Chapter 91-100

Chapter 91: Shang’s Idea I
ui Bing sat before Ye Chong, her face pale, drained of blood. It seemed that she was not yet recovered from the injuries from before. Her long, black hair further emphasized her pallor, and her occasionally knitted brows made for a pitiful appearance! Her former magnificence was now turned into fragility. Her thin physique under the loose training garb made her look as weak as a withering leaf.
Ye Chong was also shocked to see Rui Bing as she was!
Rui Bing noticed that Ye Chong was unharmed, and said wryly,
You are truly physically strong!

Ye Chong sat quietly. While he did not understand the reason for her visit, Ye Chong still threaded with care, with Mu standing quietly behind him. If anything happened, Mu would be able to react at the drop of a hat. Besides, he was not entirely defenseless himself, only that his weird condition might be triggered again.
Ye Chong sat quietly, his eyes staring at the other party, unblinking. He was waiting for her to state the purpose of her visit, for he believed that she would not have visited for no good reason. Ye Chong believed that this woman sitting before him, the strongest woman he had ever met, would not be up to a silly action like that.
As for Rui Bing, Ye Chong still had full admiration for her. Her skills in martial arts were levels above his, and that move was most likely an attack filled with spirit, in Mu’s words. That had made Ye Chong appreciate her even more! It was the first time Ye Chong had seen an attack that was beyond the logic of pure physics!
Rui Bing did not say anything, sitting quietly before Ye Chong, her dark eyes staring straight at him.
Their eyes met each others’ in the space between them!
A faint blush began to spread quietly up Rui Bing’s nape!
Her silence was baffling to Ye Chong, as he had thought her as someone straightforward in nature. Since she had visited, there must be something on her mind, so why would she not speak of it? Ye Chong broke the silence and spoke,
Why are you here?

His flat tone together with his apathetic expression made Rui Bing turn serious. While her body was not fully healed, her former fighting instinct as a martial arts practitioner was awakened!
Rui Bing sat upright, her expression stern, but her first words thoroughly confused Ye Chong.

Will you marry me?


Marry her? What?
Thankfully, Mu was near him, and Ye Chong communicated with Mu through his brain waves.
Mu, what does it mean to marry her?


Hmm, based on available information, it probably means becoming legal husband and wife!
Mu explained.

What’s legal husband and wife?
Ye Chong was baffled.

Er, this area is not my specialty, you should ask Shang about it. We need 5 seconds to interchange!
Mu was obviously troubled with the question as well, and decided to let Shang, with a more advanced mood matrix, to deal with the matter.
As soon as Shang was out, he howled electronically.
Waah, Ye, as expected, it’s the aggressive beauty from last time. Tsk tsk, a beauty like this who fits all your requirements is truly rare!

Ye Chong did not quite get it.
What does that have to do with being a beauty?

Shang bluntly spoke ,
Of course, who wouldn’t love a beautiful woman?
He deliberately paused before continuing,
Mm, of course, your taste is too peculiar! However, does she not suit your standards? The body cannot be too muscular, that would affect speed, and she cannot be too thin, for the muscles must be powerful enough. Mm, endurance is a must and flexibility must be excellent. Excellence in martial arts, almost as good in mechs as I am. A decisive person, one-hit KO’s are preferable! High vigilance. Best if she can be proficient in mech mechanics! Besides the mech side of things, it seems that she was almost made based on your criteria! Besides, it’s quite fast to build up knowledge in mechs! Ye, I can’t think of anyone who can better fit your requirements than her!

Ye Chong was still uncertain.
What does this have to do with marrying her?

Shang nearly fainted at that.
Ye, could it be that you’re still not in your puberty? Heavens! You’re twenty! This is too bizarre in the face of biological theories! Could it be … Could it be … You’re …
Shang’s voice was getting queer!
His hesitance in speech also made Ye Chong even more confused.
Biology? Theories in biology? Isn’t this an alchemist program?

Shang nearly cried.
Cough
 … Theories in biology? Ye, you can’t go on like this, I must now begin to show you the right path of humanity! I can’t let Mu mislead you anymore, heavens, I can already imagine the darkness and dullness of your future life!

After a pause, Shang continued encouragingly,
Ye Chong, do you like her? Compared to all the women you’ve ever met before.
His voice now had a bewitching quality to it.
Ye Chong lifted his head and peered towards Rui Bing. Rui Bin sat in all seriousness, but a flash of panic was evident in her eyes. Ye Chong considered before replying,
I like her!
It seemed that, of all the women he had ever met, she was the only that made him feel a sense of admiration, and she was definitely the strongest of woman he had ever encountered!

But, what’s that got to do with anything?
Ye Chong’s logic was not affected at all by Shang!

Er … Nothing! But Ye, when can you began your life as a real man?
Shang gave a long sigh!

Am I not normal?
Ye Chong was obviously dissatisfied with the conclusion.

Could it be that you have no sexual desires for women?
Shang barely managed to ask.

Sexual desires?
Ye Chong was at a loss.
Should anyone have sexual desires towards women?

Shang felt like he was dealt with a death blow.
Ye, you … You’re too good at this!


Me? I’m still not good enough. Compared to Mu, I’m still too weak!
Ye Chong replied.

Compared to Mu? Heavens, it’s like talking with an animal! No, Ye, it seems that it’ll be necessary to teach you a lesson in biological reproduction! Ye, later I’ll show you some of the latest holographic passionate battles, that’s my ultimate collection!
Shang spoke with fiery intensity.

Holographic information? Passionate battles? Is it a battle between mechs?
Ye Chong asked.

A battle between mechs?
Shang’s photon processor was visualizing 2 humanoid mechs engaged in a passionate battle midair, machine oil spraying everywhere, accessories flying off in all directions, together with a cringe-worthy sound of metal rubbing against metal. Shang felt a chill spread across him and nearly short-circuited!
For someone as logic-minded as Ye Chong to discuss emotions, especially that of between members of the opposite sex, it was definitely a depressing challenge for Shang!
Rui Bing held a normal expression, but her heart was throbbing violently. Ye Chong, sitting opposite her, had at first lowered his head in thought, then lifted his vision to her for a moment before continuing his thoughts. For the first time ever, Rui Bing had a strange feeling, mixed with hope and fear, afraid of what she might lose! She could only do her best to stay calm, or at least maintain the impression of calmness!
Rui Bing was aware of her own traditional mindset, even when she had chosen to inherit her father’s dojo years ago despite opposition. All these years, the age-old traditions had already become part of her, and she was not capable of changing this part of herself, nor did she wanted to! This kind of life made her feel peaceful!
Rui Bing’s eyed the man before her with mixed feelings. Will this man, whom she had met not so long ago, be her future husband? If he rejected, what should she do? While she had insisted on traditional practices, it did not mean that she should impose it on others. Her persistence was her own, and Ye Chong’s rejection was only natural, then what should she do?
Although she already had her mind set, Rui Bing was still at a loss at the present moment!

Alright, back to the original question, what does it mean to to marry her? What’s the end result?
Ye Chong asked.

Marrying her means having a legal bond of husband and wife between you two. The end result if that you will be with her for the rest of your life!
Shang did not think Ye Chong could understand anything beyond that.

Be with her? Why should I be with her for the rest of my life?
Ye Chong asked another mind-bending question to Shang!
Shang was speechless!
Shang did not believe that a healthy man like Ye Chong would not be interested in women at all. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to his mind.

Ye, to make you understand this whole affair, we can do an experiment!
Shang’s tone was odd, but he had finally concluded that Ye Chong could only handle facts!

Okay, how?
Ye Chong was also keen to try. He was always asking these sort of questions, and Ye Chong had no intention of being entirely ignorant of this topic.

Go right in front of her. Don’t worry, she’ll definitely not harm you. Besides, in her current condition, she’s not a match for you!
Shang enticed.

Okay!
Ye Chong walked to Rui Bing and stopped before her, and panic flashed past Rui Bing’s pale face.

Take her hand!
The devil’s tail began to show itself.

Hand?
Ye Chong felt uncertain, and asked,
Which hand?

Crash
 A certain devil’s fall sent out a shockwave. Shang spoke with a trembling voice,
Whichever!
Shang’s fall to the ground shocked Rui Bing, but it had also eased the her nervousness against Ye Chong’s approach.
Ye Chong took Rui Bing’s right hand, his body in high alert, ready for any form of attack from her. For Ye Chong, his action would definitely invite retaliation from the other party! No one would let their hand be held in another person’s hands – the action was akin to giving up one’s life to another person!
However, Rui Bing’s reaction baffled Ye Chong. She pulled her hand back a little, but not enough to escape from his grasp. Her tightly closed lips were pale from the pressure! Her initial pallor was now replaced with a thorough blush, but she did not lower her head, managing to look right at Ye Chong. Her clear eyes were filled with a rare coquetry and a little stubbornness. She kept her gaze on Ye Chong!

What next?
Ye Chong asked.

Have a good feel of her hand!
The devil’s tail was growing obvious.
Chapter 92: Shang’s Idea II
Feel her hand?
Ye Chong was confused. Could it be that her hand had something special about it? Ye Chong felt the hand carefully, but did not notice anything special! However, to think that such a soft and delicate hand could have such potential for battle! Ye Chong’s hands may be long and slender, but his hands were solid and muscular, quite different from the woman’s.
Could this be what Shang wanted him to notice?
Ye Chong spoke,
It’s soft, with callouses around the edges of the palm, evident signs of some level of training, but her hand is obviously of a different type than mine. Could there be some mystery behind this?

Shang stammered,
Ye – Ye, is this what you feel?


Yup, what’s the problem?
Ye Chong replied.
Shang was full of disbelief.
Ye, can you really not feel anything else? Like, does it feel comfortable?


I suppose it does!
Ye Chong gave a little squeeze to the delicate hand,
But, what does it matter?

By then, poor Rui Bing was as red as a tomato, but still she refused to lower her head. Her clear eyes were now growing watery, and her tightly held lips were a sign of her exerting strong self control! Since young, no man had ever touched her hands, but the man before her had now grasped her hand in his, doing as he wished! While she had already decided to marry this man, she still could not accept that the man was given in to such frivolity, as her rational side kept her composed!
A strange, unprecedented tingling sensation came from her right hand. She could even feel the strength and warmth from Ye Chong’s palms. The feeling was unnerving, and she was at a loss as to what to do next!
Shang muttered,
Looks like this degree of stimulation is too little. For a wild animal like Ye, no, a humanoid mech may be more appropriate. This degree of stimulation is too little!

Shang became more spirited and said,
Ye, for the next step, put your nose near to the left side of her throat, keep the distance less than 2 centimeters, and feel it closely!

Ye Chong did not doubt Shang’s request and did as he was told in all seriousness. Suddenly, he moved his face close to Rui Bing’s neck, his nose almost touching her skin, no more than 2 centimeters from him. A mysterious, sweet smell came to him. Her warm, snow-white skin had his full attention, and, almost reflexively, Ye Chong could not help but stick out his tongue and lick her neck!
In an instant, Ye Chong felt like his belly was on fire! He felt a burning surge engulf him! Ye Chong couldn’t help but gasp heavily!
Faced with this stimulation, Ye Chong felt a buzz in his head. Almost immediately, the powerful flow of emotions that he suppressed a few days ago was like a stoked fire, and Ye Chong felt like his brain might blow up! The overwhelming wild emotions engulfed him in an instant, and Ye Chong could only see red in his eyes, and his last thought before he lost consciousness was this –

This, is a woman?

