom! A dazzling and colourful beacon exploded in the sky. This was a distress signal for the group. Everyone would receive the signal immediately. After Naver recognized who Ye Chong really was, he realized that the situation had become much more serious than they thought.

Of course Ye Chong understood the significance of the beacon. However, he was busy holding off Peng Acha. As the eldest in the group, he was also the most experienced. His parapsychic sense held onto Ye Chong tenaciously. Ye Chong tried to break free of it a few times, but it always found him back.

Ye Chong dared not stay in the same spot for too long. He knew that shooters could aim at him with their parapsychic sense and shoot him. Hence, he needed to avoid being locked on by their parapsychic sense.

He moved so quickly that he looked like a shimmering apparition. Avoiding the parapsychic waves from locking onto him was possible due to how they worked. Parapsychic waves come from the person using it. By moving very quickly, Ye Chong disrupted the parapsychic waves around him, making the feedback to the user too complicated to decipher.

This meant that he had to be constantly moving to be free of the shooters’ parapsychic sense. This was not too difficult for him. He could control his muscles freely. No one else could manipulate bodily energy like he could.

Peng Acha was a combat veteran. He did not panic when he saw that Ye Chong could break free of his parapsychic sense. Instead, he made the right choice of ramping up his parapsychic waves.

In some sense, parapsychic waves were like water waves. As Peng Acha strengthened his own parapsychic waves, the analogous water would become denser, making it harder for Ye Chong’s motion to disrupt the waves.

Ye Chong instantly upgraded the man’s threat level.

There was no choice but to move faster himself. Ye Chong leapt around like a shadow, never touching the ground longer than necessary.

Peng Acha countered accordingly. His parapsychic sense may not be able to help him aim, but he could still fire based on experience. The laser beams were more dangerous to Ye Chong than Peng Acha’s parapsychic sense. The laser beams almost hit him a few times.

Shu Mo’er cried out anxiously, “Mr Ye, we only want to have a look, nothing more. Why don’t you meet us halfway, don’t make this difficult for both of us.” Kristen quickly ran into her own house. Level 6 shooters were not her specialty. More importantly, she was shocked to find Ye Chong holding out against three Level 6 shooters. He was strong!

“Looks like I’ve hit the jackpot!” Kristen muttered to herself, excited for the discovery.

“If this continued on, I’ll be forced into a passive role,” Ye Chong thought to himself.

His eyes gleamed. He always had a good grasp of the bigger picture.

Ye Chong dived forwards and pushed with his feet. He slid towards Naver, staying close to the ground.

Shot after shot followed Ye Chong, leaving a neat row of holes behind him.

Ye Chong watched the as the lasers lit up again and again behind him. Still, he pushed forward, determined. He narrowed his eyes, seeing the thick and thin lines dancing in his vision, and the dim and bright spots.

His Jie expert’s skill – lines and dots that herald death.

Now!

Ye Chong suddenly sprang up from the ground, his hand gripped into a sharp fist. His target was the brightest spot in view – Naver’s throat.

If he was on target, the man would be dead for sure.

Ye Chong’s sudden movement surprised everyone else, even Naver himself.

Ye Chong’s sudden appearance before him left him stupefied.

The world seemed to slow down. Naver could see everything in front of him clearly. He could even make out every single hair no Ye Chong’s face, and his dark eyes that shined with killing intent and apathy.

It was a strange experience. After his initial shock, Naver felt like he was an onlooker to the scene. There was no joy or grief, only peace. His own movements were so slow compared to his attacker’s. A simple thought came to his mind –

“Ah, so it’s possible for a human to move so fast.”

Ye Chong attacked steadily and precisely. Just as his fist was about to meet Naver’s throat, he felt danger closing in on him – parapsychic sense! Abruptly, his upper body arched backwards as made a backward flip with his figure.

A laser beam shot through the space right between Ye Chong and Naver. It was Shu Mo’er to the rescue. She looked pale, biting down her lip as her pointed her laser gun at the two of them.

Just when the three shooters thought that they were out of danger, Ye Chong once again demonstrated his terrifying strength.

His body was still in midair when Ye Chong twisted his body like a boneless piece of flesh. His legs seemed to expand and contract against all logic. He then directed his legs towards Naver’s chest.

Wham!

