Chapter 1-10

Chapter 1: Treasure and Trash
Trash Planet-12 was one of many trash planets in the Fal star system.
Its eponymous function was for trash disposal. As science continued to advance into the space age, humanity’s lifestyles underwent a paradigm shift. Life became comfortable, tranquil, and the initial urgent concerns about resources and ecological balance had diminished due to advancement of humankind beyond the skies. As more new planets were discovered and humanity’s space technology matured, society developed more hectic and humanistic lifestyles, and trash. The costs of recycling were too high, but leaving trash around would have negative impacts on society’s living environment, not to mention the inevitable discontentment that would follow. The solution adopted by the nations was to dispose of their waste on these so-called
trash planets
. Trash planets were either naturally lacking or artificially deprived of resources and not to mention uninhabited, which made them ideal landfills for trash.
Under grey skies, a variety of trash formed a mountainous landscape – the land is silent, the air dead. Cool metals gleamed with unique metallic coldness, but dust had masked their original shine, only an occasional spot untouched by rust would remind one of their former glory.
On this apparently lifeless trash planet, one would have thought no human
could exist, considering the harsh environment, devoid of food and water, lacked the necessities for survival. There was only one thing here – trash!
Ye Chong raised his head to study the antiquated analogue clock, found three years ago at the foot of a particular mountain of trash, ten kilometers away. Its touch-based motion sensor was damaged then, which took Ye Chong a week of fixing to function again. The clock now replaced its predecessor, an even more outdated pendulum clock.
It was now 3:42 FT (Fal Time), and Ye Chong knew that in another 13 minutes, the weather outside would reach the day’s most suitable temperature for heading outdoors, and this decent climate would end at 6:17 FT. At other hours, the weather outside would either be as scorching as an oven or as cold as the peak of winter.
According to routine, there should be a scheduled trash disposal last night. Ye Chong considered for a trip outside today, to see if he can score some new goods. Not that he was lacking in food, that engulfer he caught last time still had a great half of it left, enough for another 3 days. Besides, there was still a good stock of organic liquid food left, but they tasted far worse than fresh meat,; more like wax, which had been left alone for quite a while.
It was 3:55 FT, and Ye Chong sprinted out of his home in a blink of an eye. Time was precious to Ye Chong. The current location where the automated trash disposal ship discharged of its cargo was half an hour’s journey away from his hideout, which implied that Ye Chong’s hour-long trip to his destination left him with only less than half an hour’s time to forage.
Ye Chong scampered through the labyrinth of trash like an agile creature with incredible swiftness. He was very familiar with the ins and outs of the local landscape, and Ye Chong believed he could still find his way through even with his eyes closed.
The headwind whistled past his ears, and Ye Chong enjoyed the satisfaction that came with his speed. But he was always alert of his surroundings, for survival on a trash planet would mean violent encounters with all sorts of mutated life forms.
Trash planets were unsuited for human habitation, but for mutated life forms, they were no doubt, heaven. The hostile environment was nothing to the highly adaptable mutants. Local resources were bountiful– trash, for the rat-like engulfer, was food, and so on this very planet, their numbers grew exponentially.
This planet was also unlike its cousins that were untouched by humanity, popular spots for mech pilots to tempt their fate. No mech pilot would want to lay a foot on a forbidding place like this. Without the mechs hunting them down, the mutants flourished in the absence of their greatest enemy.
Ye Chong’s home was in the middle of a mountain of trash, the route leading to it was a crack not more than four meters wide. Jutting metal beams on the exterior made for a dangerous looking façade for the route’s entrance.
Ye Chong did not slow down, his stride long and powerful – one would have mistaken his movements as that of a primate, the agility astonishing. But there were no spectators on this trash planet, and this amazing moment belonged to him and him alone.
Ye Chong pushed hard with his legs and leapt through the air, and as he reached the peak of the jump, he grabbed onto a horizontal titanium beam that was suspended midair. He then swung around it and did a few flips before landing steadily on the trash mountain.
Ye Chong came to a halt and used his right index finger to caress the nondescript jet-black metallic ring on his left ring finger while calling out softly,
Winnie!
.
A greyish-green mech appeared before Ye Chong, and he mumbled out of habit,
If only I can find a neural receiver this time, voice command sucks.
He slipped easily into the pilot’s seat.
Winnie’s built was like the average mech, around ten meters tall, with a thickset bulky body and equally thickset limbs, all amounting to the looks of a metallic lump, and the undeniably bald head was a comical touch. By virtue of age, the mech’s exterior appeared dull, but the rounded shoulders and knee joints embedded irregularly with barbed hooks added points for a merciless impression. Winnie’s body was scattered with wounds of all kinds, like scratches and bite marks, and the sight was ghastly. But Winnie was obviously well-cared-for, boasting a spotless exterior; all proof how much Ye Chong cherished the machine.
If not for Winnie, Ye Chong may not have lived till today – at least as far as Ye Chong believed, he could not have survived through more than two engulfers without a mech, and the rodents out here were never found with less than five in a group. On this trash planet, being weak was synonymous to a quick death, the law of natural selection fully adopted by the ways of the local inhabitants.
There was one person whose story reveals a close relation between a man and a mech, and that was Ye Chong’s foster father. Ye Chong only knew him as Gao Shi Chang, the rest of his background remained a mystery. According to his foster father, he was initially the only man on the trash planet, until one day he found a boy, with the words
Ye Chong
written on his body. As to how his foster father arrived on this trash planet, and his former occupation, the man was ever so tight lipped about them.
This mech was the result of his foster father’s foraging. It was originally a mech made for public use, which, after his foster father’s interminable modifications, was nearly unrecognizsable for what it once was. According to him, in the outside world, almost everyone owned a mech, but since most of them were recycled upon disposal, it was hard to find one on trash planets without a good deal of luck. Under his foster father’s influence, Ye Chong developed great interest in mechs, and his foster father was generous in sharing his knowledge,; the duo frequently engaged in exciting discussions around the very much aged mech processor at home. The mech was named Winnie which, according to his foster father, was a classic brand of engines for outdated mechs.
Unlike his foster father’s preference for modifications, Ye Chong had an almost innate instinct and sensitivity in maneuvering the mech just as it is. As such, Winnie was always piloted by him. His foster father once mentioned that Ye Chong would make for a fine pilot one day.
After a close encounter with five engulfers that led to an intense battle and a successful escape, Ye Chong began to train himself conscientiously for the actual combat. After his first taste of fresh rat meat, he could never take interest in the organic liquid food churned out from the food producer machine.
Ceaseless ordeals in actual combat meant Ye Chong was no longer his old, innocent self, with the exception of a few terrifying and ferocious creatures that Ye Chong would never dare approach. All other life forms were no longer a threat to Ye Chong. but, if Ye Chong was careless, these creatures could still be potentially fatal.
Unfortunately, Winnie was too old, such that even after all those adjustments, the lack of good parts and tools meant that Winnie was already as good as it would ever be. The fatal flaw would be Winnie’s brain, which was too outdated.
His foster father might have been an expert in the mechanics, but he was absolutely clueless about mech processors.
The man once said, for any mech, if the engine is its heart, then the processor is its soul.
Ye Chong felt restricted in many ways, piloting the current mech.
Winnie’s only slightly redeeming feature was its pair of bionic eyes. When Ye Chong brought them to his foster father’s attention, even he had no idea what model it was, with only a rough idea that it could be a new model from recent years. After all, he had wandered on the trash planet for decades, whatever advances beyond the planet, he could not obscure.
It was thanks to this pair of modern bionic eyes, that Ye Chong escaped from danger time and again.
Although Winnie was old, until such time where a newer mech could be found, Winnie was Ye Chong’s only choice.
Ye Chong carefully upped the speed for Winnie until 80% of its maximum speed, as this allowed for a faster travel with room for emergency adjustments.
The travel was smooth, and Ye Chong arrived at his destination without obstructions. Anywhere he laid eyes on was filled with trash, but there were distinct areas where the trash were more recent additions, and these were Ye Chong’s goals for the day.

Scanning commenced!
Winnie’s voice was unrushed, with a slowness akin to an aging senior, Ye Chong thought helplessly, but he scanned his surroundings warily. For once, Winnie carried out a full scan with its eyes but will cease all other functions thus, Ye Chong will have to be fully alert for threats.
Ye Chong examined some corners where mutated lifeforms could possibly emerge from, all the while muttering,
Come on old buddy, you got to do some good today, I haven’t had any new stuff in a while! Come on now… Come on…
Eventually, Ye Chong began humming a little tune. All alone on this trash planet, if he went on for some time without uttering a word, Ye Chong was not sure if he ever could again and so, despite the lack of another person to interact with, talking to himself had slowly become routine.
Ye Chong maintained a casual façade, but his slightly tense posture spoke of his state of high vigilance.

Scanning completed!
The announcement was like music to his ears. Ye Chong exhaled deeply in relief.

Switch to High Alert Mode!
Ye Chong gave Winnie the order, and immediately scrutinized the scan results relayed from the processor; a few red patches on the scanned images looking particularly conspicuous. Ye Chong could not contain his excitement – it seemed that the forage this time would be fruitful.
Scavenging in the trash heaps. Ye Chong spitted out grains of sand that made their way into his mouth from the mech’s crevices.

Damn it! Not one of them is useful, by the Heavens, surely I could not be so unlucky!
Ye Chong wailed, his initial excitement gone without a trace. He had searched through many spots,; all ending up with useless junk, and now only the last spot remained, with the smallest object on the list. Based on the size, Ye Chong could not figure out what it could possibly be used for, but better a mistake than a missed opportunity as he dived headlong into the mountainous heap of trash.
Ye Chong half laid on a chair, munching on freshly roasted engulfer’s meat, as he toyed with today’s only object of value.
It seemed to be a metallic hanging ornament with a dull metallic shine, and only the size of three fingernails. It was roundish with a perimeter lined with a curved blade, and its surface densely covered with queer patterns that seemed indistinguishable, but possibly based on some unknown underlying principles. Sadly, a chipped corner and some cracks along the blade told the story of a damaged, secondary article.
Ye Chong murmured,
What is this? What a strange material!