Rui Bing could not keep her composure when Ye Chong put his face so close to her. As Ye Chong licked, she was thunderstruck! Ye Chong’s heavy breath against her sensitive neck only made Rui Bing more anxious!
Almost without thinking, Rui Bing, with a long history of martial arts training and self defense, was driven to action! Rui Bing slid her right hand and grabbed Ye Chong’s left hand. Her soft, white hands were now as strong as hardened steel. Her left hand pressed towards Ye Chong’s chest as fast as lighting and her legs moved as she stood up, lifting Ye Chong with her!
Women’s Basic Anti Sexual Assault Skills – Third Move!
Nether Region Kick!
The kick was perfect, strength or angle-wise, and Ye Chong curled into a shrimp-like posture but, oddly, did not produce any pitiful shriek!
The move was followed immediately by an over shoulder throw. Her movements were fluid and natural, and any martial arts practitioner who witnessed Rui Bing’s move after move would have been very impressed!
In reality, Rui Bing did not know any anti sexual harassment moves at first. However, the dojo often had some female students who came to learn some basic defense skills, and Women’s Basic Anti Sexual Assault Skills were a necessary part of it. Hence, Rui Bing had deliberately learned a few moves, and they now conveniently served her !
Ye Chong was like a sandbag, ruthlessly thrown to a corner and left on the floor, without any reaction!
Ye Chong’s mind was like a sea of fire, his consciousness struggling to survive within the fiery ocean, as his external senses had been thoroughly eclipsed! The volcanic flow of emotions wreaked havoc in his mind, and Ye Chong’s barely surviving consciousness was also affected. He only felt heat, of which was the most intense heat!
An unspeakable feeling began to accumulate within Ye Chong!
But strangely, his body was not at his command!
The suffocating and intense sense of outrage whirled within Ye Chong’s mind like a storm, and Ye Chong felt more and more heated, but could find no way to vent off his feelings!
When Rui Bing came back to her senses and found Ye Chong on the floor, unmoving, she was shocked to the core, extremely regretting her actions. How could she be so impulsive? What will happen to her if he was injured? The thought of that kick earlier made Rui Bing panic!
Rui Bing was about to approach Ye Chong and check for injuries when a shadow flashed before her eyes, and a huge, green-ish figure flew past Ye Chong and was almost immediately out of the mech modification workshop!
Surprised, Rui Bing rushed to the workshop’s entrance, but the huge figure and Ye Chong were already gone without a trace!
A disappointed Rui Bing stood before the workshop’s entrance as she looked towards the sky in a daze, looking almost infatuated for a moment!
Out in the wilderness, surrounded by rocks as tall as a few people, scattered across the area to as far as twenty kilometers away.
Ye Chong sat worn-out on the ground, his body all covered in dust from crushed rocks, with Mu staying quietly by his side. Shang knew that he had crossed the line this time, and switched with Mu as soon as he arrived here!
Ye Chong had finished with his berserking, now surrounded by pieces of rock debris. Within twenty meters from Ye Chong, none of the rocks were larger than a meter in girth, as they were all sacrificed for Ye Chong’s venting.
Ye Chong felt like he was an unstable stock of fire powder, ready to explode at the slightest provocation!
Ye Chong, who had always had high regard for calmness, hated very much the way he had just lost control of his rational mind, even if his physical abilities were enhanced in various ways under that condition.
Ye Chong smiled wryly at himself.
Mu, I’m in big trouble this time!

Mu agreed.
That’s right, Ye, you’re now suppressing your emotions! It looks like women still have the same effect on you!
Mu did not miss the opportunity to mock him.
Ye Chong forced another smile at that.
That damned Shang!
Reflexively, his mind produced an image of the smooth whiteness of skin, the oddly sweet odour that came from it, and the indescribable taste when the tip of his tongue came into contact!
Mu broke his reverie.
Ye, your condition is really not good. There are now two versions of your condition. First is the way your body loses control, but your mind is clear and conscious of the pain! The second version is the way you were over stimulated and lost control like just now. Similarly, you lost bodily control, but in this version, your mind is blurry! The factors that induced the first version is unclear, but from your reaction this time, the second version is clearly triggered by the slightest stimulation. Who could have imagined that Black Cove’s silver liquid was so powerful! Of course, that’s assuming our assumptions are right!

Ye Chong had already recovered his usual calm composure. He frowned a little and said,
If it’s Black Cove, they must have a way of curing this! But the point is, how can we find out about it?

Mu replied,
That’s right, but based on my calculations, the probability of our successful infiltration into Black Cove is only at 15.6 percent, which is too low. I would not recommended it!

Ye Chong agreed.
Yeah, that probability is really too low. Sigh
, the main issue is, we’re too weak, and Mu, you haven’t fully recovered yet! It’s no different than knocking on death’s door! Besides, we’re still not sure if this is the work of Black Cove, that’s only an assumption of ours!

For someone like Ye Chong who had grown up on a trash planet, he had a more profound sense of appreciation of life than others. Perhaps only those who had often encountered situations of life and death could understand the value of life.
Ye Chong continued,
In the short term, there’s no way to infiltrate Black Cove!
Ye Chong knew from experience that Black Cove had tight security, and with the current state of Mu and himself, infiltrating would be a fool’s errand.

Hmm, we’ll have to wait until we’re more powerful to work on Black Cove! However, your weird condition still requires treatment. It seems that we’ll have to find an excellent doctor to help you out!
Mu spoke with an undertone of uncertainty.
If Ye Chong was to seek treatment, he would have to leave Blue Ocean. While the planet was prosperous, it was not known for its medical services. Ye Chong quite enjoyed his simple life in Blue Ocean Academy, but what he would really miss was the so-called first class modification workshop and Grandpa Qian!
However, such was life! The usually calm Ye Chong felt overwhelmed with emotions. Without his bidding, the image of that white training garb flashed past his thoughts!
Mu had once again returned to its alternate dimension, and so Ye Chong deployed the Harmony of the Winter Aria and flew towards Blue Ocean Academy.
By the time he had reached the academy grounds, night was already looming. Ye Chong had planned to spend his last night here, and also to give the Harmony a checkup as preparation for his departure tomorrow.
The modification workshop was dark, and Rui Bing seemed to have left. Ye Chong was ready to land when Mu cautioned him,
Ye, be careful, there’re enemies inside! 7 mechs!

Ye Chong was greatly surprised!
Chapter 93: The Lance in the Darkness
even mechs, all hidden in various corners of the modification workshop. Once he stepped into the workshop, he would be like a caged bird, unable to leave again. If not for Mu, he would probably would have met his end here. However, Mu was by his side, and Ye Chong unemotionally watched as Mu portrayed holographically the locations of the seven mechs!
From this, one can see the difference between the Harmony of the Winter Aria and Mu. Ye Chong’s Harmony had not noticed the enemy at all. The workshop’s building structure was made of special materials that could block communication signals, and holographic scans of the workshop were impossible. Of course, this was Blue Ocean planet’s most advanced modification workshop, and the design was also to protect the workshop and its secrets from outsiders.
Ye Chong had no idea how Mu could have noticed the enemies!

Mu, you’re too powerful!
Ye Chong could not help but sighed, and looked forward to the day he could pilot a mech as good as Mu. That would be the happiest moment of his life! As for Mu, Ye Chong had no intentions of piloting him. While Mu had mentioned before that he would let Ye Chong pilot him if Ye Chong surpassed him in skills, Ye Chong had no doubt that it would be an almost impossible task. More importantly, Ye Chong had never thought of Mu as a mech!
Mu was undeniably powerful, but with the Harmony of the Winter Aria, Ye Chong was not as weak as he was before! Ye Chong could not help but feel a sense of pride!
Since the other party was obviously hostile, he had no reason to hold back!
Ye Chong did not attack immediately, but instead released the five mechanical hummingbirds he had. The hummingbird scanning system was made up of five blue birds, and they flew quietly into the darkness. Ye Chong waited patiently for information from the hummingbirds. He must first know whether there were any other enemies in hiding outside the workshop. If there were, a quiet escape would be the best strategy for him! Since there was no chance of him defeating everyone here without Mu’s help, he would only be wasting his time in combat!
As the five hummingbirds were released, the images that were disrupted by interference signals immediately cleared up, and the scanning coverage was increased! It seemed that the five hummingbirds were indeed useful!
From the hummingbirds’ scanning results, it seemed that there were no enemies hidden nearby. While the hummingbird’s accuracy and sensitivity within the atmosphere were not as impressive as when the birds were in space, the scanning radius was still up to a good fifty kilometers!
The enemy must have realized the special design of the modification workshop. They were also wary of being noticed if someone was placed outside!
If he left quietly now, it would not be a problem at all. However, Ye Chong was curious to know where the enemies came from, since it would definitely be useful information in the future. If not, he might unknowingly walk into the enemy’s trap some day. Besides, Ye Chong believed that even if he could not completely destroy the enemy, he should be able to at least successfully retreat!
Ye Chong also had the intention of testing the true capabilities of the Harmony of the Winter Aria, and his progress so far.
The currently greenish gray mech, the result of Ye Chong’s efforts, seemed entirely inconspicuous. Even its metallic gleam was obscured, giving the impression of an aged machine! However the lack of a metallic shine made the Harmony of the Winter Aria even more concealed in the darkness, nearly unnoticeable!
Harmony of the Winter Aria flew silently like a greenish gray bat towards the modification workshop.
Ye Chong did not choose the main entrance, since it would be the main focus of any enemy attack. If he entered that way, he would be welcomed with a full range of firepower attacks, and all that was left of him would be dust!
Ye Chong carefully circled to the southern side of the workshop. Based on the holographic image, there was a mech standing against the wall in the corner!
Ye Chong’s lance, Blue Winter, was 15 meters long, and the wall was about two and a half meters thick. The wall’s structural material was mainly a composite of high-strength components, with some anti signal transmission material. However, the latter had no effect on the sturdiness of the walls!
Ye Chong flew to about 800 meters from the workshop, the distance enough to accelerate the Harmony to its maximum speed!
The engines were fully activated! The inconspicuous mech had unsheathed its razor sharp claws. The fifteen-meter long Blue Winter was even taller than the Harmony of the Winter Aria, making the weapon look like an arrow that had just left the bow. The Harmony’s wings were folded into its back.
Harmony of the Winter Aria’s Mach 7 speed of flight was now unleashed in all its glory!
As the scenery around flashed past him, Ye Chong felt strangely calmed!
The hands wielding the Blue Winter did not even tremble in the slightest! The wall of the workshop was instantly penetrated. The advanced energy feedback mechanism allowed Ye Chong to feel the impact experienced by the lance!
A loud boom reverberated, and the workshop’s wall crumbled, and its fragments flew off in all directions! Ye Chong felt a small pause in the mech’s movement, and knew that his attack had hit right on target! Ye Chong was familiar with the insides of the workshop, and knew that the spot he attacked should have been empty. Hence, he must have hit the mech against the wall!
Ye Chong guessed right!
Ye Chong’s high speed impact using his lance was terrifyingly powerful! His lance, the Blue Winter, could even penetrate Black Cove’s mechs, and this time it offered no mercy to his enemy. The unfortunate mech was instantly in pieces. At the sound of a crash, numerous black fragments flew past Ye Chong!
Ye Chong was shocked – it was a Black Cove mech! Ye Chong was familiar with this kind of black mech! How did they find him?
This was obviously not the time to ask such a question. Ye Chong had no time to think about it, as he swirled and swung off a few fragments hanging off the lance!
The sudden attack threw the enemies into confusion! Ye Chong’s ambush had also achieved his aim!
The modification workshop was large, housing a good number of mechs, mech accessories and some modification devices.
The massive Harmony of the Winter Aria moved swiftly like a cat through the workshop!
Suddenly, the workshop’s lights were all switched off, and the room was engulfed in darkness!
Ye Chong gave a chilling laugh. In the workshop, all forms of signals were blocked, and they had no means of communicating with each other.
Hehe, this workshop cramped with all kinds of stuff is the perfect battleground for me!
thought Ye Chong. It was him who had destroyed the workshop’s lighting!
With Mu along, Ye Chong now held the definitive upper hand. Moreoever, his frequent visits here meant that he knew all the corners of the workshop!
From Mu’s holographic image, the crash had invited 3 mechs to fly towards him.
One of the mechs crept slowly towards him. All forms of signals were disabled here, and they had no way of getting in touch with each other. The pilot within the mech began to feel nervous! For a Black Cove elite like him, it had been a long time since he felt like this!