It was like the sound of a drum. Naver cried out in pain, flying backwards and hitting himself against the wall behind him. He coughed out blood, spraying it onto the wall like bizarre art.

“Blackbrow!” Shu Mo’er cried out in despair. She never imagined that her suggestion would take such as devastating turn.

Ye Chong folded his legs back in a little and immediately pushed himself sideways when his feet touched the ground. Another laser beam shot past him.

Ye Chong traced Z’s on the ground, the footwork designed for evasion. He never stopped moving his upper body as well, vibrating like a shadowy presence.

Peng Acha was no longer all laughs and jokes. He was now very calm. He understood that his objective now was not to kill the enemy, but to protect the injured Naver and shaken Shu Mo’er until Zong Wen and the group arrived.

However, just as he began to switch tactics, Ye Chong noticed it as well.

He had extraordinary sensitivity when it came to battles.

Since the enemy went on defensive, his target now was Shu Mo’er. The beautiful young woman looked devastated and pale, which was simply pitiful.

However, her opponent was Ye Chong, a man of war who did not know pity.

Ye Chong moved even faster. Since the battle began, Ye Chong had never once stopped moving, and he had never slowed down.

He had been moving around every corner of the courtyard. No one could predict where he would go to next. They could only play catch up with his shadow.

What terrifying stamina! What terrifying speed! However, the most terrifying thing about him was his cold and calm heart!

No opening or opportunity escaped him. It was as though he was born for battle.

Ye Chong rushed towards Shu Mo’er. He was now executing high speed veers. This was the first advanced move that he had learned in mech piloting. It was derived from the Non-orderly Wavy Leap. Ye Chong had always been able to show remarkable power and endurance in combat. The harmless veers turned deadly in his hands.

Shu Mo’er stared blankly with her eyes wide open. She was still trying to accept that Naver could be dead. All of this was because of her. She felt deeply guilty and regretful.

“Mo’er!” Peng Acha was terrified. He released shot after shot carelessly, hoping to stop the scary and cold man for as long as he could.

Pwoosh! Ye Chong’s left shoulder was shot. The attacker’s careless shots had wider coverage, and made it more possible to hit his target. However, the shooter would also lose his attacking rhythm this way. This was dangerous for the shooter. Hence, shooters would normally avoid shooting without aiming unless necessary.

Ye Chong did not slow down from the pain on his shoulder. His eyes flashed, and he suddenly made another veer.

Ye Chong took 13 steps along a curved trajectory. His sudden change in direction made Peng Acha miss his target. Fwish fwish fwish! The ground was covered in holes.

Ye Chong moved quickly. He closed in onto Peng Acha, now only half a meter from his left. Since Peng Acha had been shooting without aiming, he had lost his shooter’s rhythm. This created a spot of vulnerability in him.

To Ye Chong, Peng Acha was now like a castle without its guards.

*mn! Parapsyhic waves again! This one felt entirely different from the three in his courtyard. Ye Chong understood immediately that they were from their backup.

Ye Chong leapt forward, breaking free of the parapsychic waves and at the same time delivering a punch to Peng Acha. Peng Acha reacted immediately, letting go of the laser gun in his hand and raising both arms up to block Ye Chong’s attack.

However, he did not know how much power was packed in Ye Chong’s fist.

Ye Chong’s fist landed straight onto Peng Acha’s crossed arms – or rather, Peng Acha managed to block Ye Chong’s fist. Both Edward, whose presence Ye Chong noticed, and Peng Acha were thankful for the block.

However, Ye Chong’s attack was so powerful that Peng Acha’s arms crumbled easily under the impact. The effect brought to mind a single word – obliteration. No one could ignore the pain from suffering broken bones in both arms. Peng Acha screamed in pain as he was pushed backwards from the attack, and subsequently blacked out.

Ye Chong felt helpless. These shooters were all very strong – he was stopped every time he tried to kill one of them. Nonetheless, two of the shooters had lost their battle capacity. Now, his opponents were their reinforcements.

There were 13 shooters in total. Wei Zheng was dead, and two were heavily injured. Shu Mo’er was still out of it, and he only needed to stay vigilant around her. This meant that he was left with 9 shooters.