His thumb gently caressed the edge of the blade, and a thin cut appeared which Ye Chong felt nothing from, until the sight of crimson brought on a flicker of pain.

Very sharp indeed!
Ye Chong was slightly surprised.
Surely this gimmick is not a hidden weapon?!
Ye Chong watched as a drop of blood hanged off the edge of the blade, from the cut earlier.
Lo and behold, a mysterious phenomenon occurred!
Beyond the bounds of possibility, the blade unexpectedly absorbed the blood, much like a sponge. A blood-absorbing metal? Ye Chong jumped back in shock. There was no mistake, he touched it, and the blade was undeniably metal! Ye Chong bet that the scene he just witnessed was no illusion.
The eeriness showed no signs of stopping.
The blood-fed ornament emitted a light buzzing sound, the curved blade retracted into the body of the ornament, and the cryptic patterns on its surface began to move. The ornament behaved as though a machine grinding in operations, and Ye Chong’s blood was the catalyst.
Ye Chong was completely dumbfounded!
A voice resonated without warning in Ye Chong’s mind,
Di-proton examination completed, brainwave matched, brainwave locked!

Ye Chong frantically exclaimed,
Who’s there! Come out!
His vision sharpened as he scanned his surroundings, his hand quietly reaching for the dagger holstered on his leg.

Are you sure?
The same voice sounded uncertain.
Comments (89)


LaoTze nah, interminable has panache and elan. keep it!!!!!!!! (up your vocabulary game, checkm8)


WildAnt Hype thanks qidian and translator for bringing fang xian novel. I hope his other novel like five way heaven and undefeated god of war comes to qi


checkm8
after his foster father’s interminable modifications
you could have just put in
after his foster father’s Endless modifications
While the words mean the same, Endless would read better and keep people from having to grab a dictionary!

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 2: Man and Machine

Are you sure?
The same voice sounded uncertain.

Nonsense! Just show yourself and we’ll see!
Ye Chong’s expression betrayed mild impatience, but the intensity of his gaze were a contrast to his apparent emotions. Ye Chong arched his body slightly, like a bow ready to fire, prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

Then I’m coming out!
The voice maintained its level tone.
Immediately, the room dimmed, and Ye Chong did not manage a reaction before hearing a deafening rumble as a huge wave of trash engulfed him whole.
The trash planet fell silent again.
After a long stillness, in a trash heap near a Pulsed Signal Relay Station, a hand suddenly emerged from the heap, and a filthy man climbed his way out of the trash heap.
Cough… cough…

Bad things come in threes, huh…
Ye Chong cursed as he shook the little rocks and sand grains out of his clothing. Up to this point, Ye Chong could not understand what had happened.
Could it be that, this was the legendary mode of self-destruction?
He looked on at the sorry sight of the area, the entrance to his home no longer there – everywhere was just trash and more trash. Ye Chong shuddered at the aftermath– how long would it take to carve out another entrance?
Ye Chong cursed murderously under his breath,
Once I find you, you little scum, I will make you pay!
The fury in him burned like a lasting wildfire.
As Ye Chong stared at the perpetrator of this whole incident, he found himself speechless.
The route-digging took three whole days, and the thought of the long and arduous process fueled Ye Chong’s anger towards the perpetrator to new unprecedented heights.
But when Ye Chong tried to deal with the perpetrator, the fire would not catch.
Its metallic shell, aesthetic and powerful, the alternating blue-and-white laser coating pristine, the mech’s surface completely spotless despite being amongst filthy and disgusting trash. When Ye Chong found it, it was just quietly standing there, firmly, as though nothing in existence could ever perturb it.
Ye Chong knew at first glance that he had found real treasure!
If the first glance at the mech gave him joy, a second glance made Ye Chong understand profoundly the meaning of pain within joy.
A huge scar extended from its left shoulder to its waist, even exposing part of its engine to the air, and the entire left arm was missing. It was as though a one-of-a-kind exquisite painting of perfection was forcefully ripped in half.
This was a human-shaped mech, with a height of around twelve meters, its body painted with alternating blues and whites, with an elongated overall design, a world’s difference from Winnie’s thickset bulkiness. The mech’s body radiated a faint, mysterious metallic luster, the protective armor panels on the chest were like the abs of well-development muscles, but not cumbersomely so. The icy cold profile had edges that looked as though they cut, and hosted an enigmatic pair of blue bionic eyes that blinked rhythmically, emanating a supernatural charm.
Ye Chong was stunned, as he starred at the dilapidated mech that destroyed his home. For a moment, Ye Chong was thoroughly captivated by this damaged but unique mech, as though the mech had bewitched his entire being with magic.

Beep self-assessment completed, engine functions at 86%, left limb functions at 0%, cabin functions at 97%, other parts are fully functional!

The gender-neutral voice interrupted Ye Chong out of his fantasies.
Ye Chong blurted,
Waah, this is the real deal, a self-assessing mech!
If one looked closely, one could see Ye Chong’s mouth gaping wide enough to fit an engulfer’s thigh and even drooling.
The damaged mech suddenly spoke,
Hello!

A mech that greets, Ye Chong thought in a daze, and greeted back instinctively,
Hello!

The mech continued,
My name is Mu Shang, you can call me Mu!

Ye Chong was still not out of his reverie,
Oh, I’m Ye Chong, you can call me Ye!

Abruptly, Ye Chong came back to his senses and flinched as though burned on the ass. He pointed at the damaged mech and stammered,
You – you – you – you can talk?

The damaged mech that was Mu Shang nodded gracefully,
At a certain level, your observation is accurate!

Ye Chong repeated in disbelief,
A mech that speaks?


Um-hum!

With the addition of Mu Shang, Ye Chong’s home inevitably grew in space to thrice its original size. From Mu Shang, Ye Chong came to realize that the hanging ornament was Mu Shang’s spatial control, but Mu Shang seemed to prefer being outside than in the alternate dimension. Ye Chong was also grateful for the company – for a sixteen-year-old, loneliness was almost unbearable.
Ye Chong sat down heavily, finally finished with his work, and completely exhausted. Mu Shang imitated Ye Chong’s actions, as it swooshed down to a sitting position beside Ye Chong with a loud thud. Dust erupted into the air, and Ye Chong was caught off guard amidst the chaos as he was sent tumbling to a corner by the strong gust. As he rose, face frozen in anger, what he found was Mu Shang had smashed a large hole in the ground, and the mech was still sitting comfortably in the hole as it looked back with innocent eyes.
Under the lighting, the tiny human and the huge machine sat side by side.
Ye Chong asked curiously,
Mu, what happened to you?

Mu Shang answered,
Information corrupted, reason is unknown!

Ye Chong gulped down a mouthful of water and laughed.
Hah, if it must be because you are actually not powerful enough, to be beaten up like that!

Mu Shang replied,
Information corrupted, reason is unknown!

Ye Chong’s laughter ended abruptly, and he moped.
Oh come one, can’t you be a little more interesting? Don’t just be like ‘information this’, ‘information that’!

Mu Shang tilted its head in confusion.
Interesting? What is ‘interesting’?

Ye Chong scratched his head in frustration, for he was stumped.
Er, er, that question is, hmm, a bit complicated, er, let’s talk about something else, Mu, are you actually male or female?

… … …
Ye Chong sat in Mu Shang’s cabin, stupefied, as he stared in obvious disbelief, his hand caressing this and that in absolute adoration and admiration.
Mu, you must be one of the best mechs there is, aren’t you?

Mu replied evenly,
Information archive indicates that the answer is negative. Calculation indicates the probability of inclusion in the top 500 ranking mechs as 26%, in the 501th to 600th ranking range as 63%, beyond the 600th ranking as 11%.

Ye Chong gasped in astonishment.
500 mechs? Are there so many more great mechs? But, back to your point, being in the top 500 is not too shabby! In any case, you’re definitely better than Winnie!

Naturally, Ye Chong did not fully understand the implications of Mu Shang ranking within the top 500, even in its current state of dilapidation. Ye Chong had always dreamed of owning a mech more advanced than Winnie one day, and then he would march forth and challenge the trash planet’s most ferocious mutants in battle. What would the giant iron lizard’s meat taste like? Ye Chong licked his lips without realizing it. Hah, the time will come when I crown myself as King of this trash planet!
Mu Shang heartlessly cut short his fantasy.
Winnie’s strength cannot be calculated!

Ye Shang immediately pulled a face,
I know that!

Mu, can I be your pilot?
he asked with anticipation.

Denied!

Cries Oh well, it looks like he’ll have to pilot Winnie himself!
Ye Chong was deeply saddened, but he caught on to a puzzling aspect.
Then why do you have a cabin?

Mu Shang was silent for a few second before responding.
Information is corrupted, query is impossible!


Then do you remember who made you?
Ye Chong asked, interested.

Information is corrupted, query is impossible!

The ever so lonely Ye Chong was deeply absorbed in the conversation, and just as he was about to continue with the questions, a sudden alarm buzzed softly, as Mu Shang announced,
Energy level depleted!
Upon inspection of the energy indication display, the level was a hair’s breadth away from zeroing out.
Since Trash Planet-12 was situated close to a star, it had a nearly unlimited supply of solar energy, or at least Ye Chong never faced problems with energy supply. But when he used up all his backup energy cells on Mu Shang and found that it did not even recover 10% of its full capacity, Ye Chong was confounded!
As Mu Shang connected directly to the solar panels, Ye Chong was speechless, and prayed that the energy cell circulating his house would last until Mu Shang was finished charging that day.
Mu Shang was quiet throughout the charging process, and Ye Chong, bored with the whole process, dozed off.
The next day, as Ye Chong rubbed off the sleepiness of his tired eyes, he found that Mu Shang looked a little different. The machine’s surface looked as if it was coated with an extra layer of shine that added to the mysteriousness of the mech.
Ye Chong gasped,
Mu, you looked beautiful all of a sudden!