The damned bastard destroyed the lighting system!
The pilot cursed to himself. However, his training guided him despite his anxiety, and he carefully approached towards the direction of the sound of impact he heard earlier.
Without a holographic scanning system and any lighting, he felt like a blind person, groping his way through the dark, occasionally crashing into something. If not for his skills, he would have tumbled quite a few times! While the mech had laser searchlights, he dared not switch it on. It would be no joke if he activated the searchlight, as he would be the most obvious target, and the first to die in the hands of the enemy!
He was despaired, comforted only the fact the Black Cove mechs were highly durable. This made him brave through his worries and move forward! Up till now, with the exception of the MPA, he had never met any weapon that could be a fatal threat to his mech! This was a great source of comfort for him!
Suddenly, a noise came from the front.
Could it be that his comrades were exchanging blows with the opponent? He decided that it must be so, and immediately rushed towards the source of the sound. He had no time to care for the potential damages to his mech, since Black Cove mechs could not be damaged so easily. He was ready to charge his way through to his destination!

Hah, I can finally leave this horrible sht place!

He would give anything to move faster, just a little faster. If two mechs were to work together, he believed that the enemy would not stand a chance!
BANG!
 His first thought was that he ran into something. Before he could react, the holographic screen before him was crushed, its pieces spraying outwards. A huge, cone-shaped metal appeared before his eyes, and before he could let out a terrified scream, the sharp edge of the cone plunged through his body. BANG!
 A huge wave of energy passed through him, and he was dismembered into a rain of flesh and blood, flying outwards along with the fragments of his mech. The bits and pieces flew outwards and landed everywhere, followed by a continuous series of splattering sounds.
He never had the chance to realize the cause of his death!
Ye Chong watched with cold eyes, emotionless. When he saw the mech moving quickly towards him, a plan occurred to him, and he held the lance in the trajectory of the mech. Seeing as the mech was still moving quickly, Ye Chong picked up some mech fragment from the floor and threw it behind him!
As expected, upon hearing the fragment landing behind him, the mech moved faster towards him! It ran straight into Blue Winter, which Ye Chong had prepared earlier! Blue Winter, a most powerful weapon due to its Do Kun stone component, penetrated another Black Cove mech without hindrance!
Ye Chong understood the misconception that Black Cove citizens harboured for their mechs! If not for Mu, he would probably be the same as them!
There were still five mechs left!
Ye Chong quietly counted to himself, and silently moved away from his location!
Chapter 94: Instructor Hak
nly one mech left. Ye Chong watched the holographic image that Mu transmitted to him, with only one last red dot on it!
Just now, in less than a half minute, Ye Chong had taken advantage of his enemies’ blindness and unfamiliarity with the environment, and managed to ambush and kill six of them! Ambushing through the darkness, Ye Chong’s Harmony of the Winter Aria was like an assassin of the night, deft and cruel! As for the Blue Winter, an archaic looking lance, Ye Chong now wielded it with ease. The eight moves created by Mu through numerous calculations were twofold in the current situation! Ye Chong hit his targets every single time! Black Cove’s most trusted mech armour were as fragile as wafer biscuits before Ye Chong’s Blue Winter!
If Ye Chong was compared to the devil from the lowest level of hell, then Blue Winter would be the devil’s enormous and sinister looking scythe, covered in blood! Blue Winter’s most dangerous part was its tip, and the blades on its two sides were like murder accessories, mostly responsible for tearing apart the opponent’s mech!
According to Mu and Shang, the proportion of Do Kun stone in the tip of Blue Winter was far from ideal, but Ye Chong was still very impressed with the weapon’s might! What would the Blue Winter be like if the proportion was ideal? Ye Chong could not help but look forward to such a time.
With only the last mech left, Ye Chong approached the enemy with caution!
The mech moved with care, its back against the wall. Unless he moved away, an ambush from the back would be impossible.
Ye Chong was left with the option of closing in from the left. To keep himself unnoticed, the Harmony of the Winter Aria’s engines were running at minimum capacity, as the mech silently closed in onto its target.
It’s close! Only twenty meters left! Blue Winter was fifteen meters long. With another ten meters, no, perhaps 8 meters, it would be enough for Blue Winter to tear the enemy apart!

Right, it’s time!
Ye Chong was about to move when something extraordinary happened!
Ye Chong saw a blinding flash of light. The bright light saturating his holographic screen screamed into his eyes and blinded him!
Ye Chong was shocked! He was not, however, panicking. His right hand, ready with Blue Winter, immediately striked out like lightning. If it were anyone else, their first reaction upon being surprised would be to retreat as quickly as possible. However, Ye Chong understood that the better option would be to defend himself by attacking!
DING
 A metallic ring was heard, and Ye Chong’s Blue Winter was obviously blocked by something.
However, this gave enough time for Ye Chong to step back. Once the lance attacked, Ye Chong’s hands were already moving deftly across the controls.
Harmony of the Winter Aria moved as though according to plan, riding the backward momentum of the attack and retreating swiftly. The opponent was obviously surprised by Ye Chong’s quick reaction!
Ye Chong’s vision had now returned to normal!
The opponent must have used something like a flash grenade, and now the entire workshop was lit up. Flash grenades were, in truth, very rarely used nowadays! It seemed to have become a historical relic, both in terms of its function and usage. With the various types of advanced scanning mechanisms available, mechs could reconstruct images through feedback from the scanning systems, images that were far more detailed than what the human eye could capture. Besides, the effective scanning perimeter of a scanning system in space was far larger than the limits of the human eye!
The most important function of the flash grenade was to provide light for the human eye, but with the advent of improving scanning mechanisms, it was in the awkward position of slowly being replaced.
Ye Chong did not expect his opponent to have something so outdated.
Through the lighting, Ye Chong could not see his opponent’s mech clearly.
The mech was thoroughly black, true to Black Cove’s style. What surprised Ye Chong was the ancient design of the mech, with obvious Samuel style influence, a popular style from a hundred years back!
There was nothing spectacular about this model of mechs. Even Johansson’s mech looked more imposing and menacing. However, Ye Chong dared not underestimate it. Samuel style mechs were also known as battle mechs. Since long range weapons and locking systems were not as impressive as the ones today, these mechs with their ancient duelling attack style were widely popular. However, with the improvements in long range weapons, and a general paradigm shift in mechs, Samuel style mechs eventually declined in numbers.
However, Ye Chong still approved of Samuel style mechs. He had always believed that these mechs were an undying classic, embodying the most fundamental quintessence of battle! The mechs were designed for close range battles, and while they may look plain, a closer inspection of its details in design that would explain its status as a classic!
Samuel style mechs were undeniably the best partner for a pilot skilled in martial arts. However, that was the reason for its declining popularity, since martial arts was also a dying skill!
Black Cove residents were familiar with martial arts, and even Ye Chong learned a few moves from them!
Ye Chong waited, fully alert!
His opponent, however, had no intention of attacking.
Number 58, we meet again!
A man’s voice came from the mech, reverberating throughout the workshop!
Ye Chong was taken aback!
Instructor Hak?


That’s right! It’s me!
Number 58, you were under me in Team F, and so the higher ups had asked me to bring you back!
Instructor Hak lowered his voice and said,
Number 58, come with me. The higher ups do not intend to take action against your disobedience. If you run, it’ll only be the death of you!

Ye Chong calmly replied,
Is that so?

Hak spoke seriously,
You may have killed these few here, but they were only soldiers of the lowest rank from Black Cove! You may be stronger than all of them, but against the soldiers in higher ranks, you’re still very weak!
On the deaths of his six comrades, Hak showed no signs of pity.
Ye Chong’s voice grew even colder.
Is that so?


Come back with me. You’re Team F’s most talented member in history, and your future is limitless. It’s only a matter of time before you make a contract with us! Besides, the higher ups are interested in you, even letting go of your huge mistake. Number 58, this is unprecedented!

Ye Chong did not even condescend to reply. Will he return to Black Cove, to be the sword in another person’s hands? Ye Chong hated feeling restricted. He believed that, even if he was a wild animal, he would still be one that ran freely in the wilderness, howling without restraint under the night sky! This, as opposed to being leashed on the neck, fitted with steel claws, and tamed as someone’s pet!
Besides, he’s human!
Hak continued leisurely,
Besides, Number 58, that little something of yours should be reacting about now!

Ye Chong’s expression twisted.
So it’s really you!

Hak was unfazed.
Number 58, the silver liquid was supposedly used to prepare Black Cove soldiers for combat. While it may bring you great pain, as long as you learned the true skills of Black Cove, you’ll understand how helpful it can be! It can turn you into the most powerful soldier! However, as you are now, this pain will continue on forever. There will be episodes of it, and you will wish for death instead. Number 58, you must clearly remember this painful experience. It will become more and more painful, until one day you will kill yourself just to stop the pain. There had never been anyone who could live through it!

Ye Chong eyes slowly narrowed into a slit, thin as the edge of a blade, as he stared dead straight at the mech before him.
If the two of them were to fight hand to hand, Ye Chong would definitely escape. He had personal experience with Hak’s weird and powerful martial arts skills, and Ye Chong was certainly no match for it! However, if it was a battle between mechs, Ye Chong was more confident with himself! In terms of the speed of their hands, Hak was definitely slower than him! Besides, a battle between mechs did not involve as much intricacies as a battle between men, and Ye Chong was mostly cautious about Hak’s weird martial arts. However, Ye Chong believed Hak could not apply his skills effectively through a mech, thus increasing Ye Chong’s chances of winning! Moreover, Ye Chong had full confidence in the Harmony of the Winter Aria!
Still, there were a few things that baffled Ye Chong.
How did Black Cove find him? How did Hak notice him earlier? Ye Chong did not believe that they were the results of coincidences. Why did he not use the flash grenades earlier, but only after the deaths of six of his comrades?
These questions occupied Ye Chong’s mind!
Hak smiled, as though he could read his thoughts.
You must be trying to guess how I knew about your ambush!

Ye Chong was speechless, only unemotionally observing the mech on his holographic screen.

Since I’m your instructor, let me teach you a little something. The six senses of an ancient martial arts practitioner are very sensitive. Even though the mech’s scanning is useless, I could still hear things! Of course, that can’t happen through the mech’s sound conduction device! Earlier, I had opened the door of the pilot’s cabin. While your Harmony of the Winter Aria’s engine was quiet, it was still easy for me to pinpoint your location! Do you not want to learn skills like these? Are you not interested in becoming more powerful? Number 58, come back with me to Black Cove! Over there, you can become stronger!
Hak’s final sentences were full of enticement.
Ye Chong now realised his methods, and the sheer brilliance of it! However, with regards to his last few sentences, Ye Chong had no reaction to them at all. Instead, he quietly pressed a few controls.

Hmm, how does he know the name of my mech?
Ye Chong felt unsure.
Hak suddenly asked a question out of the blue,
Number 58, based on our information, you’re called Ye Chong here, your family name …

Before Hak could finish, a silver line drew towards his chest, an attack not forewarned!
Chapter 95: Confrontation
ak’s voice was cut off, but Ye Chong’s blow was also blocked!
Hak was extremely wary against Ye Chong. In Black Cove, the young man was strong and improved quickly, both a shock to Hak! Ye Chong’s speed with his hands were also the fastest he had ever seen. While that alone was not everything, but it was undeniably a very important skill to unleash the maximum battling potential of a mech! Besides, Ye Chong’s strong physique was also better than Hak’s, and that meant Ye Chong could perform more complicated and demanding movements, allowing one to gain a preemptive strike in battle. In Black Cove, physical training was also one of their core trainings!
Now, Hak could only hope that Ye Chong was not too skilled in mech piloting!
Ye Chong’s surprise attack was easily countered by an anticipatory Hak! Hak was also vexed by the current situation. He was ordered by the higher ups to bring Number 58 back without harming him, but Ye Chong’s strength made it impossible for him guarantee that. If the two of them were about equally matched, it would be more difficult to capture the other alive than to kill him. As it was, the higher ups had insisted of him bringing Number 58 in one piece! Hak speculated that Number 58 could be the son of Black Cove’s leader!
If not for Number 58’s cold nature, Hak would have done what Ji Shangyan did, threatening him with the old man Qian. However, Hak expected that with Number 58’s personality, he would not have placed any importance in the old man’s life. It would have been a wasted effort, alerting his opponent and dashing any hopes for an ambush!
However, he did not expect Ye Chong to notice their ambush and returned their favour instead!