A group of 9 Level 6 shooters was a formidable force. Ye Chong could fight evenly against three of them in the courtyard just now because they were all close to him. In short range exchanges, Ye Chong’s powerful moves were effective even against combat experts, much less the weaker constitutions of these shooters.

Now, however, Ye Chong had lost this advantage.

One by one, new and distinct parapsychic waves enveloped Ye Chong.

Ye Chong retreated backwards quickly. He saw five of the shooters on the wall surrounding his courtyard, surrounding him. They had laser guns in their hands, and were giving him looks of hatred.

There should be 9 of them, not five! Ye Chong did not know where the other four were, but he knew that everyone in the group was here now. He could sense the nine distinct parapsychic waves around him.

Dozens of laser beams shot towards him from all directions.

Zong Wen’s expression was grim. The opponent was very strong. Their timely interference was the only reason their three comrades were not dead by now. What a strong enemy!

Aside from the wound on his left shoulder, the man seemed unscathed. This man was not a shooter, but his strength had made them all wary. He did not seem human at all, moving even faster than an animal. He was also very strong, hurting Peng Acha like that. How could any human possess this amount of strength?

Zong Wen’s eyes scanned towards Peng Acha, lying unconscious at a corner. Bones protruded out of his arms, bringing a chill down Zong Wen’s spine, despite his long experience with violence.

On the other hand, the man could sense their parapsychic waves. Zong Wen shook his head inside. He had to continually reassess the threat level of this man. Every time he thought he understood his opponent’s abilities, the man would surprise him again with something extraordinary.

He could not lock on to the man with his parapsychic sense at all. This came as a shock to Zong Wen. Shooters were strong because of their parapsychic sense. If their parapsychic sense failed, they would lose their greatest advantage.

Ye Chong moved, fast as lightning.

He dared not slow down even the slightest bit, for fear of being locked on by their parapsychic sense. Ye Chong knew that the next shot that hit him would definitely be fatal. No, there may be more than one shot. Sha Ya’s demonstration of continuous shots had left a deep impression in Ye Chong.

Laser beams came down onto the courtyard like a heavy shower. Ye Chong once again surprised his opponents by twisting and turning at physically impossible angles. His body parts were so flexible that he could execute all the physically impossible moves almost easily.

It was an eerie sight, watching a man avoiding the laser beams that rained down him. The shooters who rarely missed now found themselves a target who continued to slip through their attacks.

Gradually, the shooters felt a chill blossoming in their hearts. This man was so mysterious and unpredictable! The afterimages in his wake made him look like a spirit that came from Hell.

Ye Chong was having a rough time. He was now rendered passive, and could not get close to his enemies. That put him at a heavy disadvantage.

Ye Chong was never used to staying on the defence for long. He searched for a plan to retaliate.

He pushed down with his right hand and rolled to his left, curling into himself as he did and reached for the dagger by his thigh. Daggers were always Ye Chong’s favorite choice of weapons. The one he usually had on him was given to Ban Meng, but this one was made using the Research Consortium’s equipment. He got his metal alloy material from disassembling a mech’s part.

Ye Chong aimed at Zong Wen. He did not recognize the man, but felt that he was the leader of the group.

Zong Wen realized something was wrong the moment Ye Chong threw out his dagger. Zong Wen’s parapsychic sense informed him of the dagger, which also alerted his comrades.

None of them sensed any parapsychic waves before the dagger was thrown. They found it hard to believe that there were still long range weapons in this world that did not rely on parapsychic aiming.

Ye Chong had attacked by aiming with his eye, throwing the dagger with his hand, and deciding the strength of the throw by experience. None of the three relied on parapsychic abilities, so he managed to surprise the shooters.

Zong Wen reacted quickly – he aimed his laser gun at the incoming dagger and fired.

The dagger was fast, but not as fast as parapsychic reaction.

The laser beam hit the dagger in midair, creating a brilliant spark.

The laser beam itself did not have significant momentum. It caused damage through the high energy intensity, melting or evaporating its target.

However, melting or evaporating a solid dagger in a short time was not easily achievable. Dozens of shots could only chip off a small part of the dagger. This was because the dagger was made of metal alloy from a mech part, which had highly defensive properties by design.

Zong Wen’s comrades realized the issue. They quickly focused their laser beams at the dagger.

Ye Chong finally witnessed the incredible accuracy that Level 6 shooters were capable of. The laser beam shower in the courtyard disappeared as they all converged onto a spot in the air. None of the beams were off target.