Mu Shang seemed to understand Ye Chong’s meaning of ‘beautiful’, and explained,
This is the photon excitation effect, where an adequate energy supply produces a lifelike shine on metallic surfaces, the basic theory is that …

Ye Chong sported his baggy eyelids and couldn’t stop yawning.
Mu Shang seemed to enjoy the lecturing, showing no signs of stopping.
Other theories involved are actually quite simple, they can be classified into the following fields …

Ye Chong bowed his head, like a monk in meditation, and one would notice upon close inspection that a line of
moisture
had formed on his lap, forming a big patch of dampness on his trousers.
Mu Shang was not quite finished.
And so, from here one can reach the conclusion that a mech’s strength …

A thundering snore cut off Mu Shang’s lecture. Mu Shang looked angrily towards the source of the sound, and saw Ye Chong snoring rhythmically through his nose, incessantly, and his shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing.
Mu Shang humphed in anger!
Comments (25)


Dymetry mu shang is a big mech or a human like robot??? cant imagine it


ChronoFaust Mu Shang an Female? Mech Robot.


BaMie well this start is not to my liking at all wanted a serious novel but than i read some robot who gets angry and denys entry of piloting what trash

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 3: In Good Company
In some corner of a trash mountain, two mechs laid in ambush behind some trash, and about a hundred meters away were five engulfers scavenging through the trash for food, occasionally scanning their surroundings for threat. Ye Chong scrutinized the layout of the land and proceeded with a short discussion with Mu Shang.
Ye Chong piloted Winnie carefully, slowly approaching the five engulfers, taking cover behind various debris along the way. They stopped about twenty meters away from the engulfers, and Ye Chong exhaled in relief, as things were going smoothly so far. Ye Chong intended to move, when a sudden gust of wind blew passed him and straight towards the engulfers. Ye Chong cursed inwardly, revved up his mech’s speed to maximum and headed straight for the engulfers.
Winnie sprinted towards the engulfers like a blasted cannonball.
But it was too late, when the gust struck, the engulfers caught their scent with their keen sense of smell, and scampered to escape.
Ye Chong kept his cool guiding Winnie and targeted one of the engulfers, for when the creatures escaped into the trash heaps, it would be nearly impossible to get them. Ye Chong ignored the other four engulfers and pursued the remaining rodent securely.
The air whizzed past his ears, and Ye Chong felt as though his blood was rushing, burning even. The world as he perceived it gradually slowed as his brain registered the excitement; his breathing shortened as though every breath took every effort he could muster, and his chest rose and fell in sync with his breathing. Every exhale burned through his nose, as though he was breathing fire.
As he closed in on the engulfer, Ye Chong’s hands kept steady, and began to regulate his breathing.
Abruptly, Winnie ferociously flung a dagger, a resounding clink marked the weapon’s landing not three meters ahead of the engulfer. The creature was running at full speed, and upon setting its eyes on the dagger, foresaw its potential bloody demise.
The engulfer made a seemingly impossible twist, as it landed its forelegs on the flat side of the dagger and thrusted. It bounced off the dagger with its forward momentum, unharmed from the whole ordeal, executing a most remarkable feat.
The engulfer’s eye gleamed as if rejoicing the fact that it would survive the day.
However, before the triumph was over, a sharp breeze headed straight for the engulfer, and even the creature’s mediocre hearing could identify the horrors that came with it. The air squalling through the barbs on Winnie’s knee joints shrieked dreadfully. If the machine’s knees came into contact, the results would be fatal!
Of all the life forms that could survive in the trash planet, none were honorable – even when facing the seemingly hopeless situation at hand, the engulfer would not surrender!
The engulfer arched its back, suspended momentarily in midair and as Winnie’s knee came into range, it dynamically bounced off the knee barbs with its forelegs, redirecting its momentum above ambushing Winnie’s neck.
Puff
A faint wheeze can be heard as the bards pierced the engulfer’s forelegs and sliced through its vulnerable soft belly; drawing some scars on its hind legs.
On the trash planet, a wound this severe implied certain death but that was not the engulfer’s concern – the objective was to land a mighty blow on the enemy before its imminent demise! It mattered not if the blow was no threat to the enemy!
Its fearsome teeth glistened coldly – these teeth that could cut through metal were the engulfer’s last hope to leave an unforgettable mark on its nemesis!
The engulfer’s determination was akin to one’s realization of one’s soul, its act of self-sacrifice radiating with the utmost force of its life! The engulfer truly believed that this attack would be the most intense one throughout its entire existence!
It’s getting closer now, the enemy’s neck grew clearer in view, and the engulfer felt an adrenaline rush! Just one more second, no, half a second! Just half a second was all it needed to execute the most splendid and glorious attack in its life!
Its eyes were burning! Like fire, a blazing euphoria!
Within seconds, the fire within extinguished!
A silent blade that rose from below unhindered slashed the engulfer in half! In a flash, fresh blood and organs showered from above, splashing onto the rust-red soil below.
Ye Chong finally simmered down!
He looked up, and saw Mu Shang observing quietly some distance away. The engulfer was hung on a seven meters long titanium pole. Mu Shang’s strategy was simpler – Ye Chong positioned the mech right where one of the engulfers was escaping towards making the oblivious engulfer defenseless against Mu Shang’s lightning speed and accuracy.
Ye Chong waved at Mu Shang from afar.
Hey!

He picked up the both parts of his severed engulfer!
Ye Chong boasted to the mech, obviously pleased.
Well? My skills are not bad after all!

Mu Shang replied flatly,
A complete disappointment!

Ye Chong did a double take.
What? A complete disappointment? Were you even watching?
To be criticized so mercilessly at something he took most pride in was not doing wonders to Ye Chong’s dignity.
Mu Shang did not ease up.
With the exception of mediocre battle skills, your flying skills, shooting skills and tactical accomplishments were extremely crude. Your experience in real battle is not assessable due to the lack of information!


No way!
Ye Chong’s eyes widened with a face of disbelief.
Mu Shang shrugged; the image of amusing eccentricity.
Of course, error in assessments stands at 0.3%.

Ye Chong refused to give in.
You must be real jealous to bring me down like that!

Mu Shang,
The possibility of that is nil!


Then it must be because my mech’s too old, haha! That must be it. One day I’ll give you a try!

Mu Shang paused, and continued in an odd tone,
There were thirty one escape routes in the trash heaps, how did you know one of the engulfers would pass by where I was positioned?


Hehe, awesome right? It was instinct!
Ye Chong announced, pleased.

Instinct?
Mu Shang’s bionic eyes glowed in response.

Information insufficient, calculation is impossible!

Ye Chong scoffed at that.
Calculate? If you can calculate it, then it wouldn’t be called instinct!

Mu Shang replied calmly,
It is only an event with a small probability!


What? You’re saying it was a coincidence? Just luck? I’m telling you …
Ye Chong exclaimed in frenzy.
………
Two shadows stretched longer and longer under the setting star. The spire that was the Pulse Signal Relay Station near Ye Chong’s hideout could be seen from afar, like a landmark, showing the way home.
Comments (24)


Daoist_KenBoCole So sad, the protagonist that would lead the Rat Tribe to unprecedented heights, just had to meet another MC, who owned a giant robot.


Crews8er I love how the rat is cast as some epic protagonist 😂


anHilla erm….. a mecha that can’t be piloted….. the heck?!

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 4: Brave New World
Ye Chong chewed on roasted engulfer’s meat as he stared fixated at the schematics for Mu Shang’s inner structures before him. It took plenty of convincing for Ye Chong to get Mu Shang to agree to this. The designs were too complex and ingenious, as Ye Chong admired inwardly. Under his foster father’s guidance, Ye Chong was definitely qualified to be an expert in mechanics, but the schematics before him did not make much sense, meaning he would have to decipher it bit by bit, but this also dramatically raised his high opinion for the designer.
After half a day, Ye Chong felt his eyes went arid, and so he shifted his vision away from the schematics and peeked at the static Mu Shang by his side, and made an impertinent remark.
Mu, best not waste your efforts, this Pulse Signal Relay Station is not so easy to hack! Why, back then, my foster father tried numerous times and never succeeded.

Mu Shang was inert, as though Ye Chong never spoke.
Ye Chong began his quirky habit of talking to himself again, as he mumbled against the schematics,
Mu, it’s not personal, but let’s stop trying with this impossible task, you should use your spare time to teach me instead. I mean, I’ve stared at this tattered schematics for a good part of the day and my head hurts. But the designer behind this must be a genius, tsk tsk. Amazing, amazing…

Mu Shang suddenly spoke up,
Hacking complete!

Ye Chong’s eyes did not leave the schematics while he replied in reflex,
What? Hacking complete? I say Mu, when did you learn to joke? Hah, not bad, not bad. You’re improving! But Mu, a failure is a failure, for something impossible like this, your failure is expected, and so, no one is going to laugh at you…

Mu Shang ignored Ye Chong and continued,
Fal star system’s weekly news review, Renaissance’s new space station, the S.S. Hui Tan will begin accepting new citizens this Monday, the first phase of new citizens will enjoy the following benefits…

Ye Chong’s eyes glazed for a bit, his hands paused from whatever he was up to, and shook his head vigorously before speaking in disbelief,
You, you really did it?

Mu Shang replied calmly,
Undeniably so!

Ye Chong asked carefully,
Are you sure?

Mu Shang,
I am sure!


Hah, hahaha, I can finally learn about the outside world, I can finally learn about the outside world…
Ye Chong jumped with glee, and hit the ceiling with excessive force.
Bang
Ye Chong was oblivious, as he continued to run about his house in excitement, fully relishing in his joy.
Mu Shang observed Ye Chong’s emotional response, his cool face softening around the edges, but the moment was over in a flash as it resumed its usual composure.
Ye Chong carefully sat in Mu Shang’s cabin, put on the helmet, and laid down silently on the soft seating, but he heart was anything but calm – there was excitement, hope, curiosity, and a little trepidation against the unknown setting. These plethora of emotions kept him agitated, unable to calm down.
Mu Shang’s voice rang in his ear,
Ye, ready?