A real talent, this bstard!

Ye Chong did not hesitate. He expected the lance to be blocked, and so the Harmony of the Winter Aria swirled, and another cold gleam reached for Hak! Hak dared not be negligent, his right fist blocked and swung, and the cold gleam rapidly faded!
Besides its unique design, Hak’s mech was actually quite average. Only its two fists were fitted with barbs, occasionally flashing menacingly during the fight, and no other weapons were visible on the mech. However, the elbows were clearly layered for extra thickness, and the short and thick barbs did not shine dangerously as it would have, entirely inconspicuous!
Ye Chong did not falter. Hak’s admirable battling techniques were not new to Ye Chong, since he had seen them before on Black Cove! If Hak performed badly in mech piloting, Ye Chong would be surprised!
The green and black mechs confronted each other!
The first to strike would be advantageous! Ye Chong side-stepped and quickly pointed Blue Winter lightning towards Hak’s mech. The cold gleam from the tip of the lance drew a chilling silver arc in the air! His basic training was already part of him, and the few side-steps he took was almost flawless.
Hak saw the Harmony of the Winter Aria’s seemingly plain footwork and could not help but be impressed. As good as he was in battling, he could see the quality of the steps. If it was his own body, he could do it even better, but through a mech, he could only realise his own incompetence! However, Ye Chong’s seemingly frightening attack with the lance did not faze him. While it seemed threatening, Hak had a few moves up his sleeves to counter it! As he saw it, Ye Chong’s lance techniques and his footwork were at far too different levels!
Hak’s mech was called Kai, and it had been with him for two decades. After so many years, it was almost a part of Hak himself.
Kai stepped back quickly, barely avoiding Ye Chong’s strike with his lance. The cold gleam from the tip of Blue Winter swiped past the mech, millimeters from its surface.
Harmony of the Winter Aria turned, and Blue Winter made an impossible twist in the air before charging towards Kai’s abdomen.
Kai’s left arm lowered, connecting obliquely with the side of Blue Winter, as Blue Winter was repelled back upwards! Ye Chong was surprised, not expecting Hak’s inconspicuous mech to have such strong arms! Ye Chong went with the flow of movement and blocked a fist coming towards him with the handle of the lance!
The punch was strong, such that if Ye Chong had not commanded the Harmony to hold a tighter grip on Blue Winter, it would probably go flying!
Before Ye Chong could react any further, he suddenly felt the world spin, and Hak’s mech was getting further and further away from him! It was only then that he realised that Kai had sneaked in a kick on him! A rising fighting spirit was evident in Ye Chong’s eyes!
What great strength! Ye Chong guessed that Hak’s mech must have been strengthened extensively to fit his combat style!
The photon processor sounded a piercing alarm, indicating that the kick had caused significant damage to Harmony of the Winter Aria. Ye Chong was astonished to find that he did not even realize when the kick was made! What commendable techniques!
Ye Chong’s hands moved swiftly across the controls like smoke, issuing a series of commands!
Harmony of the Winter Aria’s engines roared to life, and the mech somersaulted gracefully midair in an arc, steadying itself before landing! Hak was not surprised that Ye Chong did not fall to the ground, it was only natural given the speed of Ye Chong’s hands. Hak maneuvered Kai deftly, and before Ye Chong could barely steady himself, a fist flew towards Ye Chong, fast as a comet!
His lance sprang to life, as Blue Winter moved like a venomous serpent, hissing with its forked tongue!
Hak was mildly surprised that Ye Chong could use the lance so well, and greatly admired his ability to adapt to various situations! One should know that using something like the archaic lance required special techniques; in the hands of someone ignorant, it would be no more useful than a metal pole! However, the weapon was already long gone in history, and even in Black Cove, where expert fighters were abound, few used a lance as their mech’s weapon!
Without much time to spare, Kai crossed its arms to shield its vulnerabilities!

Blocking it, are you?
Ye Chong smiled coldly to himself!
DING!
 Blue Winter’s tip landed squarely on its opponent for the very first time!
His expectation of the lance penetrating the mech entirely was unmet, as Blue Winter only penetrated halfway through one of Kai’s arms! Ye Chong suddenly realised that Hak’s mech must have gone through a special strengthening process! Ye Chong immediately reacted by retreating with his lance, putting a distance between him and Kai!
Hak was completely astonished! He could barely believe that there was still a weapon that could damage his mech like that! His astonishment quickly turned into anger, as Kai had never been damaged in the 20 years of their partnership. He did not expect to receive such humiliation from the little bstard today!
Hak’s face darkened instantly!
Ye Chong watched Hak’s mech coldly, without any emotions! He knew that he had just lost the perfect opportunity just now, and Hak would not let his mech and Blue Winter come into direct contact again. With his skills, that was entirely possible!
By now, Ye Chong felt icy calm!
Harmony of the Winter Aria suddenly accelerated to its maximum speed, and Ye Chong charged towards Hak with Blue Winter in hand! Based on his experience, if his attack was on target this time, he will be able to fully penetrate Kai! The high speed impact would increase its usual destructive effect by a few magnitudes!
Hak may be furious, but he did not lose his rational mind. He knew that he could not afford to receive the incoming attack. He gauged the direction of the lance and twisted his body, barely escaping the tip of the weapon!
As Ye Chong was about to rush past Hak, Ye Chong gave a cold laugh, and his hands flew across the controls!
The double-folded wings on the back of Harmony of the Winter Aria suddenly expanded!
The sharp edges of the wings cut like blades, and after some strengthening treatment, the wings were as sharp as alloy daggers! Harmony of the Winter Aria’s could go up to Mach 7! The shrieking sound of air rushing past the edges was terrifying! Hak immediately realized the danger it posed!
There was a loud sound of impact! Kai took a few steps backwards, a long gash on its chest, cracks forming around it like spiderwebs!
Ye Chong was also doing no better, the powerful impact breaking the wing upon contact. Even though Ye Chong expected it, he was still tossed to a far corner, and it took him great effort to stabilize himself. The photon processor’s alarm blared in full party mode!
Hak was now feeling terribly unpleasant! He was obviously stronger than Ye Chong, but had instead took damage from his opponent. The attacks were also vicious and cunning, which annoyed Hak very much, as though he had just swallowed a fly! Besides, this was someone whom he was teacher to! His beloved mech of twenty years was not seriously damaged, but how could he not be furious about it?
Hak’s expression grew even darker! His eyes looked as though they could spit fire!
Ye Chong could only smile wrily. He had no other way of fighting, since they were too equally matched! He could only sacrifice a bit of himself to cause greater damage on his opponent! He did not expect Hak to apply his combat skills in mech piloting!
Ye Chong also finally understood that Hak’s application of his combat techniques in mech piloting was still meager compared to others, but when using it against him, it was more than enough!
Ye Chong could not help but began to consider the option of escaping! If he escaped now, what were his odds of success?
From the performance of Hak’s mech, its engines were definitely on par with the Harmony of the Winter Aria’s. If he escaped now, the mech would definitely follow him closely like an annoying fly. Besides, who was to say that they had no other comrades further out? If they had comrades, then the one to falter first would be himself! Him being surrounded and annihilated would be a certainty!
Ye Chong considered the matter, as his eyes unknowingly began to fixate on Kai’s engines!
Chapter 96: Survival
here were 3 engines located within Samuel in total – one of them was placed beneath the abdomen along with the others at the outer thighs being the supportive engines. This is one distinct design that made the Samuel style mechs identifiable.
Ye Chong was bothered however. While the Blue Winter turned out to be quite a remarkable ranged weapon and the
marksmanship
of lances taught by the great Mu was impeccable on both paper and performance, Ye Chong felt uneasy conducting his fight in this way. It did not feel as comfortable as brandishing cutters like the magnetic blade or the flaming sword. He was fond of the close-combats as if he was born for them.
Despite all that, Blue Winter the lance remained glued in his hands. It was a good weapon anyway, that Ye Chong would not let go this quickly. The uneasiness holding a foreign weapon had disintegrated into a mere preference of weaponry the moment he witnessed the capability of Blue Winter in that fight with 6 men before. Its offenses were of a perfect score. Even if it were to impale Hak’s mech, it would an effortless attempt to inflict actual damage. Other than the Blue Winter, there were a few other weapons in Harmony, but Ye Chong had yet to test their capabilities.
He clenched his teeth as he launched the mech to propel. Harmony of the Winter Aria skipped its way like a bird with a broken wing – clumsily and tactlessly.
Kai stomped onto the ground as it bent its body like a drastically pressed spring under Hak’s command.
The energy accumulated over time was unleashed, as Kai blasted off like an unstoppable bullet right towards Ye Chong.
Kai zoomed past Ye Chong.
That was very fast!
Ye Chong exclaimed that there was hardly time for him to react! Hak picked such a precise timing to strike back right when Ye Chong was withdrawing the lance. As long as Kai got close enough to this nuisance before him, he would be able to taste victory fairly soon.
Wham!
Ye Chong felt as if he would spit splats of blood in no time at this rate. Hak’s timing manipulation was flawless, and that was discomforting to Ye Chong.
One of the pair of wings on Harmony was truly broken and it had negatively affected the overall balance in travels. Not only that, the aerodynamic of the mech had been disrupted, making it difficult to control! That was why Ye Chong hated unnecessary spreading wings on a mech.
Droplets of sweat rolled over his forehead one after another. He had achieved the maximum speed of his hands on the control panel!
Ye Chong’s Harmony grabbed the lance in the right and backed off speedily, at an attempt to keep a distance from the terrorizing enemy. Ye Chong was too occupied to pull off a fight. A large amount of input was allocated on the balancing of the mech by making tiny adjustments in its positioning using the supportive engines.
Even though Ye Chong tried to maintain a distance between them, Hak had already been absolutely enraged by that moment. Till the final blow he made, his mind was engrossed by the rages after what Ye Chong had done on his mech, while the clear order of bringing Ye Chong in one piece by Black Cove authority echoed.
Providing Ye Chong was still breathing after the fight, with the help of current medical technology, it would not be challenging to make Ye Chong return in whole piece, no matter how injured he was. Hak trashed his concern away as he made up his mind to give this kiddo a
proper lesson
… of life, of course.
This was the moment when Instructor Hak demonstrated his unrivaled skills. Kai moved energetically like an actual living thing in spite of the major injury under his control. Ye Chong was utterly cornered!
Instructor Hak snickered as his eyes glowed coldly at the ancient lance which started to wield slower. If it was not this spear which made him to act cautiously, the kiddo would have been lying on the ground way back! The Ji family was potent enough to produce such a high-leveled craft even at this decade. Hak was stupefied at first glance. That mech would be some juicy details to be included in his report when he went back… with Ye Chong, needless to say!
Although Kai was made out of the classic Samuel’s design in the past, it had undergone several rounds of heavy modification accomplished by the ace technicians at Black Cove. Practically speaking, other than the appearance and placement of the main components being similar to the old-fashioned Samuel style, it was literally a brand new mech inside the body. These upgrades were made compatible with Hak’s powerful unarmed combat skills.
Harmony was immediately in grave danger as Kai inched forward.
With such a fearsome velocity, Ye Chong’s new toy had somehow become a burden to his fight. The Blue Winter, a compelling lance it might be, was still a slow weapon in comparison to such a mighty opponent.
The instructor sneered slightly as he knew what Ye Chong would do. Most of the kiddo’s attacks, counterattacks were from the his lecture back at the Black Cove and those were nothing against his techniques. Hiya! A left crush from Kai’s left shoulder, the Harmony’s balance went crumpled as its body swung consecutively. Ye Chong’s hands hurriedly stormed upon the control panel again as he inputted the command, hoping to regain balance in time. Seeing Ye Chong acting in such a panic, the instructor was joyful. Hak watched his opponent carefully.
There!
Kai’s left arm was raised a little, putting itself into a stance. Shush! Bang! The Blue Winter came piercing underneath of Kai’s left arm, tightly like a sword back into its sheath. As if he was prepared for the incoming attack the whole time, Hak predicted the attack and obviously he did not give the kiddo a chance to land a counterattack. Klink! Kai’s left arm gripped the lance tightly and the right fist struck upon the Harmony right after.
The metallic fist glossed in the dark with the spikes spreading out.
The punch was unavoidable even with Ye Chong’s hacking speed of his hand movements. It would be impossible to dodge the punch fully, considering how the major parts of Harmony were within its range of attack. Even if he turned his engines to the maximum, it would be too late for him to dodge.
It was probably the end of Ye Chong’s adventure.
He lost.
…as if.
Out of a sudden, a glaring white light flashed before him. Without forewarning, Hak’s eyes squinted due to the scorching light. A rumble resounded right after the punch landed as the mech shook a little by the recoil. The processor of his mech then started wailing its alarm menacingly.
Boom! A loud explosion followed at the end of rumble.
When Hak’s sight had recovered from the glaring light after a moment, he could only see a huge dent on the wall before him. The target was nowhere to be seen!
The alarm was still ringing in the cabin madly. Hak had no idea what had just happened. He tried moving his mech but he failed! For some reasons, Kai could not move! He looked at the interface as the processor prompted,
System Failure – Main Engine Severely Damaged – Inspecting – Mobility: Negative! Mobility: Negative!
The bloody red wording peered into his eyes.
In the meantime, Ye Chong had escaped. Yes, like a coward, he ran away gracelessly.
Ye Chong let off a bitter laugh as he stared upon the torn Harmony of the Winter Aria. After all those efforts he put in renovating this beauty, the former elegance was utterly wiped. It looked like trash that could go straight to the recycling center!
The last blow was delivered successfully. The armor of Harmony took the spikes of Kai’s fist like how Kai chewed on the Blue Winter’s impale. It landed a critical hit. There was no plot twist to save Ye Chong. If it was not under an order to bring Ye Chong back alive, the fist would have hit right into the cabin and even a titan like Ye Chong would die in a whimper.
Ye Chong’s mood was brightened knowing how he was still alive. And thinking back how he was still able to make a comeback so gorgeously – the usual indifferent he could not help but to smile slightly.
After Ye Chong had planned to escape, he rushed towards Kai’s engines. No matter how much the Samuel mechs were overhauled, the placement of the engines would never be changed. Ye Chong, the mod expert pinpointed such flaw at first look.
Back when Harmony was still under the modification process, Ye Chong had sneaked the laser sword within its right hand. The laser sword would not reveal its blade when unactivated. So anyone would hardly notice the remaining handle inside the palm. It was an exceptional stealth and quite a dirty trick too! Ye Chong did not use this killer-move right away simply because he could not foresee whether a laser-based cutter could deal with such fatal damage to a mech from Black Cove. He gambled once and of course he won. Apparently, laser swords worked on Black Covers’ mechs like wonders. He was not sure how much damage he had inflicted exactly, but seemingly Hak did not come after him straightaway. That would be more than enough to justify the significant damage he had done. Well, he speculated so.
Back at the climax of their battle, Ye Chong decided to drop the lance and activated the laser sword. Harmony lifted the sword and made an upper slash – a seamless chain of action, so fast it even shocked an experienced killer like Hak, all thanks to Ye Chong’s amazing speed. That glaring light that blinded Hak was actually the beam of Ye Chong’s laser sword upon its activation!
Nonetheless, the Harmony had been torn into junks, while the Blue Winter had gone into the enemy’s hands. It was another horror story for Ye Chong to imagine if he could escape Black Cove’s hunting. Hak was not the first one who came after him, and certainly he would not be the last. The Black Cove seemed to be very keen in taking Ye Chong down. Hence, anyone could guess the fight had not ended yet.
Sigh…