Ye Chong was in awe. Even in He Yue Galaxy, it would be very hard to find a mech pilot who could aim and shoot so well. In this world, shooters of this calibre seemed to be everywhere.

The dagger had bought precious time for Ye Chong. He felt all the pressure on him relieved. His plan had worked. Ye Chong’s eyes gleamed with a coldness that could rival the severest winters.

Ye Chong stood up straight and did not move.

He inhaled deeply, expanding his chest like a balloon, and activated his throat muscles.

“Roar!”

Mortal Roar! This was the September Lan Family’s special technique. A powerful sound wave exploded outwards from Ye Chong in all directions.

The sound wave disrupted the air around him. The shooters were all very sensitive to their surroundings. This advantage, however, was now turned against them.

Their parapsychic sense allowed them to notice the powerful sound wave, but they could do nothing as the sound wave interfered with their parapsychic sense. The sound wave was fast, and their laser guns were useless against it.

The five of them screamed in pain. Ye Chong had spent a long while preparing for this attack to ensure that it would disable his opponents in one blow. He had used the dagger to win him a short but very precious amount of time.

Thus, the sound wave was stronger than any that he had created before.

The dagger’s handle was still a solid piece, but there were no more laser beams directed at it. What was left of the dagger drove itself into Zong Wen’s collarbone, the sound of bone breaking barely audible through their screams.

Ye Chong panted heavily. The battle had nearly exhausted him. There were still four shooters left, but this did not make Ye Chong panic.

The four shooters in hiding might be affected by his Mortal Roar attack.

He looked around him warily. His left arm hung down loosely. Blood trickled down from the wound along his arm, reached the tip of his now tired fingers and dripped to the ground.

Suddenly, Ye Chong’s body went rigid. His calmness was finally shattered.

Two distinct sets of parapsychic waves, much stronger than any he had encountered from the shooter group, were now locked onto him. These two parapsychic waves were so strong they felt almost like solid restrains on him, much stronger even than what the most powerful mentalist Ye Chong had met, Huang Baiyi, could achieve.

Being locked on, Ye Chong did not move a muscle. Doing anything rash now would not be wise.

These are very powerful shooters! Ye Chong’s mind raced through possible scenarios. Why would these powerful shooters show up so late into the fight, when their comrades were heavily injured?

Clap! Clap! Clap! A clapping sound reverberated in the empty courtyard.

A group of people entered the courtyard, led by a middle aged man dressed in loose, black clothing. He was tall and lanky, with short hair that shot up rigidly. The man had a cold aura about him. He said with an almost imperceptible smile, “Wonderful, wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”

This middle aged man was flanked by two men, both with laser guns in their hands. One was bald and looked belligerent. The other was a smaller man with keen eyes.

These two were the ones who had locked onto Ye Chong. Their parapsychic waves were strong. Ye Chong studied the people in the group of newcomers, and found a familiar face – Sha Ya.

Sha Ya gave Ye Chong an apologetic look. There was another man beside Sha Ya. He had a callous feeling about him, and a very sharp gaze.

“This is completely unexpected, absolutely unexpected. Sha Ya had said that there’s a very skilful weaponsmith around here. I had just planned to drop by out of curiosity, but instead got to witness such a splendid battle. This trip is worth the effort.”

The man in black clothes studied Ye Chong with admiration. Ye Chong found the man’s gaze uncomfortable. It felt like there was some mixture of condescension in the way the man looked at him.

“Relax, relax, we’re not here to start a fight. Oh, by the way, we’ve handled the four shooters were who hiding themselves.”

Ye Chong felt relieved as the parapsychic waves around him vanished. However, he sensed another two almost unnoticeable parapsychic waves probing gently around him. Ye Chong kept this to himself.

“Who are you?” Having recovered a little, Zong Wen asked the leader of the group.

The man gave Zong Wen a look of contempt and said, “You have not earned the right to know my name. However,” he took a glance at Ye Chong and continued, “- his presence here benefits you. Looks like this is your lucky day! Well, let me introduce myself. I am Sun Sieha.” He ignored Zong Wen entirely and bowed to Ye Chong with a smile on his face.