For some reason, Mu Shang’s voice had a calming effect on Ye Chong. Ye Chong took a deep breath, and answered steadily,
Ready!

Just as he finished, Ye Chong’s vision changed dramatically.
Ye Chong shook his head dizzily, and Mu Shang’s voice returned when he felt better,
Users accessing the virtual net for the first time would usually experience dizziness, this is normal, and has no negative health consequences.

Ye Chong had a rough idea what that meant, and began to examine his surroundings.
The first thing he saw was a screen made up of intertwined light rays in a wide range of colors, those vibrant hues fluctuated and moved as though they were alive, creating and recreating new palettes!
The strong contrasts in sight moved Ye Chong like never before!
For Ye Chong, who grew up on a trash planet, the world was made up of only metallic blacks and whites, the yellow from the star’s rays, and the sweeping color of rust. He never thought colors could be so dazzling, so rich!
Ye Chong stood there, mystified, as he took in the most stunning view before him!
Someone passed by Ye Chong, noticed the look on his face, and swore under his breath,
Idiot!

That swearing woke Ye Chong up from his fascination. Ye Chong could not help but felt a little bitterness, what would these upper class people know about his hard life? Fortunately, Ye Chong was not one to wallow in self-pity. After feeling lost for a while, Ye Chong picked himself back up.
As though sensing his change, Mu Shang, who was silent up until then, finally spoke up,
Ye, you can walk through the light screen now!

Ye Chong obeyed, and came upon a huge square. The square was displaying all sorts of machines that Ye Chong could not even identify, and the middle of the square was occupied by a large electronic display, broadcasting all sorts of news and information.

The Central Square is the news area, this is also my first time here, why don’t you have a look around yourself, if there are any problems just call for me in your mind, as I can detect your brainwave signal! Alright! It’s settled!

Mu Shang’s voice ended abruptly, leaving only silence.
Ye Chong smile wryly inside, but his worries were quickly replaced by intense curiosity. Ye Chong observed around him inquisitively, as he began to explore the area.
More than a decade’s worth of survival instinct led Ye Chong to be highly vigilant in unfamiliar territory. He kept himself about two meters away from anyone around him at all times, as that was his best striking range, so that he could respond in time to any unexpected circumstances.
The ability to navigate quickly through the dense and irregular trash terrain on his home planet also added to his skillset, as he moved like a fish, slipping through the crowd smoothly and with style. On top of that, compared to the relaxing, strolling pace adopted by everyone else, Ye Chong moved as though he was in a rush for something urgent, but that was only because on the trash planet, every second was precious – it may be a matter of better returns, or a matter of life and death!
Ye Chong was like a vicious predatory fish wandering amongst the carefree, slow-witted fishes, obviously out of place, and a bit of an eyesore.
His foster father once said, outside of trash planets, humans live in peace and happiness – no countless life-threatening mutated lifeforms, no daily scheduled storms, no food-scavenging through the trash heaps. Instead, they wear bright clothing, eat fresh and fancy meals, living a life of peace and leisure. They go to school every day, with many friends, and they have many different kinds of mechs.
Ye Chong once asked his foster father longingly if it was paradise out there, but his foster father said no. Ye Chong was baffled – if a place like that wasn’t paradise then what else can it be? The young Ye Chong had spent countless occasions imagining the outside world as he thought it should be like – the mysterious, promised land of dreams-come-true.
Now, Ye Chong could finally experience the world he had long wished for!
Ye Chong could not really understand what he felt at the moment, as he walked on absentmindedly, not knowing where he really was.
Ye Chong stared blankly at the ceiling.
He did not exactly remember how he got back, his mind occupied by a lingering emotion, one that he couldn’t really recognize. He would need time to process the day’s experience.
Mu Shang said nothing, his silence made it hard for anyone to guess what lightning-speed calculations were running through his processor.
The ceiling was as it always was, unchanged, and the night was as silent as every other before it.
Comments (17)


Incantation Hes not even a country bumpkin but a planet bumpkin! LOL


KARBONZ He hacked a satellite to go on the virtual web. Lol that’s cool


jujual Btw right now military have conection technology 10 years ahead of civilian use that can reach deep forest while civil mobile cant reach. So it logic with intercelar conection technology in novel use

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 5: Training Day
Ever since then, Ye Chong began to explore in earnest the mysterious and enchanting outside world. Out there, one can find almost anything, limited only by one’s imagination. Ye Chong quickly warmed up to this illusory but undeniably real world. It took him no time to grow out of his initial shyness and be in his element.
And Mu Shang was up to something every day, coming and going as he pleased, disappearing almost immediately after accessing the virtual net every time.
Ye Chong’s favourite place was a large township called Gutista. Various mechs were sold here, along with their weird parts and accessories. But most importantly, here was the meeting spot for many mech enthusiasts, where they frequently gather to exchange their thoughts on the machines. They were mostly mech engineers or professionals. The township’s manager even installed a medium scaled mech information archive here, which Ye Chong was always appreciative of.
Ye Chong enjoyed the area’s deep scholarly atmosphere, while the locals also happily embraced this eager and forthright young man, taking him under their wings. Through their guidance, Ye Chong began to understand how outdated his knowledge was, but it made sense.
Since all he knew were taught by his foster father, and the man had been isolated from the outside world for decades, it would only be weird if something from decades ago remained relevant today. Fortunately, Ye Chong had a solid foundation, and now he fully understood why his foster father was so strict with his foundation studies.
His solid foundation also made learning easier, as he took in new knowledge with great speed, and earned the favours of the older men.
Today, as soon as he reached home, Ye Chong slipped into Mu Shang’s cabin and put on the combat helmet. Although Ye Chong adored the virtual world, he did not lose himself in it. He understood that the trash planet was his real world, and if he became too immersed with the other world, he would face real danger on this treacherous trash planet! Ye Chong kept his defenses up every time he went outside, with his full attention, free of distractions.
Once on the virtual net, Ye Chong went straight to Gutista. But before he could catch his breath, Mu Shang’s voice came up in his head,
Ye, let me take you somewhere.

Ye Chong felt intrigued. Mu was usually up to something these few days, absent from his own explorations.
Ye Chong followed Mu Shang’s instructions as he turned left and right, finally arriving in front of a huge building. Many people bustled in and out of the structure, and the place teemed with life.
Ye Chong asked, curiously,
Mu, what is this place?

Mu Shang explained,
This is the mech pilot’s NR training centre, offering basic modules for pilots’ NR training and a platform for pilots to compare notes. Your skills were self-taught, and many of them were illogical. I came about this place by accident and did an analysis of the training content, and while I believe there is a 7.63% imperfection in content, training here would be immensely helpful to improve your strength.

Ye Chong felt uncertain.
NR training? What’s NR training?

Mu Shang replied,
The full term is Neurosensory Reflexivity Training, it allows your neural system to remember specific manoeuvres. To execute manoeuvres that are up to standard in reality would require large amount of training for your body to achieve the required memory standard. However, a reasonable NR training would greatly reduce this training time.

Ye Chong began to have a grasp of things.
Oh, so it’s like that!
Regardless, if Mu Shang said it is beneficial, then it must be so, Ye Chong’s inner voice concurred.
The pilot’s NR training centre was built by the Fal Association for Mech Pilots, and formed part of the available basic facilities in the virtual world.
Ye Chong advanced into the main hall, neatly lined with many pillars. Some people could be seen passing by the pillars and vanished into thin air after a burst of light, and others seemed to flash into existence.
The current Ye Chong was no longer an amateur – he casually walked to a nearby pillar, lightly tapped on the pillar with his finger, and a semi-transparent screen appeared before his eyes.
Mu Shang introduced,
There are three areas above where we stand – the basic training area, the mixed training area, and the battle area. Since this is your first time, let’s try out the battle area.

Right after Mu Shang finished, the screen display altered, showcasing the opponents for each room, and the number of audiences. Ye Chong picked one of the occupied rooms at random.
Swish and he was in the room, standing before a black mech. Ye Chong immediately recognized this as a beginner’s common choice of the Blackbird model, due to its ease of control, gentle learning curve and affordable price.
However, its functionality was at par with its status as an entry-level mech, armed with only a magnetic sword, platinum shield and two alloy daggers, not to mention the two redundant heat ray guns on its shoulders, with such low effectiveness that Ye Chong could not possibly count on them (but in reality, it’s because Ye Chong did not really know how to shoot).
The Blackbird looked like a huge, black bird, with two horizontal wings that could extend out like a pair of real wings, allowing beginners steadier flight in the atmosphere. Below the wings were two rows of secondary engines, although their functions were limited. Beneath the Blackbird’s abdomen were two mechanical arms that could use the magnetic sword and alloy daggers. The heat ray guns were on the Blackbird’s rear, the elongated neck allowing a wider range of shooting from different angles, although with the gun’s power and Ye Chong’s skill, or the lack of both, this advantaged was wasted.
But even if this was just an ordinary low-level mech, Ye Chong was already very excited – compared to Winnie, this mech’s functionalities were much better.
Ye Chong entered the mech’s cabin eagerly.
When Ye Chong had a good look at his opponent’s mech, he could not help but felt greatly discouraged.
If his own mech was like an inconspicuous little bird, then the opponent’s would be a glorious king of the birds – a phoenix! Its long elegant lines were like an artistic masterpiece, its dazzling and colourful wings and tailfins were like the phoenix’s feathers, emanating an aura of great beauty. The flaming redness of the mech’s body was a suffocating zeal. Even standing still, the mech exhibited an indescribable calmness and pride.
Its name mirrored its appearance – Shadow Phoenix, as fast as the shadow, as magnificent as the phoenix.
The Shadow Phoenix II model, the considerable amount of time spent at Gutista had made Ye Chong very familiar with it. Compared with the Blackbird, the two mechs were not even at the same level. The Shadow Phoenix II was a classic long-range attack mech, with great speed and advanced shooting systems as its signature features. Besides that, its beautiful exterior made it a popular choice for members of the female community. However, to Ye Chong, those nearly useless wings were a burden, and what use was an attractive appearance if it became the constant attention of the enemy?
Without time for further pondering, Ye Chong received the signal to begin.
Comments (21)


Dao_Lord_Loveless
There are three areas above where we stand – the basic training area, the mixed training area, and the battle area. Since this is your first time, let’s try out the battle area.
Makes sense.


kumadam But, how come everything in that virtual world free? I mean like, it’s obvious he won’t have any money so..?