Ye, that was rather incredible!
Mu’s voice rang suddenly.

Incredible? I almost got myself killed!
replied Ye Chong and he laughed bitterly.

It is incredible!
Mu explained,
The probability of your victory would be a measly 8%, whereas the probability of a successful escape would be 33%. In the end, you went after that 33% chance instead.

Ye Chong’s lips twitched as he spoke,
Mu, if you did try to be helpful just now, taking down that guy would have been a piece of cake. For real. I was almost pounded into a pancake and yet Mu, you actually sat back and did nothing?


You are right,
replied Mu.
However the catch is, I would provide my assistance only when the probability of your survival goes below 15%.


And why is that so?
Ye Chong snorted.

Based on the reading I had obtained from previous researches, under such circumstance humans would most likely unleash their potential. Moreover, a pilot would be required to take on countless occasions of such kind to become the true pilot! Since you happened to be the owner of both Shang and I, it is essential to make you the strongest pilot!
Though Mu’s reasoning went flat and calm as if describing something trivial, there was a hint of dignity in his speech which made Ye Chong lowered his eyes in disgrace.
Anyone would have assumed that Mu was being harsh and unsympathetic, but this was reasonable to Ye Chong. Mu shared some points and he deeply understood every bit of it. It was his own life, of course he would be the one to fight for it. Back at Trash Planet-12, Ye Chong spent his life growing on the belief that one would always be the one to manipulate one’s own fate. The relationship between Mu and Ye Chong might be of a brotherly love and a mutual trust, yet Ye Chong never expected Mu’s protection as a form of duty or responsibility. If Mu helped out, without a doubt Ye Chong would express gratitude. If Mu decided not to however, Ye Chong would not whine about Mu’s
irresponsibility
. It was not his responsibility to protect, nevertheless, it was his responsibility to train! Ye Chong knew Mu well enough that he knew whatever Mu did was for his own good. Only one would become a true warrior after countless dead-or-alive battles.
Was there nothing Ye Chong could rely on?
No, there wasn’t.
To Ye Chong, he knew he could best rely on his own strength.

Also, I was recording the opponent’s data during the battle. His battle style was rather intriguing. The final result would be released after some data analysis,
Mu carried on his speech.

Right,
Ye Chong nodded in strong approval from his experience.
Not only it is intriguing, but also strong. Very strong! But hey, Mu, don’t you think our first priority for now is to plan a runaway from the Blue Ocean?


Correct,
Mu agreed.
We would need a spaceship.

Chapter 97: Blue Ocean Runaway
t the passageway for spacecrafts, Ye Chong hid at the corner with his eyes focused on the path as he discovered the substantial increase in the number of cops. He frowned slightly, wondering if the police force was in cahoots with the Black Covers. If that was the case, Black Cove was truly meant for retrieval this time as they actually took the trouble to gang up with the security force just to prevent Ye Chong from running away easily. Without a spacecraft, he would not be able to perform a space warp. Even if he were to use a master-craft like Mu to run away without leaping through the space-time continuum, it would be far-fetched for him to fly beyond the proximity of the police force, since eventually, a few hundred thousands or even millions of kilometers were considered a pathetic length in the boundless universe. <br/>Despite being drastically outnumbered by his foes, Ye Chong trusted his strength. It would not be that difficult to infiltrate the area.
Let’s do this!
Ye Chong was going to lift his steps, then his eyes discerned something – a number of mechs from the Black Cove lurking at an overlooked corner, coveting their prey to fall in.<br/>The idea was scrapped.<br/>That would not work! Ugh, such a pain in the head! Even if I did manage to sneak in, it would be pointless if I could not launch the flight promptly. Any spacecraft would be as slow as a snail without performing space-warping in comparison with the mechs. With those Black Covers’ mechs at the corner, launching a flight promptly would be just a dream! A wild dream! He would be shot into a beehive before he could even boot the engines.<br/>He then wondered if he could catch one of the spacecrafts taking off being that uninvited guest to the flight and escape. <br/>Sadly, there was no miracle for Ye Chong that day. <br/>He peeked for quite a while but there was simply no spacecraft taking off. <br/>
Ye,
Mu’s voice broke the silence.
Let’s just go. The spacecrafts are not flying here anytime soon.
<br/>
What do you mean… Oh!
Ye Chong was dumbfounded as he figured out what Mu probably had meant.
Mu, don’t tell me they are actually holding back all the spacecrafts here? But wouldn’t this cause a mess at the port or something?
<br/>
Look at this,
Mu explained as he read on the extract.<br/>
According to the latest news at the center, the local government of the Blue Ocean Planet has validated the possible infection of the virus, Charles-II. As stated by the ‘Treaty of uncommon and dangerous microorganism spread-control in the 5 galaxies’, any flight beyond the planet would be forbidden from today onwards. In addition, all residents are strongly advised to perform a body check-up at any local hospital or temporary inspection center in the following 3 days. This is to ensure your safety and others. As reported, reinforcement would arrive to provide assistance to the local police forces for the time being. In addition, please make sure that everyone of your family and friends had performed their checkups. If not, please do advise them to do so immediately. If they are showing resistance, kindly contact your nearest police station for not only your safety but your family’s…
<br/>Wow, such coincidence, of all times a virus could have appeared. Ye Chong was troubled.<br/>This was more than a mere coincidence! This couldn’t be a coincidence! If this is some dangerous Charles virus actually thrashing mankind, then what were those Black Covers doing with their killing machines here? Were they… Were they here for me?<br/>Ye Chong speculated so unconvincingly. Though feeling unconvinced, whatever he had deduced made more sense as he thought over time.<br/>
Mu, do you think they are here for us?
asked Mu.

As shown in my data, the probability is roughly between 72% and 76%,
Mu stated calmly.<br/>It was puzzling for Ye Chong. Assuming there would be no spacecraft for him to hop on, his mobility would be severely limited while it would only be a matter of time before he got cornered and there would not be another plot twist for him by then. Game over. However, Ye Chong was bothered as he felt something amiss. While the Black Cove took such a hassle to get him, the FMPA did not seem to have initiated anything – they were quiet, too quiet. Ye Chong did not bet his life on them though. It was just a glimpse of speculation flashing in his head. <br/>How should I get away with this? Ye Chong cracked his head thinking.<br/>
Ye!
Mu’s voice echoed.
Go to the north of Jesha zone, the place where you did your training. Take care and stay low.
<br/>Ye Chong was more than merry to hear the instruction from Mu knowing that Mu must had gotten some brilliant idea for his escape! As he finally got a plan, time had elevated as his primary concern.
There’s no time to waste.
He sneaked out of the passageway and hit the street. He lowered his body as he weaved through the crowds. Soundlessly he hastened his journey to north. The Harmony of the Winter Aria had already been kept back to the alternate dimension. He would not be foolish enough to deploy such badly damaged piece of mech in the public. A mech this broken would only be much more outstanding than a potential outlaw like Ye Chong!<br/>The number of police officers on the street had blatantly increased. They patrolled the area and scanned for suspicions among the pedestrians from time to time. Fortunately, Ye Chong was more than familiar with this game of urban jungle escape after an epic chase on the mech one after another. Additionally, Mu provided pointers on spot regarding his motion – whether to stop at one point or to move straightaway to the alley; whether to take a look into the window pretending shopping or to take the corner at the store. A moment later, Ye Chong had arrived at the forbidden flight zone without much trouble. <br/>It was the same old place he knew – a deserted desert, with veils of sandstorm, darkness and fuzzy vision on both naked and mechanical eyes.<br/>
So… Mu, you have brought me here.
Ye Chong asked out of curiosity,
Does that mean you found a spacecraft here?


Nope.