“Sun Sieha!” Zong Wen gasped, then laughed bitterly, “To think that I could meet with the ace of the Royal Palace. I am indeed lucky. My comrades, the four you mentioned, perhaps you would consider granting them mercy?” Zong Wen was now worried about his four comrades.

“Oh, you mean those four? To be on the safe side, I had them all killed just now,” Sun Sieha said with a smile, like it was only some unimportant matter.

Zong Wen vomited blood. This racked up a series of violent cough. Nonetheless, Zong Wen kept his hateful gaze fixed on Sun Sieha.

Sun Sieha was not interested in Zong Wen. His attention was all for Ye Chong.

“You are truly astonishing. No one has ever trained themselves physically to this degree – you are the first in history. I know that no one in this world can top you when it comes to combat. Besides …” he reached a hand out to Sha Ya, and she quickly passed the laser gun made of speckled blue fir wood to him. Sun Sieha caressed the weapon gently, and said softly, “Besides, you’re also a fine weaponsmith. Please allow me to express my admiration of your skills.”

He bowed again to Ye Chong.

Ye Chong raised his right finger slightly, like he was about to form a fist with it. His actions were immediately greeted with a warning look from the two men beside Sun Sieha.

Sun Sieha behaved like he did not notice Ye Chong’s movements. He said, “Your skills are extraordinary, and I am a man who values talent. You are definitely a talent.” He bent down and picked up what was left of the dagger, now a small piece of alloy, and smiled at Ye Chong, “You surprise me, and that is a wonderful feeling to have. This heavy rock can only be found in Darkniss. I’m curious, how did you manage to survive Darkniss alone?”

Ye Chong stayed silent.

Sun Sieha did not mind it. He continued with all smiles, “Of course, all of that doesn’t matter. What matters is, I need your strength. Power, status, money, these are all within your reach if I just said the word,” Sun Sieha said persuasively, “Together with us, you’ll find that all your life before this moment was only a waste of time. People will now kneel to you in respect. They will worship you. You can live a life of unimaginable luxury. Those in power will try their best to gain your favor. Women will come to you in droves, if only you wished for it. If you want to continue with your research, that’s also fine. The Royal Palace has all kinds of invaluable resources at your disposal. You can pursue any field that you’re interested in, and you won’t have to worry about the expenditure at all.

“What do you think? Join us!” Sun Sieha looked at Ye Chong with burning desire.

Ye Chong asked calmly, “Why should I join you?”

“Why?” Sun Sieha doubled down in laughter at Ye Chong’s reply as though it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. Sha Ya and the rest in the group also gave Ye Chong an odd look. They were baffled to see Ye Chong still not appreciating the reality of his situation.

Ye Chong’s calm expression betrayed nothing.

Sun Sieha laughed for almost five minutes before he finally stopped himself. He looked at Ye Chong now with a half-smile, and said almost conversationally, “Why? Hmm, I have to say, you’re just cute. Well, there are many reasons. For one, our group is made up of only Level 8 shooters. There can hardly be another team as strong as ours out there. Moreover, I have the Royal Mandamus Order, which gives me the right to command anyone. You have no right to refuse me. Besides, don’t forget all the benefits I listed down earlier. It’s a good bargain.

“Of course, all those reasons do not matter,” Sun Sieha said with a smiled, but his eyes had turned cold, “The most important reason is, do you have a choice in this matter?” Sun Sieha was pleased. He enjoyed this feeling of power, compelling others to obey him. He looked at the other man with interest. This was an exchange that he had plenty of experience in. All of them chose to compromise and give in, in the end, and this man would be no exception.

At the same time, two strong parapsychic waves were locked onto the man. The bald man and the smaller man beside Sun Sieha looked prepared to kill if necessary.

“You’re wrong,” Ye Chong shook his head and said. His cold eyes met Sun Sieha’s eyes for the first time. His voice was calm and full of confidence. As he finished his sentence, his right index finger pressed down onto his wrist.

quot;Defence system activated.”

“Targets locked.”

A male mechanical voice spoke up in the courtyard, surprising everyone in there. They looked around but could not find the source of the voice.

Abruptly, the courtyard came to life. Ground panels slid open, exposing a hole underneath them.

Crack crack crack! There were sharp sounds of metal parts in motion.

Five strange weapons emerged from the holes before the crowd.