KARBONZ So hes practicing in a bird much compared to the human type he has. Not exactly useful

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 6: The Wavy Leap
Almost simultaneously both of the mechs moved. A glaring light shone upon Ye Chong who had hid himself under the titanium shield caused him to tumble. It happened so quickly that it left Ye Chong standing up clumsily and helplessly finding out that he had been shot. The shield failed to perform its essential function to protect. The bullet penetrated it effortlessly straight to the edge of Ye Chong’s rib on the left.
The opponent was perplexed realizing the fact that the shot was not able to finish Ye Chong off. Ye Chong in the meantime had discarded the titanium shield for it was deemed useless. He sprinted for his life, hiding behind rocks or any kind of debris to distract the opponent.
But the opponent was clearly equipped with battle skills. The calmness in the adversary suggested the trick did not work. SP-II’s strength was thoroughly demonstrated through the second shot. No suspense, no drama, nothing epic.
After being knocked down countlessly, Ye Chong was enraged with his eyes reddened, demanding a rematch again continuously. Mu Shang’s voice nonchalantly rang in his ears,
There are scientifically 62 kinds of strategic ways to dodge a shot, do you need me to teach you one?

Ye Chong replied with a tantrum,
You rusty nuts and bolts! You just watched me die a gazillion times and all you could do was lie there and talk? Was that on purpose? Man, you really don’t care much, do you?

Mu Shang on the other hand responded with laid-back attitude,
Well, according to psychology, humans are more prone to remember pain and failure with a probability of 90 to 96% and by chance of 52 to 63%, the individual would utilize the experience as a motivating factor. Thus, I believe that by now the experience had successfully been imprinted on your mind, had it not?

Ye Chong leaped out of his mech as he spat,
You… You… You! You are good!
He had an urge to smash this piece of blabbering trash in front of him into pieces.
Mu Shang couldn’t be bothered and pulled out a visual from nowhere. Ye Chong contained his fury and swallowed his anger as he closely viewed the video clip. It was a brief video clip that lasted less than 10 seconds. There was no space for Ye Chong to figure things out as his eyes were glued on every frame of the clip as Mu Shang’s words echoed,
Look carefully!

It was the same Raven-form mech but it was more nimble, so agile that it could perform non-orderly wave movements as smooth as the ripples in the sea. There was no point of stagnation, making its next move extremely unpredictable.
It was then that Ye Chong realized the beauty of the highest craft! His blood was burning as passion grew in him tremendously; the amazing skills the expert held could potentially be his! The desire!
Sun Xuelin couldn’t help but gaze at the opponent named YC before her in awe, even though they were never at the same level; YC would always stand back up one defeat after another, a great tenacity that no commoner could muster.
The victory that came easily one time after another did not satisfy Xuelin. YC was undeniably a rookie in this; the mech he used justified it. A Raven is always a symbol for rookies. There was nothing triumphant about a victory won against a newbie to a person who had been properly trained since young like her.
And more strangely, whenever she received battle requests from YC, she could never resist clicking the
Accept
button in which the outsiders would only find the fight to be pointlessly boring. Of course a man of bravery should always be given a chance. Xuelin thought in order to comfort herself. She didn’t notice at all, the curiosity that rose which bubbled deep inside her.
What kind of a person is YC?
At a place far, far away from Trash Planet-12, Xuelin bit her cherry lips, her expressive brows tightened, her sweet face melted into bitter ponders as this time, YC no longer sent battle requests to her but instead remained silent.
Is he finally giving up?
Xuelin exhaled a sign of relief. Well, if it wasn’t the time to give up… The simple functions of a Raven could never dodge an attack from her SP-II. Right, time to give this rookie a lecture about the basics!
Before Xuelin could lift her lips, the battle request popped up in her face.
Are you not done yet? Your struggle is pointless! You should recognize the differences between both parties! Xuelin grumbled in her mind. Her hands acted faster than her mind and before she was aware, she had already hit the
Accept
button on the screen.
Hehe, just one more round I guess? Xuelin snickered as her expression lit up as bright as snow.
Ye Chong stared the ground between his Raven and the opponent’s SP, his mind kept replaying the episode of the battle he experienced as his body cowered reflecting his anxiety.
Mu Shang once again interrupted with a nonchalant voice,
This set of dodging moves is called the Non-Orderly Wavy Leap. The key here is non-orderly. Focus on that.
That was all he said, all he was willing and wanted to say. No more.
Ye Chong was angered to the point where he was clenching his teeth, but he couldn’t do anything about Mu Shang. He could only put on his thinking cap, wondering how in the hell world would he figure out the meaning behind non-orderly. Easier said than done!
Non-orderly… non-orderly… non-orderly. He muttered the word repetitively.
Time waits for no one. Before Ye Chong could figure out what the heck non-orderly meant, the opponent had already accepted his request.
Ye Chong ignored all the confusions and could only focus on the previous incident. There’s no time for non-orderly or whatever the heck it was! Think! That very orbit without any signs of movement, that amazing curve!
After maneuvering Raven for so many times, Ye Chong could finally have a better understanding on the properties of his machinery, rather than theories he could only recall before. This too gave him the painful truth that it would be nearly impossible for this mech to perform any fancy curves or leaps. Raven’s computing system could never solve such complicated calculations! Very well then! It’s only up to me now!
The only thing Ye Chong found fortunate was his piloting skill – that developed from everything he had been through with Winnie whose processor was far worse than Raven’s!
Ye Chong started breathing heavily, his every breath as deep as an old accordion.
Beep!
Ye Chong’s arm began moving! Raven flew like an arrow in a curve rather than a straight line it propelled in.
Almost instantaneously, Ye Chong was about to become a crater in the ground as he stood right before by the attack.
Ye Chong was too busy to take care of that; his eyes fixated on the ground, his blood boiled like the hot iron, as heat rushed to his head. Ye Chong executed a sequence of moves, one after another in an overwhelming speed without any hesitation. Raven was able to maintain its velocity at its peak!
Ye Chong’s hands heightened with speed so much so that he couldn’t figure out whether the vapor from his sweat caused the afterimages of his chains of gestures. But he was too focused to give two thoughts about it! Like, who cares!
Xuelin was doing what she usually did, aiming and firing; but she missed. She brushed it off like it was nothing thinking it was merely beginner’s luck. YC had dodged one or two shots randomly before this match with pure luck. In the end, his defeat was inevitable! Nothing was to be gained but a defeat rubbed in his face.
As time passed, Xuelin felt something was wrong…
Comments (19)


WinterFear Stupid girl with mysterious background , strong just because she is female lead and interested in MC for no apparent reason has APPEARED.


Buster Of course it’s a female 😧 let me guess the female lead, and she becomes interested in mc because her ego gets the better of her


HeavenShakingPalm9 vomits blood because of the quality

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 7: Burn and Rest
There were a few instances where Xuelin was about to fire, but something distressing was holding her back which made her awfully uneasy. The gun she held faith at all times disappointed her, as if troubled by her emotions, and started to miss on every single shot.
Xuelin instantly pinpointed the peculiarity in YC’s movement. It appeared sinuous yet wasn’t at the same time.
Hmph! Trying to dodge my shots like a serpent huh? Too naïve, too naïve! Xuelin thought as she felt a sudden rage.
It’s not a big deal to master the curvature skill because everyone has their own set of techniques, including YC. After engaging in countless of battles, it will be possible for one to identify these distinctive skills. The regularities in YC’s curvature skill had already been spotted seeing that there were hardly any variations which Xuelin couldn’t recognize!
She began to study and calculate his movements in her mind while her eyes locked on YC, picking out every variation in his movements, while waiting for the right time to shoot.
When the time came, she fired without hesitation.
Xuelin stared in bewilderment as the shot she fired missed!
As though he had foreseen this, he dodged the bullet with a twinkle in his eyes. Was this another case of his beginner’s luck again or was there something more? Xuelin was flabbergasted as her thoughts circled in confusion. Taken aback by the whole ordeal, she went rampant on a barrel of firing on the field. Maybe it was a blessing from the God when one of her shots finally went through YC’s left shoulder causing him to lose balance.
Ye Chong on the other hand was completely soaked by his sweat and his hands felt heavier over time; as if they were starting to move on their own, seemingly twitching if this went on. He bit his lips out of panic and was already bleeding before he noticed it. In the midst of adrenaline rush, he felt a shudder from his mech which came to his realization that he was shot! Despite that, his hands continued to key in commands, as there was no time for him to find out the damaged part of his machinery.
Xuelin gushed with excitement for her successful shot that left YC hanging like a broken wind-up robot toy. A golden opportunity awaited before her! There’s no way she could miss this! She loaded her gun and was prepared to send YC a final blow! Ironically, it was the hit that made YC’s movements go haywire and became even more unpredictable than before. Naturally, it was not good news for Xuelin.
Coming to her senses on the aftermath, Xuelin’s distress caused her firing to run wild on the field again! Meanwhile, Ye Chong finally caught sight of his opponent which triggered him, as well as his hands! It was as if they were electrified as they entered the commands at great speed!
It’s getting closer now. It’s coming!
Hiya!! Ye Chong roared like thunder in his compartment.
The opponent froze, taken aback by his scream. Was this a trap? Was there a plan B that she was not aware of? He no longer cared and had already drawn his magnetic sword from his back while his left hand reached for the alloy dagger tied to his left ankle.
As long as I can get close enough, the opponent would be dead meat!
He asserted himself and swung his sword; creating a buzzing echo formed from the magnetic waves of his sword. There was no resistance from the opponent as he sliced right through the throat. He was surprised at how simple it was. He was expecting a final struggle from the opponent as an inflicted wound on a machine’s throat was as fatal as it was on humans but there was no retaliation!
How could one make such an amateur mistake?
Having to live on Trash Planet-12 long enough he showed no mercy. He felt indifferent as he penetrated his dagger deeply and accurately like a serpent sinking its teeth into its prey; right on the upper chest of SP which would be the pilot’s cabin. What YC heard next after the screeching sounds of metal shredding was the sound of applause for his victory.
In the meantime, Xuelin stared blankly in dismay at her floating chair; the network helmet she just disconnected was left levitating in the air. That very menacing figure that travelled speedily, that violent and direct attack, that tenacious bravery, lingered in the thoughts of Xuelin, haunting her.
Xuelin shifted to the dining table right after as it was dinner time.
Her father Ninghai saw her so lost in her thoughts that she ignored the scrumptious dinner on the table, pondering. He then beckoned to his wife but she just shook her head in helplessness of the situation. He asked her daughter,
Linny, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?