Then why are we here?
Ye Chong questioned in confusion.<br/>To travel this desert zone, Ye Chong had to deploy Harmony. Tick! He slid into his cabin and activated the interface. Harmony did not seem to be in a good shape, as anyone could tell. Hak’s final blow to Harmony was mortal, with the spikes skimming inches away from Ye Chong’s cabin. If Hak did intend to kill, Ye Chong would have been dead. And if the spikes of Kai’s fist was much broader, the mech would be permanently beyond repair.<br/>Beep.<br/>Ye Chong was still able to boot the engines! Apparently, the circuits were not overly damaged. It looked like Ye Chong had not run out of luck, even though the energy remained in the battery was pitifully scarce after that much struggle – only about half was left.<br/>Ye Chong browsed through the projected news on the processor from Mu.<br/>
As specified by the original schedule, Fred the Great who has been on a galactic tour would be making his arrival at Blue Ocean Planet in 3 days time. Report shows that Fred the Great would also be stopping by the planet for about 7 days. He would be visiting some well-known scenic spots and give a talk at Blue Ocean Academy on the very last day. Based on what the great one had told, apparently the aim of his tour this time is to look for inspiration…
<br/>
And that is the news from 2 days ago,
Mu spoke stilly.
Ye Chong’s eyes lustered,
That means, he would be arriving in a day?
<br/>
Mhm, if it is a day away…
He did not wait for Mu to answer as he began plotting,
That means he’s close enough for us to work on something… First we could pilot a mech to leave Blue Ocean Planet then we hijack his ride. After that, we could go wherever we want from there!
<br/>
But wait…
Ye Chong knotted his brows. There was a catch it seemed,
That dude we are dealing with did not look like any folk from the street. I think it’s still quite hard for me to actually hijack a huge spacecraft with a mech alone, especially when Harmony seemed pretty busted at this instance.
<br/>
Alone? Are you alone?
Mu rebutted.<br/>
Who else?
Ye Chong was bewildered,
Who else would there be? Is there anyone else? Oh, Mu, you are telling me that you are finally making a debut?
Ye Chong could not believe what a crazy assumption he had just made. It had been quite some time since Mu helped him out directly after leaving Trash Planet-12.<br/>
Well.
Mu worded with no emotions,
I had performed calculations on the data available. With the current condition of Harmony and you, the possibility of hijacking a spacecraft successfully alone would be less than 15%. That includes the chances of you acting up out of sudden during the operation. After much consideration, this would be the correct move to the situation.
<br/>
Right…
Taking his current condition into account, he agreed that Mu’s decision was undeniably the best. His mind relaxed as he thought about Mu’s full participation in the big escape this time. Confidence went inflating in him uncontrollably. Was there anything in this world that would hinder the great Mu? <br/>He took the suggestion to heart yet he did not make his move right away. Instead, he took a look around Harmony, just to make sure nothing could go wrong on his side or even if something would, Harmony could still arm itself to fight. And he blasted off through the fluttering shrouds of dust particles into the sky!<br/>The heavy sandstorm and thrashing turbulence were the treacherous signs for this zone, which however had become an unbeatable camouflage for Ye Chong and Mu!<br/>The anti-detection system in Harmony might not be as overpowered as those from the Black Coves, yet it still was an exceptional device. It was a mech secret in production by the Ji family after all. It was outstanding compared to those junks at the flea market!<br/>…<br/>Hak glanced at the scratches on Kai sympathetically. It was not bad but it was irritating to Hak. The scratches were not an issue, the engines were however. They were exclusive to the Black Covers and could only be fixed at the Black Cove. Hak would have to make his travel back to the Black Cove if he wanted to carry on his hunt. At the moment he could do nothing but to look at his mech in blank dismay.<br/>No. 58 was no doubt a terrifying character indeed!<br/>Hak had brought 10 men from Black Cove this time and he had lost 6 of them in between. It sounded like a painful loss but Hak only expressed an uprising cunningness in his eyes towards the 6 men’s death.
Hehe… it did work out my way.
Johansson’s death was heartbreaking enough for him to stone upon in the next few moments, since he was the strongest man other than No.58 in the F group of his. Well, it did turn out to be the happiest news to the other groups.<br/>None of the 6 men were from the F group. However, they were outsourced from the other groups, taking into consideration that there was nobody in the F group who was capable enough to join this operation after Johansson’s death. Hak wanted to do something in the dark to take out a few of these outsourced obstacles in the team, just to knock down the other groups for his own benefits. Taking members of the other groups out equals to better chances of his Group-F excelling! His wish was granted but he never expected No.58 to be this potent to take out 6 of them at once. If Hak was able to get him back to the Black Cove, then F group would be… and then he would be … Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe…<br/>The scheme set off blazing in his heart!<br/>A knock on the door interrupted the nasty plot in his mind. Oh yeah, he was staying with the Ji family. Hak formerly held no impression towards the Ji family other than being a leech to the Black Cove’s authority, but he was very much impressed this time by the surprises. The Ji family was much more formidable than he thought. The 2 mechs Ji family had crafted were about the average level of a standard mech at the Black Cove, with a few perks that the Black Cove could not compete at that moment – that lance for instance!<br/>And it was also because of the Ji family’s involvement in most of the activities this time around that No.58’s escape route was restricted using the forces of the local government on Blue Ocean, making him a fish ready to be netted. Moreover, it held those meddling pilots from FMPA from taking any reckless action.
Impressive…
Hak took back his disdain towards the Ji family.<br/>
Come in,
he shouted at the door.<br/>It was Ji Shangyan who came to him. Hak was expressing much admiration and respect towards this fine young man. Not only he had menacing plots in his head, he was also a terrifically terrible character. A bad man to the core! One of his recent plots was the virus news. It worked like a charm.<br/>
Shangyan?
Ji Shangyan was looking bad on his face as Hak asked grimly,
What happened? Shangyan!
Unlike most young men out there, Ji Shangyan was a courteous boy, even towards a uncle-nephew relationship, which was very pleasing to Hak.<br/>
Uncle Hak…
His voice came weakly,
We tried… we tried to retrieve something potentially useful from that Ye Chong guy’s identity card but the result was shocking…
<br/>
Oh? What is it?
Hak was intrigued.<br/>
Every single bit of his information on the virtual networking system was gone… That includes his every record in the academy, which has been erased. We can’t even find any photographic reference of his now. Everything was wiped…,
he laughed bitterly.<br/>
Ah!
Hak screamed uncontrollably,
It can’t be!
<br/>…<br/>
Heh…
Dodging the patrolling mech in the sky of Blue Ocean cautiously, Ye Chong’s mech had better dexterity and velocity in smaller scope of travel. The hummingbirds were an additional surprise to Ye Chong’s journey. 5 hummingbird-detectors added could radically enlarge the range and accuracy of detection of Harmony! It also allowed stealth-mode detection too. Ye Chong believed that this was the most successful design added to the Harmony other than Blue Winter the lance.<br/>He looked at the visuals projected in the hologram coming from the hummingbirds and gasped!<br/><br/>
Chapter 98: All Aboard!
gigantic spacecraft flew at high speed in the sky. It was such a breathtaking sight, an impulsive view of a powerful contrast. Imagine it – a whale of a size of a small mountain slamming its body right onto you, with the shadow of its body engulfing you completely and one could stop breathing, one’s heart could stop beating by then! Ye Chong was assured that this was by far the most enormous spacecraft he had ever encountered – it was colossal, so colossal that a great mech would feel as minuscule as a mosquito hovering before it.<br/>Beep!
The hummingbirds transferred some data to the interface.
Oh my Fal-
Ye Chong was utterly stunned. His could hardly shut his mouth as the data illustrated the length of the spacecraft – head to tail, a whopping 10 kilometers.<br/>
Is… Is this even a spacecraft?
<br/>A length about 10 kilometers might have sounded grand to a caveman like Ye Chong. Little did Ye Chong know that there was actually a variety for spacecraft models. Depending on the model, the size varied. A prime example would be the spacecraft Ye Chong spotted in the space. As a matter of fact, the spacecraft was a Slan-graded premium spacecraft which would only be produced under special request pre-orders. One could never see a finished Slan grade spacecraft in the normal market. As astronomical as its size, its price was of a whopping length and without a doubt it was not something even the so-called millionaires could purchase on a whim.<br/>A Slan spacecraft might not be the most advanced kind in the universe, however undeniably there was no other spacecraft that could compete its premium coziness, as if it was a flying palace in the space.<br/>The outer appearance was demurely elegant. In spite of its overwhelming size, the details of every single inch of the design was not disregarded, presenting an exceptional standard of craftsmanship.<br/>Being the first time encountering such a giant in the space, it was mind-blowing and eye-opening to Ye Chong. His brain was unable to perceive such huge amount of shock and was jammed for the moment.<br/>
Mu…Mu… Is this really a spacecraft?
muttered Ye Chong.

Certainly,
Mu replied without hesitation.

Are you sure we could hijack such a whale with only two of us? How should we get in? The armor is at least a hundred meter thick. It’s impossible for us to break in!
Although Mu was the guarantee to the operation, Ye Chong was shaken by the size of this thing. <br/>
Ye, one’s capability does not share a consequential relationship with one’s size! It is not strenuous to hijack or even to destroy it. Speaking from a theoretical approach, there is nothing truly invincible in this world,
Mu replied indifferently.<br/>
Really?
Ye Chong was skeptical about it.
Well… It’s not like I have any other better ideas to get through this giant’s armor…
<br/>However, Mu disagreed,
The relationship between the thickness of an armor and the possibility of successful hijacking does not show a valid modus ponens! Smashing an armor to seize control of the entire craft is merely a method of pure violence and also a manifestation of strength under low-intelligence. Take note that the strength mentioned does not solely define one’s vigor.
<br/>
Oh I see…
Ye Chong seemed to have gotten it somehow…
Ah!
A sudden realization struck Ye Chong,
Does that mean the method of ‘threatening’ Shang had taught me before was a form of manifestation too?
<br/>
You are correct. That resides in the field of psychology. Shang is knowledgeable at it, which is one of the reasons that explains a more developed mood matrix in comparison to me.
<br/>
I still prefer the to act straightforward, being concise and simple. These are a little complicated for me to understand,
confessed Ye Chong. To a big fan of nature’s law of survival like Ye Chong, these techniques were truly more problematic to understand.<br/>
These tactics are faster and more effective than pure violence, which is something important you need to learn in future. In spite of my understanding on these philosophies being unnecessary to a pilot like you, Shang showed perseverance to educate you on these. Judging by the situation now, clearly Shang’s suggestion is right.
Mu answered in a serious tone.<br/>As Shang was mentioned, it was both funny and annoying to Ye Chong. Shang was such a respectable character yet he just did not want to put up a respectable behavior. A curiosity arose out of the blue,
If you were Mu, what tactic do you think he would use to fulfill our goals?
<br/>
Negative. Insufficient information. Unable to perform a calculation,
answered Mu.<br/>Well, Harmony of the Winter Aria surely had some really good anti-detection system. They had been traveling by the giant for quite a while yet they were never detected. This again flaunted the strength of the Ji family. They were one of the 4 aristocratic families for a reason. But for Mu, Ye Chong wondered if a detection system that could work against him had been invented.<br/>The 2 hovering mechs wavered like 2 mosquitos surrounding a massive sleeping beast.<br/>
So what tactics are you going to use?
Ye Chong asked on behalf of his overflowing curiosity. Mu had been holding back the details for long enough to thirst Ye Chong into desperation.<br/>
Based on our current condition…
Mu began,
Assuming we were to break this armor directly with brutal force, the possibility would only be 2.5% and below – you can safely presume that as ‘impossible’. Hence, as my forte is performing calculation while having greater influences in the virtual network and all the controlling network in the processors of the spacecrafts is interconnected with the multi-channeled signal system. Furthermore I also happened to have a multi-channeled signal transmitter, with the nature being interconnected with the system, I could hack into the main processor of the spacecraft to seize the control of the entire unit,
explained Mu.<br/>After that much of explanation, it was then Ye Chong recalled the fact that Mu was a top wrecking maverick in the virtual web who had once destroyed the entire Luo family on a mere cyberattack.<br/>
If that’s the case, aren’t you already invincible, with all these hacking-into-spacecrafts processes being like a stroll in the garden?
Mu’s explanation sounded too easy for an infiltration so, Ye Chong asked skeptically.<br/>
What you have stated is incorrect,
Mu showed disapproval to Ye Chong’s point.
Firstly, such hacking process is only possible under the circumstance that you are unnoticed by the foes. Secondly, one loses the ability to self-defend under the hacking mode, thus one could not react effectively if any form of casualties had occurred. Thirdly, if the foes too hold a group of mavericks, even if they were weak, such plan would fail unavoidably. Fourthly, if the foes had shut down the multi-channeled signal connecting system, such method would succeed at a possibility of 0%.
<br/>
Looks like this plan is very much limited by circumstances,
Ye Chong showed understanding.
Still, mavericks are sure strong!
his tone was filled with admiration.<br/>
Correct. The strength of mavericks is a kind of manifestation of wisdom. Comparing with sole physique or piloting skills, it is much stronger. However, it is such a pity that you do not show keen interests in this field, or it would have been a very useful course for your future,
agreed Mu.<br/>
Ay…
Ye Chong nodded his head heavily and spoke on,
Whatever that is related to the processor is alien to me. You can keep them to yourself. Somehow it just so happened that I don’t have talent in this thing. And I still have a lot more things to learn other than this. Sigh, the alchemy was quite interesting after getting the hang of it. But well, all was interrupted…
<br/>
No matter what form of strength you would manifest, remember there always exists no limit to it. As long as the application is proper, theoretically speaking, any sort of problem always have one or more reasonable and correct solution to it!
concluded Mu.<br/>
Right!
Ye Chong was inspired.<br/>…<br/>Inside the spacecraft, the experienced elderly sat on his throne in the main control room. The tray on his left was placed with a cup of steaming aromatic tea. He took a glance at the people running around as busily as bees with their chores in the room. He smiled, showing fond of such a contented life.<br/>Capt. Hatik was an accomplished captain to spacecraft-voyages. It had been 35 years since his first sail as a captain. His face was torn by his age, his eyes glowed with one-of-a-kind steadiness that would imbue anyone with confidence upon seeing them.<br/>Beep! Beep! Beep!<br/>The communicator before him beeped out of sudden.<br/>He frowned as he connected the transmission An elderly appeared in the hologram. He appeared much in the pink of health despite his age, with his face reddish and lack of wrinkles. Apparently the elderly had worked hard to keep his skin young.<br/>
Yes, Fred the Great sir, how may I help you?
the captain spoke respectfully.