A dozen or more thick cannon barrels rose up slowly from the holes, moving by themselves. They all turned to direct their aim towards Sun Sieha and his people.

Sun Sieha and his people were shocked. They never thought that the courtyard hid such powerful weapons. The cannons were huge and intimidating. No one doubted their destructive power. Besides, they were made by a very skilled weaponsmith. If he could build a laser gun out of speckled blue fir wood that could shoot through five centimeters of nubis stone, then these cannon arrays must be terribly powerful.

The people exchanged looks of horror and surprise. They never thought that there would be military grade weapons here, much less five of them.

The sudden turn of events had shocked everyone. The atmosphere in the courtyard was tense. No one dared to move a muscle. Hell, any one of the cannon arrays here could blast them into kingdom come. Even a Level 8 shooter would be useless against these killing machines.

The courtyard was dead silent. Sun Sieha’s face was stuck in an awkward smile. His forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

This calm young man was still not done with surprising his guests.

Swish swish swish! A series of noise surprised Sun Sieha and his people once again. They looked around and felt even more shaken by what they saw.

The walls around them were covered with holes. Each hole had a long and thin cylinder sticking out. As a Level 8 shooter, Sun Sieha immediately recognized them – they were all guns!

Being pointed at by hundreds of guns was terrifying. The pressure would drive people mad.

Even a mosquito would be shot to scraps by these weapons, much less human beings. The weapons had no blind spots in the courtyard. Once the weapons fire, they would all surely all be shot full of holes.

Ye Chong’s defence system finally came to good use.

The short man beside Sun Sieha stole a glance at Ye Chong, his face tense under pressure.

Ye Chong said coldly, “It will be best if all of you don’t try anything stupid.” Everyone obeyed him. The short man looked away from Ye Chong.

Ye Chong did not feel too optimistic about his situation. He knew that the apparent advantage that he gained did not exactly put things in his favor.

Level 8 shooters would not be easily manipulated by other people. If they were forced to fight for their lives, Ye Chong would be in serious trouble.

Nevertheless, it felt good to be on the same level as his opponents. When Ye Chong was fighting against the Level 6 shooters, he had wanted to activate his defence system. However, since they were all standing on the walls, Ye Chong decided not to.

Ye Chong sat down unceremoniously on the ground. His stamina was exhausted, and he was injured. He needed to rest. He knew that Sun Sieha, as a smart man himself, would not do anything irrational at this point.

Once he understood his situation, Sun Sieha composed himself. He looked at Ye Chong, sitting on the ground, and said in a relaxed manner, “As expected, you are a man of surprises. Even I am impressed by this. I believe that we can start negotiating on even ground now.” He was implying that Ye Chong was now qualified to speak with him as equals.

“Are you a member of the Royal Family?” Ye Chong suddenly looked up and asked Sun Sieha.

“I am,” Sun Sieha answered proudly. He took a glance at Ye Chong and asked, “Could you be interested in the Sieha Family?”

“What other countries are there besides this one?” Ye Chong ignored his question.

Ye Chong’s question surprised Sun Sieha. He did not expect the other man to be in the mood to discuss these irrelevant subjects. However, this was exactly what he hoped for – someone who could surprise his enemies. Sun Sieha had already begun to think of Ye Chong as his subordinate. Only through conversation could he understand this man even more.

“Well, there are three main countries. Aside from the Sieha Family’s Eastern Cloud, the other two are Western Frost and Southern Land. As for the smaller countries, there are many of them, more than a dozen,” Sun Sieha gave a brief overview.

This was Ye Chong’s first time knowing more about the society at large on this planet.

Ye Chong looked straight at Sun Sieha and asked, “What is your position in the Royal Family?”

Sun Sieha was surprised by the question, but answered happily, “Don’t you worry about that. I am the only Prince, the only heir of the Family.” Ye Chong’s question got him excited.

Ye Chong was beginning to form a plan of his own. Sun Sieha must have a lot of people working for him, and plenty of support from others. He would be powerless in a battle against the Prince’s army being alone like he was now. Instead of making enemies, cooperating with the Prince might work better for him. He would be able to complete his research with help from the Prince. His research required a lot of manpower and resources, and both of them cost too much. If he had only himself to rely on, he might never even complete his research work. The thought forced Ye Chong to consider working with the Prince.