Xuelin was startled as she wondered what had gotten into her and yet on the outside, she forced a smile,
Nothing. It’s just that… I met an oddity on the battlefield today.

An oddity? Her father was intrigued.

What kind of an oddity?
he inquired.
Xuelin’s father was a skillful pilot of mechs. All of Xuelin’s skills were taught personally by him. It was only then that Xuelin remembered the fact that her father was of such a superior rank in her field, he must have been experienced enough to solve this oddity for her! She then began to narrate the entire sequence of events to her father.
As soon as she mentioned about how YC failed again and again, Ninghai nodded his head in approval,
Good. I do agree this guy is pretty bold!
The conversation became light-hearted as she spoke on. When she talked about the final match with YC and how he portrayed extremely strange curvature skills as he drove towards her, her father’s face stiffened.
He asked for more details about the last match as he tried to stress on the whole incident to help her recollect her thoughts on details she might have missed. Her father reacted seriously,
If you were right on what you have described, this guy could have used a Non-Orderly Wavy Leap.
A set of dodging skills like this would only be known by advanced pilots. This is simply because not only does it requires a high-level manual piloting skill, it also requires a mech that is advanced enough. Only a sophisticated processor with a sophisticated mech could execute the complication in this set of calculation input.


But… but… he was only using a Raven!
Xuelin was puzzled.

And that’s why this was such an eye-opener to me. Theoretically and under normal circumstances, a Raven could never complete such an execution. Reason being is that it has limited processing capabilities even with a master piloting it. Thus, there could only be one explanation for this. He must have modified it by installing a powerful processor into the mech.

Xuelin gasped in disbelief,
But I still think he’s just a random rookie from out of nowhere!

Seeing his daughter making such a statement, he snorted,
So what even if he’s just a random rookie from out of nowhere? Can’t a rookie modify his own machinery? Plus, it could have been his teacher or his senior who did the modifications for him to ensure compatibility with his special way of combat. But well this guy sure is something to be able to perfectly perform movements of such complexity!

Still not convinced, Xuelin rebutted,
Well then, why did he not use it in the very beginning? Why only execute it after a myriad of lost matches?

Startled, her father replied,
Oh, this part, huh? Well it’s… probably… because… umm… uhhhhh… ugh, Xuelin, let’s just finish up our dinner. We have already discussed this at length and look! The dinner got cold!

Ninghai’s mother beamed at her husband who led himself into such an awkward situation.
Even if Xuelin’s father’s deduction made sense, somehow she still thought there was something amiss. The reality didn’t seem to be like what he had said to her. However, she could not point out exactly why she felt awry. Her gut’s feeling said so!
Nevertheless, just like how her father never expected that someone could perform this set of moves manually without the aid of the processor, Xuelin too never expected it in her mind.
The discussion was a cliffhanger of embarrassment as she knocked her head which felt like it was about to explode from her contemplation.

Fine! Whatever! Never mind! Screw this! I’ll just ask him myself the next time we meet. Simple!
she thought.
Comments (14)


LaoTze lol, MC can jump around in a disorganized fashion, so he must be using a sophisticated processor?


DaoistGiraffe I lost a 1v1 vs tryndamere … That tenacity and bravery in the moment he pressed ult , and those incredible auto-atack are haunting me even now .. i can’t even eat . Im too depressed …


Kshatria dont really get it, i though MC was inside training facility but suddenly BAM, PVP with elite chick… i dont even get it with training but able to mod his mech, that’s not training at all… and why is there no recording whatsoever? come on, it’s year 40k, there should be a record somewhere. so confused

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 8: Rehabilitation
Ye Chong had just gotten himself into a sticky situation. He crawled out of his cabin, as if he just swam back to the shore, all drenched, drained of energy and fatigued. Something went wrong with him!
His hands looked fine but his fingers were squirming – Ughh! Ughhhh! – An ache that felt like it was seizing his bone marrows, rushing through his spines, and bombarding his brain one wave after another. If it wasn’t for his great endurance, he might have passed out right away. He wheezed, barely catching his breath while his face turned pale from immense pain.
Despite the excruciating pain, both of his hands appeared alright to him. They were not swelling and there were no cramps. They seemed perfectly fine that not even a strand of hair was lost. Not a single one!
Mu Shang performed a thorough inspection of his body and expressionlessly diagnosed,
A symptom from overusing the senses, the neurological network connecting both your spinal cord and your hands had undergone abusive utilization that surpassed its capacity, thus causing the pain. The symptom will be temporary and will not cause permanent damage to your body. Resting adequately would be sufficient.

The diagnosis received comments from Ye Chong packed with sarcasm,
Resting adequately? How the hell would I be able to rest adequately with such injuries? I can’t even rest in peace!


There’s a way to minimize the pain.
stated Mu Shang. That caught Ye Chong’s attention,
Are you sure?
A pain that felt endless would torture him till death before he could overcome it, but if there’s a way… The statement sparked hope in Ye Chong.
Mu Shang continued elaborating,
This method requires neither medication nor any form of injection, it is safe and effective. You can feel its effects immediately…
Excited, Ye Chong interrupted the explanation,
Then, let’s proceed with it!


Are you sure about this?
Mu Shang halted and lowered his head, as he asked.
For some reason, the question suddenly sent chills down his spine. This doesn’t seem right… that face of Mu… I shoul- Ouch!
Nonetheless the pain forced him acquiesce,
Yes, I’m sure!

Bam! A blow slammed right into the artery of his neck! He blacked out and the only thought that surged through his mind was man… it… it worked!
The voice of Mu Shang ran through the room, calm and still,
Execution completed.
As he sat before the fainted Ye Chong.
After waking up, Ye Chong could sense the transformation in his body clearly, especially in his hands. Everything felt incoherent. His body responded slower than his mind, his coordination was literally out of sync, no longer as compatible as it used to be.
Mu Shang added,
That is because your coordination has been disrupted. Your senses did improve tremendously beyond the limits you used to have, however your physical body remained the same as before and faced problems in coping with the processing speed of your mind. Consequently, you will feel sluggishness in your physical body but in actuality it is just your mind speeding up.

Ye Chong understood the side effects described by Mu Shang and stopped entering the virtual web for the next few days. Instead, he performed physical training, especially dedicated to his hands.
On a platform about half a square meter in size, he concentrated on controlling six marbles and rolled them between his hands back and forth, netting all marbles in his hand and moving them at high velocity and rate of collision, in an ever-changing orbit. The velocity increased over time and beads of sweat could be discerned on Ye Chong’s forehead as his hands caught up with the speedy movement. Gradually the beads of sweat came falling down like droplets of rain on his forehead. His hands rushed like shadows overlapping till afterimages began to form. It’s coming back!
In the end, he lost control and the marbles were scattered all over the place. He breathed heavily and ditched the marbles on the floor. Man this was too tiring! Mu Shang at the side evaluated Ye Chong,
It was still not satisfactory, but well, you passed!