Captain Hatik, how far are we from Blue Ocean?
his expression was a little stiff but his voice was crystal clear.<br/>
Yes sir, we are less than a day away from our destination. Estimated about a few more hours till we meet the patrolling team around the planet,
replied Hatik.<br/>
Oh.
The elderly was serene as he spoke,
We are changing our plans. We are not going to Blue Ocean. Change the course to Morienste.
<br/>The captain was undoubtedly shocked,
Fred the Great, sir, b-but, the Blue Ocean is just before us. Why are we changing our course so suddenly? Sir, if you do not desire to linger at the Blue Ocean, we could at least resupply our ship there! With the current supply, we have to stop by somewhere to resupply on the way to Morienste. Also, would not this be a little bad for…
<br/>
No. Don’t have to!
Fred waved his hands forcefully,
Blue Ocean Planet has enforced the martial law. We are better off going somewhere else than being imprisoned there. Change the course now!
<br/>
Martial law? What in the world has happened? That has made sir to change your mind at the eleventh hour?
Hatik was dumbfounded by his decision. Fred the Great was known for his capricious nature by the people, but Hatik saw him as a wise elderly. He believed that whatever Fred the Great did held a rationale behind.<br/>
Yes… Umm…,
Fred’s face stiffened for a quick while then he looked calm.
I got the news just now. The Blue Ocean has been completely locked out, due to a possible outbreak of a virus namely Charles-V. I personally think that the change of course would be a better choice for us. Yes, I’ll inform some of my old friends at Blue Ocean Academy, telling them to keep the wines away. For the reporters, just leave them! They are used to this anyway!
<br/>
Charles-V? The Black Charles?
Hatik’s face was pale,
Oh my Fal Galaxy! How could such a terrible thing have an outbreak? Yes sir! You are right! We are changing the course as soon as possible!
His eyes were flooded with blatant fear towards Charles-V the virus. <br/>
Charles-V?


What? Of all virus?


What do we do?


We have to change the course, move!
<br/>Right when Capt. Hatik mentioned about the Charles-V virus, the main control room was boomed by the hushes of the panicked workers. <br/>
Yes, truly, certainly, absolutely,
Fred the Great became serious.
I think we are better off leaving this planet as far as possible. I believe that none of us would want to be infected by such a nuisance. It is quite fatal and horrifying after all. If that would happen, I guess the Blue Ocean planet would be in quite a mess, so it would be the worst timing to pay a visit.
<br/>
Truly, certainly, absolutely sir!
Hatik nodded his head repetitively,
You are right with what you said. We change the course now! We are ready!
and he turned back to his crewmen as he shouted,
Change the course! All aboard to Morienste!
<br/>In the midst of the crewmen aligning the steers to a new world, at that darker corner behind where the light of Fred the Great’s hologram camera did not capture, there stood a young man with a crippled mech!<br/><br/>
Chapter 99: Brent
Translator: 
EndlessFantasy Translation 
 Editor: 
EndlessFantasy Translation
Mu might be concise at his words, but eventually the plan worked out without a hitch, which was unexpected to Ye Chong. Glaringly he and Mu flew into this very spacecraft namely the Sabre through one of the opened walkways. There was not any request of identity verification and nobody seemed to be alerted by these uninvited guests on deck, as if they were the official crewmen to this spacecraft.
And that was when Ye Chong was literally astounded! It felt like an illusion of seeing how Mu could blow up a hole on the body of this apparently unbeatable monster as if digging a hole on the dough. Oh the impact to his brain! Ye Chong was once confident with his
immense
strength but he lost them all ever since. He felt so small and insignificant the first time in his life, knowing the fact that regardless of how much robust he had grown, he would never be able to clutch the steering this effortlessly.
This was the first time Ye Chong felt defeated by the strength he possessed, which had looked so meager by then. However, the moment of depression did not last upon entering the spacecraft.

Wow.

Thanks to the gigantic size of the spacecraft, the interior of the Sabre was certainly spacious. It did not have the crammed feelings of the usual spacecrafts expected by Ye Chong. The crafter of this epitome of premium vessels seemed to have put in ounces of efforts in providing the most cozy environment for anyone on board. The facilities were humanized by nature, they were thoughtfully designed and were user-friendly – an eye-opener to Ye Chong.
The floors were fully carpeted which felt fluffy and comfy stepping on. It helped Ye Chong a lot because the carpet would effectively reduce the sound of his steps.
While Ye Chong was anticipating a fight with the crewmen being the intruder himself, nobody was seemingly interested. It was strange that everyone hurried by his shoulders upon encounter and no one seemed to have noticed Ye Chong. Even if they did, it was merely because of the crippled yet beautifully-crafted mech behind him that they expressed peculiarity upon. Well
merely
their motive appeared as
merely
they looked. No one bothered to come for an inspection.

Hey Mu…
Ye Chong was perplexed,
Aren’t these men supposed to have some sense of alertness? Hello, I’m an intruder here.


I had just obtained the information of this spacecraft. Apparently most crewmen on this cruise were employed by Fred extemporaneously, including the captain himself. They do not know among themselves, not even acquainted. Nobody else was intimate enough with Fred other than the nephew of Fred who has always been following his uncle, Brent. Mhm, Brent was also given the duty to ensure his uncle’s safety. He seemed to be an expert in combats, probably the only obstacle you have to face at the moment,
explained Mu.

Brent?
muttered Ye Chong, which caused a middle-aged man passing by to take an extra glance upon hearing the name.
Ye Chong arrived before the door to Fred’s room as directed by Mu, who had gained the information from the databank that both Fred and Brent seemed to be staying in this room. The interior and exterior were split into 2 rooms where Brent stayed in the exterior room while Fred was in the interior room instead. There were no guards by the doorstep, instead there were more than 20 cameras perfectly scattered around the door without a single blind spot. It looked like there was also an automatic security alarm system which would notify the guests inside in case of an approach of any intruder while projecting the imagery on the communicators or processor in the room.
An impeccable security it was, but not as impeccable as Mu! These became child’s play when Mu got into in the business, like the lord of a mystical world that controlled everything in relation to his expertise.
Ye Chong was more than jealous of course!

Ready?
Mu asked Ye Chong.
Ye Chong took a few deep breaths before passing through the door. Feeling charged up,
Yes!
he signaled Mu.
Shush! The door opened and Ye Chong stormed into the room!
The opening of the door without forewarning was surprisingly to Brent at the exterior room, not to mention that shadow of a man in extreme-speed rushing into his lair, but he reacted in time.
A simple tap on the button to trigger the alarm using his left hand and a simple block with his right kept everything still. It was seamless, expressing the vast experience this guard held.
Clumsy he might had been yet Brent took that killing blow of Ye Chong without further ado. However, likewise to all the people Ye Chong had fought before, he underrated the strength of such blow as he was sent away to the back.
Chaining attack after successful capture; the habit of Ye Chong’s skillful combats it was. As Brent lost his balance in the air, Ye Chong whipped his waist with his right leg. With that much of strength in Ye Chong, Brent would be crippled by this blow.
If it landed that is.
Brent twisted his body in mid-air and readjusted his position to have his arms crossed before his chest to take this incoming kick from Ye Chong, calm and still.
This was uncalled for to Ye Chong. The sensation of his kick was rather unusual for a man, it felt like a kick on the sides of a lubricated ball. He did not feel the expected impact, instead everything felt slippery and odd.
Brent slid over Ye Chong like a butterfly as he caught Ye Chong’s feet and fluttered elegantly.
Ye Chong could not believe what he saw. His eyes did capture every move of this man but… Brent’s arms were wiggling strangely as soon as Ye Chong landed his kick on them accidentally. Brent’s escape was made possible because of his wiggly limbs.
This had ignited Ye Chong’s vigilance as supposedly his assassination would have worked almost all the time and he was expecting a quick fight with this Brent guy, never knowing that he was the real deal. Although Ye Chong’s face was indifferent as he usually was, his heart was already at the peak of waves of insecurity.
Ye Chong finally decided to take a serious inspection upon Brent. He was 180 centimeters tall, a bulky body and a masculine posture. He was handsome; especially his eyes, gentle like a breeze, comforting to people along with those dimples he made from time to time – a charmer to the ladies he was.
Of course, Ye Chong did not care if he was a charmer to ladies. The position of Brent’s arms was odd enough to catch his full attention. The lower part of his body was of stoned stance, steadily firm ever since he landed while strangely his upper body was … vibrating? His upper body was vibrating obscurely at a unique rhythm. His eyes remained gentle as they were even under a circumstance like this. He did not have the desire to murder – Ye Chong could not see him through, which only alarmed him more.
Coincidentally, he did not know the fact that Brent was inspecting him too. He did not seem sturdy yet his fist landed like a bomb. If I did not act careful enough, I would have my right arm fractured. What a glare he had – filled with blatant bloodthirstiness. Thought Brent as his heart grew colder, his face turned grim as he found out he was not facing a man, rather he was facing a dangerous beast that would feast on anyone upon sight.