Their situation now allowed him to negotiate effectively, given that he had enough strength to speak as an equal to the Prince.

“I’m not interested in your proposal just now,” Ye Chong’s words brought a look of disappointment to Sun Sieha’s face.

Ye Chong ignored the man and continued calmly, “However, I believe that we can reach an agreement with different terms.”

Sun Sieha burst into a smile, and asked with interest, “Oh, what terms do you have in mind?”

Ye Chong went off tangent, “That’s not important right now. First, let us have a look at the power of these cannon arrays.”

As Ye Chong finished, the cannon arrays turned, redirecting their aim from the people to the sky.

“Target locked, wide range sweeping mode engaged,” the electronic voice announced. Sun Sieha thought to himself, “As expected, the man has a partner.” However, he thought Ye Chong’s actions were strange. A demonstration to scare them was hardly necessary.

Everyone saw a burst of light as the cannons fired.

Numerous light grenades were launched into the air. A bright spark was produced whenever a grenade was shot out of the cannon barrels. The combined brightness from 49 cannon barrels was glaring. The bright lights blinded everyone for a few seconds.

They all looked horrified.

The weapons were terribly scary!

No one saw exactly how the cannons worked, but their parapsychic sense allowed them to feel every minute detail of the cannon arrays. The power condensed in each photon grenade was shocking. The cannons in quick successions, all 49 cannon barrels covering the sky with a photon shower. They were all stunned by how destructive these weapons were.

Rumble rumble!

The earth shook as explosions were heard coming from afar. Everyone went pale from shock. They had all underestimated the power of these cannons despite preparing themselves for the worst.

Sun Sieha’s eyes were shining with rapture. He stared at the cannon arrays hungrily.

“What do you think?” Ye Chong asked Sun Sieha calmly.

“They’re absolutely powerful! Weapons fit for the God of War!” Sun Sieha muttered to himself. He was in a state of half madness.

“I can sell them to you.” Ye Chong’s calmly delivered sentence was almost as shocking as the demonstration with the cannon arrays.

Sun Sieha cried out excitedly, “Wonderful! I’ll have all of them! Name your price!” These cannon arrays were not particularly useful for him personally, but they were truly weapons of destruction, and the Prince could appreciate their value.

Ye Chong shook his head, “I have other conditions.”

“Tell me,” Sun Sieha said, now calmer.

Ye Chong said, “I will sell two of these cannon arrays to you every month. You will pay 20 million ao for each of them. All our deals in future will be in the form of a trade.”

“No problem,” Sun Sieha replied without thinking.

“Besides that, I need a Level 8 shooter as my personal bodyguard. I will pick one from your group. I have the right to from my own security detail.”

“No problem,” Sun Sieha added, “You can choose any Level 8 shooter from my subordinates. Your security detail cannot consist of more than five thousand men. On the other hand, you can only sell your weapons to me, and not to other organizations.” In fact, Sun Sieha would be more than willing to assign all his Level 8 shooters to protect him. The man was valuable, an asset that any country would not hesitate to protect. Sun Sieha believed that Ye Chong was even more valuable than he previously thought. The man’s outstanding close range combat skills were outshined by his other skillset.

“I agree. However, personal weapons are exempted from this rule. In addition, no one can restrict my movements. Under no circumstances will I be interrupted from my research,” Ye Chong said.

“No problem. You can even stay in the Royal Palace if you want to. Do anything you like. No one will interfere with your life. However, you must return to the capital with me.” Sun Sieha understood well that talented people like Ye Chong valued their freedom more than anything, hence he quickly agreed to the term. Nevertheless, anything would have its drawbacks, just like freedom. This talented man would definitely benefit him, but he was to fall into the hands of another organization, the consequences would not be in his favor.

“Agreed,” Ye Chong nodded. The deal was made. He felt satisfied by this outcome. Once he was done tackling some difficult problems, no one would be able to stop him from leaving.

“Today is a day worth remembering. I believe this agreement between you and I is worthy of a place in our historical records.” Sun Sieha was also satisfied with their agreement. He felt very excited about it. The terms of their agreement were all empty promises in the end. Once the man was in the capital, how could he hope to escape from the Prince’s grasp?

Kristen was in a daze. The deadly battle had suddenly turned into a peaceful negotiation. Her teacher had become a Royal weaponsmith.