After finally ending his boring marble rolling days, Ye Chong started wondering if those marbles were purposely made by Mu Shang to torture people, both body and soul. Deep in his heart, he still adored Mu Shang. At least, thanks to Mu Shang, his hands felt like his own again and moved with better dexterity too.
Oh Winnie. Getting back to Winnie again was wonderful. It was heartwarming to see his broken partner again after taking a break from mech driving for so long. All this while, Ye Chong had been busy with the marble training and so his usual daily hunting was taken over by Mu Shang ever since his injury. Ye Chong was astounded by the fact that he couldn’t find any other form of wounds on the prey Mu Shang hunted other than the small hole on the neck.
He frenzied in the field with Winnie, one mountain of dump after another while Mu Shang tailed behind at a fixed distance. That was the moment he could actually distinguish the changes in his hands before and after, more specifically the increased agility in his hands. As joyful as he was, he then remembered the steps Mu Shang taught him before. That Non-Orderly Wavy Leap which allowed him to taste the fruit of victory the very first time kindled the eagerness in him. He switched to the highest gear and chained with a variety of calculations, performed a live performance on the spot, with that great leap he adored.
Winnie at her age clumsily made a few disoriented orbits of different kinds under his control. Sometimes large and sometimes small. Sometimes it was a straight curve and sometimes it was a zigzag. And that wasn’t all from Ye Chong!
Being absolutely worked up, he continued making wavy leaps that were more condensed. In a brief period of time, Winnie began moving in tiny wavy steps at full speed. Unlike the disoriented curves before, they were all constant and orderly, while Ye Chong was still in the mood of making even smaller curves.
Ye Chong had grand plans of his own. Right when he was on his attempt to further downsize his steps, a loud noise drummed his ears. Winnie was finally unable to withstand the complexity and had broken into half.
Wham! Right at her waist!
Ye Chong’s joy became fear. He did not manage to call Mu Shang for help as he had been thrown like a meteorite, all the way to the huge pile of dumps nearby along with the upper half of Winnie. Ye Chong had a concussion and was buried by the pile he crashed into.
Darkness blinded Ye Chong.
When Ye Chong… wait, technically it was Winnie, not me. Again. When Winnie got pulled out from the deep piles of trash by Mu Shang, Ye Chong saw the teasing expression of Mu Shang’s contrary to the usual expressionless face he put up, and it was extremely frustrating. The frustration intensified when Ye Chong was on his way home – he waws being carried by Mu Shang like a disabled person. The helplessness! And the teasing from Mu Shang he anticipated!
He was frustrated, yet he was truly helpless without Winnie. Mu would never allow Ye Chong to pilot him either. Moreover, a rookie riding on a beginner? That felt too absurd.
Can’t help it. I am too weak in contrast!
The foremost issue was still losing his mech. No matter how old Winnie was, she was still significant to Ye Chong’s life, if there was no replacement that is. By then he could only plead Mu to bring Winnie’s lower part of her body back. Regretting the consequences of his excitement, his heart turned cold. He should have known how aged Winnie already was and should’ve been aware of how long she had served him over the ages. It was a miracle for her to last this long and now she was damaged in a way that is fatal even for ordinary mechs. It would be hopeless to get her fixed, especially when it happened in a place where there was nothing else other than piles and piles of trash.
Never forgetting to spice up the situation with sarcasm Mu said,
Ye, I can’t stop myself but to tell you the ultimate truth of cruelty. The possibility to get Winnie fully repaired would be 1% and below! So stop gambling with a chance this low! It is against the value theory! In layman’s terms, it’s not worth it!

Sorrow could be seen in Ye Chong when the realization of his helplessness struck him. He went into Mu Shang’s cabin and then, into the virtual web.
Mu Shang didn’t seem to feel like behaving empatheticcally as his words echoed,
According to statistics, you have yet to master the 68 kinds of basic courses. This is the list!
Stuffed right in his face was the absurdly long list to which he responded with ignorance as drove on. The robot went silent for a bit and spat out,
Ye, if one day your skills surpasses me, I would let you ride me.

He halted, got out and walked away, without making a sound or throwing a tantrum.
Comments (15)


Earan66
Ye , if one day your skills surpasses me , i would let your ride me
hmmm interesting 😤


Daoist_KenBoCole Tsundere Mech?


LaoTze dirty mind

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 9: Bucking Up
It was almost the 8th year since Winnie started staying by his side. They had been through thick and thin, and rode through piles of garbage of varying heights. Winnie shielded him from raids and protected him from extreme weather. Winnie was the reason for his survival. It was his reassurance in life. She might be worn out but in her lay the kindest elderly soul he could have asked for, in which she faithfully and dutifully fulfilled by serving her owner for the past few years.
Something felt trapped within Ye Chong. What was it? Through all the years that Ye Chong lived, there was only once when he felt such a sensation, and it was during his father’s death.
Is this grief?
He whispered to himself.
I wonder if papa was doing fine on the other side?
Holding his chin, he thought in an endearing misery.
For the whole day, he spent his time alone at a deserted spot on the planet. After that, he made his way to the training center and called Mu Shang.

Mu, show me the course plan!
he said in a casual tone.
…
In the meantime, Xuelin was irritatedly occupied.
These few days she searched every single room on the battlefield, longing for a rematch with that person that left her with more questions than answers. That YC guy. Though disappointment slapped her in the face again and again upon seeing rooms with anyone else other than YC, she was not going to give up. If YC could face failure or any kind of letdown over and over again, so could she. The encouragement rang in her head.
Yet, this is going to be another wild goose chase today!
The day seemed to be anticlimactic as expected. Meh! I’ll just go and visit Cousin Shew. She should be at the basic training field.
Cousin Shew was the daughter of her second aunt and they had been good friends since childhood. Unfortunately, Cousin Shew had failed her mech examination several times before. Her mother thought of Xuelin’s father, Sun Ninghai, while she was thinking of a solution. She then begged the great man to enlighten her poor daughter so she could pass. Still, the man was great for a reason. He was so engaged in his work routine, he didn’t even have the leisure to keep the promise. As a result, the promise was inherited by Xuelin.
The basic training field was used to its vacancy. At most, there would only be a few people using it. Most pilots-in-training did not fancy the NR training for its efficiency in comparison to actual hands-on pilot training. In addition, these were so elementary that everyone had mastered the training back during their early childhood. The emptiness of the field was justified.
Idly, Xuelin browsed through the rooms on the field. The room Cousin Shew was in was soon found and she entered immediately. It was a spacious, open land with a number of obstacles on the ground. Cousin Shew was unsteadily walking through. Xuelin did not intend to interrupt the training her hardworking cousin was having. She just watched on at the spectator stands.
Wait, there’s another person!
A dark silhouette slithered through the obstacles at an overwhelming speed. Who would still train here with such standard of piloting? She went to have a closer look.
Wha! She was dumbfounded. That… That…
That has to be YC! YC! She hopped excitedly. Yes! It’s him! It’s him! The wound she made that day was still on the left shoulder of his Raven! And the scratches on the rib! Yes! It must be him!
Is this what they mean by
God never disappoints the studious
and
Heaven would help those who help themselves
?
She mumbled.
Ye Chong frowned as he checked out the data shown on Raven. Almost. He muttered. He was so close to Mu’s standards. It was so near, yet so far. How many times have he tried already yet he still couldn’t pass?

Ye, with your learning capacity and basic theoretical knowledge, it would not be hard to complete the basic training courses, instead it would be a piece of cake! But if you find such standards satisfactory, you should never think of touching me. At all!


Most people deny the significance of training. However, they are so foolishly wrong!

Mu Shang sounded like a hermit in his teaching, sassy and aloof and this brought up a raging storm in Ye Chong, an unstoppable one!

According to my calculations, 99.328% of actions of high complexity are actually derivations from basic execution. Thus, I could daringly conclude that, basic executions are the root of all pilot’s skills!
Ye Chong reflected on the statement.
Mu Shang pulled out a detailed list of parameters,
Ye, these are the training requirements I had prepared for you. The standard has been tailored for Raven’s capacity accordingly. Just do everything on this list!
Mu Shang’s mechanical eyes blinked.

Remember, Ye, never acknowledge the existence of limits within you!

Ye Chong took the suggestion with pleasure. After staying on Trash Planet-12, he was more than eager to try improvising himself. Nonetheless, he forgot about Mu’s hysteria, the capricious and mischievous nature of his. Those parameters… were impossible to achieve by Raven’s capacity… at all!
He faced the reality of this after going through the training. He worked on them through days and nights, whimpering, spitting blood and then he finally made it. Just one of them. That was an achievement joyous enough to make him cry.

Good job, Ye.
Mu Shang smiled,
But you still need a little bit more momentum. Yes, yes, a motivating factor is what you would need! I should implement a system that includes rewards and punishment. How about this? If you fail to fulfill at minimum one (1) subject on the list after this, you would be having an organic liquid diet for a week. That’d be good! Yes!

Mu sneered on as Ye Chong witnessed it. He didn’t have a choice, without Winnie, only Mu could do the hunting! You fox! Ugh!
Ye Chong hated liquid diet, flow food, fluid food, or whatever you name it! He hated it with a passion since he was young, be it organic or not. He had to make it! By hook or by crook!
Soon it was the last day of the week, if he did not succeed, he was going to be fed with the infamous white, sticky, gooey liquid food for real! Just by looking at it was enough to choke him. It was so digusting that only a man who had lost his mind would consider eating it!
What was the problem? Why could he not make it? Ye Chong knew Mu well. He would never simply set parameters that a Raven could not fulfill. But why, why was it always so close? Ye Chong was collecting his thoughts pitifully.
…
Cousin Shew who was in training spotted her cousin on the stands, in which she quickly piloted her Raven towards. That did not go too well, however. Her skills were way too incompetent that the Raven was led to a floating metal pole.
Bang! Cousin Shew panicked, screaming and shouting loudly until the entire field could hear her.
The scream alerted Xuelin who was staring at YC since the beginning. She was horrified seeing the Raven her cousin drove stuck in mid-air and was apparently going to fall anytime soon.

This is bad!
she thought.
Cousin Shew had always portrayed a fragile, timid impression since her childhood and that was why she never thought of driving a mech. If she ever fell, the shock would land her in bed for the next few months! Or even worse, a trauma in her memories forever! Then, she would not even dare to approach a mech ever again!
Xuelin immediately got onto her SP-II and moved towards Cousin Shew at maximum speed, hoping to grab her before she fell. But there were too many random obstacles in the air, and those halted her. Cousin Shew would hit the ground in no time and she could not reach her! Tears flooded her eyes as it was filled with anxiety. No!
Meanwhile, the scream from Cousin Shew had also alarmed Ye Chong as he turned his head and noticed a mech of the same Raven he piloted too. He did not hesitate and began inputting commands, his Raven glided to its compatriot on a whim.
Perhaps it was the conscience sunken deep in his mind, in which he wished for a companion more than anybody else after his lonely days with Mu. There was no time to think, and those scattered obstacles relived the scenery of the hunting field he used to go to. The set of inputs he learned over the past week flashed in his mind. As if awakening, he subconsciously began inserting commands without difficulty. He turned out to be much slower than usual in the end!
Ye Chong’s Raven weaved its way through the flock of obstacles, like a breeze on a spring day, naturally, freely and directly. Right when the other Raven was about 3 meters from the ground, his Raven caught it in one go. He gradually decelerated and made one last glide for a short distance. He then landed successfully.