Who are you and why are you attacking me?
He might be in grave danger yet he acted in serenity. His tone was unshaken by Ye Chong’s expression.
Too bad his unshaken will did not affect Ye Chong a bit. Ye Chong was finding the question unnecessary, wondering how a man in the middle of a dead-or-alive fight could still speak some nonsense. The man probably wanted to die he supposed. There was no reply from Ye Chong, he acted right away!
Ye Chong sneaked towards Brent, lurking in the dark, unseen like a column of smoke.
If Ye Chong exerted immense strength just now, then this was expression of his immense speed by then. Immense it was, fearsome it was, unrivaled it was!
Brent’s expression turned somber. The last bit of his serenity had evaporated!
Within a blink of an eye, Ye Chong came to Brent’s side as his hands transformed into overlapping afterimages clouding Brent.
Brent’s expression which was somber had turned dismembered.
Thup! Thump! Wham! Bam! The sounds of them exchanging kicks and punches sounded like a tempest upon the window. Brent’s hands were as fast as lightning too.
It lasted for 10 seconds before the intertwining shadows splat as both of them jumped away from each other.
Brent, panted as he bowed, his tussled wet hair stuck at his forehead, held his stomach with one hand, coughing uncontrollably. Streams of blood excreted from the corners of his mouth. He was in a really bad shape.
Ye Chong on the other hand seemed to be living and kicking, other than the frightening marks of palm imprinted on his wrist.
Ye Chong had won, judging by the situation.
He let off a sigh of relief. Obviously the opponent’s hands were much slower than his, even though the opponent was still capable to take most of his hits while the fingers slid his wrist many times, trying to grab his moving hands. If he did not withdraw his hands in time, the fingers could have sliced through his veins. Ye Chong was surprised by the man’s fingers acting like a metallic blade. At the very least his kick landed upon the opponent’s squishy abdomen, that would take the kill!
However, frankly speaking, on the aspect of skillfulness, Ye Chong was miles away from the man despite having an overwhelming speed and strength upon the opponent, which was the saving grace to his victory. Ye Chong was still impressive though, the fact that Brent could block most of Ye Chong’s attacks with his inferior speed while making occasional strike-back. Impressive he was, also dejected he was as he thought his speed was invincible, yet someone with a much lower speed could hold it.
His strikes do not hold any form of beauty. They were wild, primal and straightforward. Such an unintelligent tactic of fighting was utterly depicted on an inhumane beast like Ye Chong.
The scale of strength tilted towards Ye Chong as the foe was severely injured. He believed that it would only take another half a minute to take out this shocker before him.
Right when he was going for another sequence of hurricane dance – beep, shush – a voice came hurriedly,
Hold it!

Ye Chong was alert the moment the door opened with a beep but he could not be distracted from delivering his final blow, especially when a trustworthy partner was taking his back for him. Only Mu could guard his back after all!
Chapter 100: Fred
red’s appearance panicked Brent. Ye Chong showed ignorance to this elderly’s debut however, as he raised his fist,
Wait a moment, Ye!
Mu stopped him with a scream. The rationale behind this pause from him was apparently to avoid further contradiction from brewing since they had already gotten full control of the situation.
Brent seemed very alarmed, as deep inside he feared his uncle being wounded by this beast.
Fred who had seen ample of dark sides of the world was pretty calm surprisingly,
I was not expecting you to take such trickery in response to my rejection upon your request. And I guess you used the same way to invite my old friend Zuo Moucheng over your place, didn’t you?
Anger was embedded within his words while Brent’s eyes were also coated with rage as he glared upon Ye Chong.

I don’t understand what the heck you are saying.
Ye Chong was bewildered, his voice went somberly,
But you guys better be acting on my will.


Hmph!
the elderly sneered.
Save the silly acting skills! We are already the fish in your net and this time the organization must be serving compliments to your plate I supposed. And at this rate someday you’ll enjoy being one killer-whale bounded by the organization as you killed the insignificant others. You might be great, but you still are preposterous and pathetic!


My request…
Ignoring the elderly’s words, Ye Chong spoke on,
Change the direction.


Oh? Change the course you mean?
The mock on Fred’s face intensified,
Very well then, to where we change the course, mister?


Uh!
Ye Chong did not see that question coming,
Um… Anywhere you want!


Anywhere… I want?
His eyes enlarged as he turned speechless while Brent’s face went dazed as well.
Wait…
Fred reformed his understanding to the situation,
Mister, are not you from those men?


I seriously do not have any idea what you guys are saying!
Ye Chong was annoyed by how these men were acting so confusingly and why they could not just act on his orders already,
You seriously better be changing the course right now.
He wondered if he should demonstrate his threatening tactic taught by Shang to make the men move.

Alright, alright, alright. We are changing the course!
Fred looked joyful as he nodded his head, he stayed quiet for a moment as if pondering and then he enquired,
How about Morienste?


Morienste? Is it far from Blue Ocean planet?
asked Ye Chong.

Very!
replied Fred.

Good. Morienste it is,
stated Ye Chong while both Fred and Brent looked at each other, sighing in relief. They appeared much relaxed by then.

Is there anything going on in Blue Ocean?
Brent asked after staying silent for long enough, obviously liberated from his fear and fright as soon as he identified Ye Chong as not the
men
mentioned by his uncle. They were in much comfort as Fred even poured Ye Chong a glass of wine, of the colour amber and he gestured him to have a drink. Brent collapsed onto the sofa and started bandaging his wounds.
Ye Chong did not know what to answer to keep the ball rolling, he just mentioned whatever he had heard,
Oh… They said some kind of virus was discovered. Charl… Charles-II was it?


Charles-II?
Fred was wondering if the boy made a mistake, then he realized something,
Charles-V? Charles-V you mean!
Fred’s glass fell off from his hand as he was horrified, while Brent held his hands and watched in dismay.
Black Charles?
Fred began mumbling for quite sometime. After literally half a minute, he collected his thoughts as his shaking hands slid into his pocket for a communicator.
Brent was so startled by his uncle acting so gracelessly. In his impression of his uncle, he had always been an untroubled great man no matter what horrible things had happened despite being an odd-tempered elderly, which was a virtue he wanted to learn from his uncle.
Fred inhaled heavily as he tried calming down. He connected the communicator to Captain Hatik’s room.

Yes, Fred the Great sir, how may I help you?

And that was what happened next chapters ago…
…
Since the course had been changed and the major dispute between both parties had been resolved. The atmosphere had turned much lighter. Other than that kick on Brent, there was nothing dissatisfying. Brent was not the kind who would mind a kick, while Ye Chong did not have any specific request in mind. Fred on the other hand was rather intrigued by the mech behind Ye Chong as he watched his nephew chatting with Ye Chong.

My name is Brent. That’s my uncle Fred. I wonder how should I address a fine man like you?
Introduced Brent with a gentle smile, trying to break the ice while Fred, his uncle was circling around Mu with his eyes lustered as he touched the body and mumbled occasionally, then he would ponder, strangely he acted upon the mech.

Kun Ting,
Ye Chong replied flatly as he came up with a random name. Well he was still pretty close to Blue Ocean planet, the place of his plagued fate. He would not want to be recognized by someone right away.

Great name. Great name. You have such amazing dexterity. Both your speed and strength are the best among the people I had fought before. There were a lot of well-known fighters who shared inferiority to your capability,
complimented Brent sincerely.

It was nothing,
Ye Chong was not acting out of humbleness. It was simply because he had seen Mu in action before and he knew his skills were nothing in comparison.
Well, Brent took the line as a humble act though. He smiled briefly.
They grew friendly on each other so quickly that Ye Chong did not sense the urge to hijack the ship while Brent seemed to have forgotten the fact that he and his uncle were the hijacked.
The chatter mostly consisted of Brent’s patient description on the world as he realized that somehow this young man who was only a few years younger than him knew nothing about the chaos and darkness in the world – untainted like a plain paper. Even though a kind man like him was agitated by Ye Chong’s animal nature at times, he showed tolerance and love as he imagined the suffering this poor young man had gone through when he was a boy.
They dueled on fists and kicks as their afterimages overlapped each other, which twisted the airflow inside the room to and fro with the sounds of fighting resounded. Such kind of combat was experienced daily by both of them, with most of them being Ye Chong’s victory during the first few days. However, Brent’s tenacity grew stronger in a few days time as he lasted longer on Ye Chong’s fists. The number of times he made a successful strike-back increased and those were some smart strike-backs too, which left Ye Chong clumsily reacting in place. On the other hand, Ye Chong attempted to copy Brent’s fighting style. Though he succeeded in mirroring his moves, something felt amiss within. Compared to the original, his moves felt different. Well that did not bother Ye Chong for long because he was not the kind to be stuck with such trivial detail. While most of his moves were learned from mutated lifeforms, he took a few useful ones for continuous practices. As time lapsed with much reference he made on moves, his attack turned acute and it became that Brent was tasting the bitter side of the fight instead! Brent the helpless man could only boggle his mind to figure out some tricks to turn the situation around at his best. Their skills improved dramatically as they trained on.

Kun Ting…
Brent gently advised,
You might have exceptional speed and strength but your skills were too crude for a fighter. You would inevitably suffer if you met an expert.

Ye Chong understood Brent’s words deep down, however he was powerless in this aspect as he lacked an appropriate teacher to this. Not even Mu could be his teacher, as long as Mu trained him, it never seemed to show significant refinement. Mu tried researching about it but said that he could not find a thing addressing to such issue in most of the major data banks and literally the whole virtual network.
The fighters were conservative regarding inheritance of skills. They had always been keeping it only to their apprentices that not anyone from the outside could receive them. Thus there was no way that these fighters would put their secret techniques online for education purposes. Even if one became the apprentice of these fighters, one might have absorbed a different aspect of the technique as one’s teacher demonstrated.
Seeing how hard Ye Chong trained, Brent considered something in his mind. Since Kun Ting was willing to suffer tenaciously for what it took to be a great fighter and he turned out to be quite a simple person after days of interaction, he might be a good material to be trained. Kun Ting might have had some odd behaviors but that was because he was not aware of the social norms. He was still as simple-minded as Brent would assume. If Kun Ting was given proper education and exposure to the society, he would change very soon for sure!
Yeah, if I get him to master, master would be more than joyous. And I would get a brother!

Kun Ting, if I introduce you to a master, would you be willing to become his student?
asked Brent carefully.

Mhm!
Ye Chong nodded right away. He was long in desire of Brent’s refined combat techniques. It was just that Brent kept mentioning how the techniques would never be taught to an outsider; the norms that kept him out. Brent however did offer some tips he learned before to Kun Ting in exchange of classes being forbidden, which were still an eye-opener to Ye Chong. He was inspired and he wanted more. His desire to join Brent’s group grew!
Meanwhile, Fred had never left Mu even when he was going for lunch. For his own safety, Mu acted like an ordinary mech as he stood there like a statue. Fred’s intoxication frightened Ye Chong,
Kun Ting, just leave my uncle alone,
Brent laughed as he spoke.
He always acts like this whenever he got into work. I had gotten used to it.

Brent redefined his uncle’s impression in Ye Chong’s mind as he provided him some information about his uncle.
Fred, also known as Fred the Great, was one of the few remaining mech-making master in the 5 major galaxies. Yes, as the title went,
master
defined his craftsmanship being the topmost. Being a mech-making master, not only he had to master the designing of the mech’s main body, but he also had to master in designing everything from scratch. That included engines, armor, circuit, weaponries and other aspects in study. As limited as a man’s intelligence and vitality, the knowledge in any study was vast and boundless, it would be a miracle if a man could at least master one or two of them. Only geniuses, those with talents inborn while possessing strong curiosity to research and development could master multiple aspects of the study. While a master like Fred the Great, being the genius of the geniuses able to master every aspect relating to the mech-making expertise, he was one of the few, or even the one and only in the 5 major galaxies.
In this era where mechs were demanded and pilots existed everywhere, one could not imagine how much a mech-making master like Fred could have earned. It was more than just authority, wealth and social status.
Just like the spacecraft he throned upon, the Sabre of the Slan grade for instance was actually a gift from a very wealthy company after knowing his plan for galactic tour. Such an astronomical budget… that no folk would ever dare to even dream about.

Oh… Beauty…
Fred, stared at Mu, mesmerized,
Oh? Oh!
He wiped his drool off as he did not notice he was drooling in desire. Ye Chong could not imagine that old man being a mech-making master as Brent claimed when he acted like a pedophile towards Mu…
Ever since Ye Chong had entered this room, he noticed that no one else would have ever stepped into this room. At most, the maid would send food to the doorstep on meal hours.
The room might be spacious but it felt suffocating to spend day and night inside.
Galactic tour was long and certainly there would be a moment of boredom for a mere man like Ye Chong. Not everyone could understand the romance behind it as much as Fred did. While counting the stars in the milky-way, Ye Chong was suddenly notified,
Ye! Something’s going on in the ship!