Perhaps she was in a dream. She never knew that Ye Chong, who never showed much about himself, could handle the situation so well. He had conducted himself with confidence and composure.

Ye Chong had little choice in the matter. It was hard to come to a peaceful resolution. This was the best way he could think of. His experience had thought him how to deal with matters with more flexibility and even creativity.

The five cannon arrays were all sold to Sun Sieha. Ye Chong’s finances were secure. 100 million ao was enough to sustain for a quite a while.

Ye Chong chose Sha Ya as his bodyguard. The truth was, he was more used to relying only on himself. However, he had asked for a Level 8 shooter for other reasons. Sha Ya was the best candidate, since he got to know her before Sun Sieha.

Strong people would always gain respect from the people around them. From the looks in the eyes of these people in the courtyard, it was easy to see that they all respected the young weaponsmith for his skills. The magnificent demonstration with the canon arrays had left a deep impression in them.

To them, Ye Chong was a mysterious character. He was young, but more knowledgeable than anyone else in weapon making. Moreover, he was an excellent combatant. His muscles could perform extraordinary feats, making him a threat for anyone around him. Besides, he seemed to have a partner hiding somewhere. They all heard the mechanical voice clearly. This further intensified the air of mystery around the young man.

Kristen’s status was now elevated. As the great master Ye Chong’s only student, her position was significant. It looked like the two million ao she had paid to be Ye Chong’s student turned out to be her best investment ever.

Sun Sieha received a letter, which came from a Level 7 shooter. The shooter had come straight from the capital just to deliver the letter to Sun Sieha.

Sun Sieha opened the letter, and was surprised by what he read.

“Return to the capital immediately.” The order to Sun Sieha was simple and direct.

Ye Chong did not need to pack. He deposited the defence system’s photon processor into Celest’s ring. Until he could build one himself, every photon processor was very precious to him.

Ye Chong and Sha Ya flew in the same fighter. The group headed for the capital in their fighter aircrafts.

The fighters were all high grade aircrafts, and could fly at very high velocities. Even the pilot with the lowest qualifications was a Level 7 shooter.

They arrived at the capital when the sky turned dark. The night sky seemed to devour the capital like a giant beast.

This was the capital of Eastern Cloud – Su City. It was a city that had existed for more than 3 thousand years, and in the last 2 thousand had served as the country’s capital. This was also the largest and most modern city Eastern Cloud country.

Aircrafts flew by here and there in the sky, decorating the night sky with colorful lights.

Expecting Sun Sieha’s return, his guards had all prepared themselves to receive him. Sun Sieha had a good reputation amongst the country’s soldiers. He was the most outstanding Price in the history of the Sieha Royal Family, and also an excellent war general. As he had proven himself capable, Sun Sieha often headed outside the Palace since he was young to assist the common people with their difficulties.

Sun Sieha’s butler, Ba Luomeng, was also there to receive him.

“This is an important guest of mine. See that all of his requests are met during his stay,” Sun Sieha said to his butler.

Ba Luomeng bowed in reply, “Yes, my liege!”

“This is my butler, Ba Luomeng. I have some urgent matters to attend to in the next few days. Just let him know if you need anything,” Sun Sieha informed Ye Chong hastily before making his way to the Palace.

Of course Ye Chong was not interested in what Sun Sieha was up to. In fact, he wished the Prince would just busy himself with work and forget about him. However, that was only wishful thinking.

“Dear Sir, it is now late in the hour. Would you prefer to dine first, or have some rest? Or maybe a shower? Please let me know if you require anything, and I will do my best to see to them. If they are beyond my capabilities, I will relay your request to the Prince,” Ba Luomeng inquired with care. He was 50 this year, with wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and a slightly overweight figure. He had served the Sieha family since he was about 10 years old. Having served the family for more than 40 years, he knew from the way the Prince spoke that this was a very important and significant guest.

The guest was a very young man, with a beautiful woman beside him who was looking around her curiously. Could this be the Prince of another country?

Ba Luomeng had his suspicions, but he was not foolish enough to ask for more information. As a servant of the Royal Family, he should only do what was required of his duty, and nothing more. He had seen many people who had vanished because of their curiosity. All these years, he was trusted by the Prince because he knew what questions not to ask.