There! All done!
he exclaimed as he put down the Raven.
About 2 seconds later an SP-II came after him. It must be the ally of the Raven. He speculated enviously while the mech was landing right in front of him. That seemed, oddly familiar… ahh! This was the SP-II he matched with the first day he was here! He nodded slightly in respect as he watched it inching towards him.
He intuitively took a look at the processor. What?!
Comments (22)


Daoist_Dan Ummm, why? That’s virtual reality, why would not just one, but two people act like a hero just to stop someone from… falling over?…


Cherchen And why does his mech still have damages in VR… So many lack of details and loopholes T.t


Leyira Fear isn’t rational.

VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Chapter 10: Dummy Ends
I actually completed the training!?
Ye Chong’s brain jammed for a bit seeing the notification on the interface. How the heck did he even get it done?! He hopped onto Raven and started going through the training programs, disregarding the number of tries and the ways he had done them. The parameters were all fulfilled, which perplexed Ye Chong.
How did I even make it?
…
Ugh, nevermind!
He wasn’t that keen to get to the core of this mystery anyway! What was more important lay in fact that there was noteworthy advancement made in his piloting skill and most importantly, no liquid diet the following week! Oh joy!
He did not stay any longer and ejected himself from the virtual web. To the marble training! The marbles were waiting for him! Though he had recovered from the desynchronized body movement symptom, Mu added marble training to his daily training schedule ever since Winnie got damaged. It might seemed meaningless at first, but after the training, Ye Chong learned the fact that speed was indeed… not everything!
Returning to the virtual web, Xuelin was trying to calm her poor cousin down, as she probably was intimidated from her near-death experience a moment before. Xuelin held great appreciation towards YC. Thanks to him, Cousin Shew was saved right at the nick of time.
Imagine if this YC guy was never there, oh the tragedy that could have happened. Wait… Her mind drifted to another perspective of this incident. He was at a location further away from her yet he managed to make it there before her. Add to the fact that the velocity of his machinery was apparently higher than her… Fear shrouded her thoughts in which immense curiosity soon dipped through. How did he elevate his ability at this rate? Or the match with him was just one of his warm-up activities last time? Was there indeed a let up from him?
Her pupils quivered in anxiety, her hair slid over her shoulder tussled in worries, while her body shuddered in thin fragility; Cousin Shew’s pale face frigidly portrayed the panic that lingered in her heart, like a distressed flower bud trapped in a storm of winter, pitifully arousing the empathy of its witnesses.
Xuelin lovingly caressed the poor flower, combing her smooth hair with her fingers. Cousin Shew couldn’t hold it in anymore as she melted completely in Xuelin’s embrace, sobbing out her every horror. Xuelin’s fingers slipped through her shoulder, comforting her like a big sister.
In actuality, their ages did not differ much. Cousin Shew was just younger by about 10 days, but her fickle innocence justified her relationship with Xuelin, being the little sister walking behind Xuelin the whole time. In fact, Xuelin too, loves and cares about her little sister, for she was stronger in nature and was aided by her father’s teachings.
Under her protection, nobody would even dare touch the petite flower. To Cousin Shew, she is her protector. About two years ago, her aunt and the entire family moved out and so they forcibly parted, yet her dependency on Xuelin never faded.

Now, don’t cry, don’t cry, Shewie, let’s go home first okay? G-o. H-o-m-e!

She nodded in obedience and exited the virtual web under her cousin’s escort. Xuelin took a glance at the battlefield before clicking the exit button…
Did he notice me? That I was the one who shot him… Was the nod for me? When I was landing…
Confusion cloaked her once more, without her even knowing why.
…
The second day, Ye Chong resumed his daily training with a brand new parameter to be cleared. This time, there was a different content in a different room. On the first day, it was still this parameter that was crudely executed by Ye Chong even though he was fully attentive. He was hard at work absorbed in his training that he did not see two uninvited guests approaching him. They had observed him for quite some time.
Was that even the YC guy I knew from the battlefield yesterday? This guy that caused me anxiety? It was Xuelin, whose mouth gaped large enough to fit in a hard-boiled egg as she watched on. She couldn’t believe her eyes upon seeing that YC guy that was doing everything… so clumsily.
From an expert falling to an amateur again, even if this was conducted in the basic training field, it was still as shocking as a human eating an aliens, not to mention the training was something she had accomplished when she was about 8 to 9 years old.
Yet, his performance was extremely uncoordinated. The shock in Xuelin just skyrocketed from surely, to very, to immensely, and to extremely, and it was still multiplying!
Hasn’t he done his basic course? If he did, why is he still here? And doing it this badly? If he did not, how in the world could he execute expert-only wavy steps? Beginner’s luck? Is he hacking?
The only conclusion that these clues could lead to was – this was really an oddity!
Cousin Shew had her eyes fixed on that Raven-in-training. In her eyes sparkled the biggest mystery of mankind, and of what she was thinking. The YC guy might have been unskillful, but he still had the attention from the two girls on the stand throughout the training.

Hey, what? Shewie, why are you still here? Are you going to do your training?
Xuelin managed to pull her eyes away and asked. Shewie, the lass, was standing all upright, watching that man piloting his Raven, while not even moving a muscle of her own.
Don’t tell me… you were frightened by the incident yesterday? Were you?
This connected the circuit back in Cousin Shew’s head, her face reddened right away,
Ah! Uh, um, ah, uh, uhh, I… I’ll… I’ll do it right now!
She tripped on her way to her Raven.
Likewise to her pilot tripping, the Raven tripped a few times in the air as well, seemingly about to fall down again anytime soon,
Don’t worry Shewie, it’s going to be alright, just calm down, I’m here, right here!
in cold sweat she said.
The Raven was bewildered as it entered the field.
What’s wrong, Shewie?
Xuelin asked, seeing the Raven just hovering in the air. She then heard sniffs and sobs,
Xuelin, I think I… I… I… I forgot everything I learned yesterday!

…
….
……
Holding her forehead, Xuelin breathed deeply, those words were a strong fainting spell. Ye Chong with his focus about all the meals he could possibly have for the following weeks literally failed to notice the interesting sisters at the stands doing their Titanic git. If the sisters were to come closer, they might have overheard the madness in the cabin of the training Raven,
Meat. Meat. I need meat. Hand me the meat and no one gets hurt…

Mu Shang was such a stern and demanding teacher. Even Ye Chong’s toes could tell that, the training this time must be another bottomless trap hole of hell difficulty where he had to crawl out by clawing his way with his Raven. He repeated his monotonous training and lost the sense of time. He only found his stomach rumbling inside him due to his hunger when Mu Shang decided to give him a kind reminder of his dinner time.
Exit. Ye Chong pressed, leaving the interesting sisters staring at the blank spot he left, astonished.
Ever since then, it seemed to have become their additional routine to check the YC guy out daily.
Of course even a so-called
incompetent
greenhorn like Ye Chong would have noticed. Being alert anytime, anywhere was the survival sense ingrained in Ye Chong. But the two mechs were merely watching him from afar, hovering in the air quietly, with no other interference coming from them.
He feigned ignorance. But still… he did not get it. The content of his training had nothing sophisticated, in fact, it was also minimal. Weren’t they annoyed by it?
It was none of his business anyway.
He just continued training as they watched on. He told himself that if he did not work hard enough, the muddy pile of unknown substance would await him at the dining table when he got home. Liquid diet for the next week! The trio never talked to each other, at most, they nodded at each other.
Time passed and Ye Chong made a breakthrough in his training. He could manipulate 10 metal marbles at once for one and a half hour continuously, along with his improved physique. He could feel the strength increasing with certainty. Speed-wise, he was 5 times faster, and strength-wise, he was 7 times stronger. As for reaction speed, he became 11 times faster compared to the past. The puzzling part of his development was that his weight had hardly increased. Even Mu Shang did not expect this.
By then, Ye Chong could already hunt simple creatures on his own without relying on any mech. He could prove his strength in this aspect.
He was holding a thin blade in his right hand and a nicely roasted drumstick from the engulfer, as he swiftly sliced pieces of them with the blade while they formed circles as they fell. He gently picked them up with the point of his blade, and tossed them into his mouth. As he got faster and faster, it almost reached the point of a bazooka firing multiple slices of meat into his mouth. Ye Chong thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of such a feast.
In the process, he discovered that if he could slice the meat thinner than ever, the scent of the grill could be retained while the texture would turn softer, like a heavenly touch on his tongue melting away into wonderful grease. The thinner the better!
The drumstick shrunk over time, and soon after that, only a stalk of bone remained in his grip. It glowed brightly, looking clean as if it had been washed, wiped and waxed.
He exhaled and tossed the bone away, stretching his back.
Mu, all things listed in the basic course were completed yesterday. What is there for today?

The training days seemed tough yet it was more accomplishing than the days he had lived before. However, losing sight of his goal had made him dazed once again.
And that was the time he recalled the SP-II and Raven he saw every time, hovering over the field. We didn’t even speak… I just nodded when they nodded too! I wonder if we would ever meet again… A sense of longing suddenly grew in Ye Chong for the two strange yet familiar friends he made.
I think I ought to tell them that I will no longer go to the training field tomorrow onwar- Wait. Maybe not, meh. Ye Chong decided against it right away. Friend? Pfft. What if we were just acquaintances? I guess I’m the one who has been thinking too much. We aren’t from the same world in the end! Seems like it would be better to leave it just like this. If I were able to leave Trash Planet-12, maybe I would still stand a chance, but…
Ye Chong started his wild imagination on the scenarios of the what-ifs if he did or did not befriend them officially.
Mu Shang on the other side of the room mumbled,
Practical. We are doing practicals. Gain some experience from it, then we can proceed to the more advanced courses.
The answer from Mu Shang was more exciting than the silly fantasies in Ye Chong’s head, in which he ended instantly.

Practical? Alright! I love practical! Man do you know how boring it is to train all day and night?

After training all this while, he could finally obtain the opportunity to flaunt his moves. Ye Chong looked forward to his practical day with much enthusiasm!