Chapter 481: Crazy Training II

hen Ruxue watched the students at the opposite training ground, doing their crazy routines, and reflected to herself that Group 25’s instructor was indeed not an ordinary man. She did not harbor any complicated designs for Ye Chong, as Shang had suggested, but she was a touch curious of him, so she tested him. As expected, the widely mocked instructor of Group 25 was stronger than commonly believed. However, she could not tell exactly how good he was.

She found out from a few female students of Group 25 that their serious looking instructor was very good at combat, and though his mech piloting skills were still indiscernible, he would not be too shabby in it.

Shen Ruxue gave up on further plans of probing him. It was clear from Group 25’s training routine that their instructor was no kind person, but a ruthless character. She did not want to be involved with someone like that.

Ye Chong subtly nodded as he watched the students crashed fearlessly into the obstacles. The students were so used to long range attacking that they would often widen the distance with their enemies unconsciously. They would afraid of getting close to their enemies, a psychological barrier that almost every long range mech pilot would have.

Ye Chong believed that if they could not endure this training, then that they would never become competent close range mech pilots. To overcome this psychological barrier, Ye Chong had prepared these seemingly violent exercises for them.

Now, the exercises seemed to do the trick. At least the students were now all immune to this instinctive fear, though whether the training itself would leave an emotional scar was another matter that Ye Chong did not consider.

His students were mostly trained in combat, and even some of the female students could qualify as half of an expert. After completing these two exercises, his students discussed mech combat among themselves. Ye Chong did not interfere. He felt that it was way easier for them to fight in their own ways before making his observations on them.

However, he was surprised to see that the students fought almost like they were in a serious battle. A few of them must have acted more boldly after overcoming their psychological barriers.

These students were good! Especially the one called Xi Qing. He could always keep his calm, even when in a dire situation, and would often be able to win despite the odds against him.

“Well, I should pay more attention to him,” Ye Chong thought to himself.

Ye Chong’s life became more routine-like. Everyday, he would spend most of his time training his students, and the rest of the day would be dedicated to training with Muscle Man or entering the virtual world. Shang, however, seemed to have disappeared, doing who knew what.

The hottest news in the virtual world were about sightings of red-tailed beasts, casualties and body counts etc, during this time. Some people were able to deduce that the red-tailed beasts must have found a way into Gray Valley. One of the most shocking media out there was a holographic recording of a red-tailed beast swallowing a large amount of energy cells, and then evolving.

This holographic recording sent a message to the people – these creatures could absorb pure energy. Ye Chong was not surprised when he saw the recording. It was just a proof of Fei Si’s hypothesis.

The infiltration of the red-tailed beasts into Gray Valley ignited a riot. In just the blink of an eye, Gray Valley was plunged into mayhem. Public safety was compromised, and news of battles between humans and red-tailed beasts became common.

When the red-tailed beasts entered the atmosphere, their physical advantages were amplified. Humans often had to pay a high price to kill them. The frontline was no longer the only place in need of close range mech pilots – this specialized skill set was in high demand in every city.

Fortunately, the humans were still successful in defending the center of Gray Valley. However, Ye Chong could see that there were more and more red-tailed beasts that entered Gray Valley.

On some planets, people no longer dared to wander far from the city, for fear of encountering red-tailed beasts in the rural areas. The cities were more like fortresses, protected by loads of armaments. Resident mech pilots volunteered to keep their homes safe, that’s why the red-tailed beasts did not manage to breach the cities yet.

The situation would only get worse. Ye Chong looked at a chart that showed the frequency of incidents related to red-tailed beasts across time. The graph was climbing up steeply.

Crysound City’s security measures were tightened. The streets were mostly empty, except for the occasional passerby. Fortunately, with Planet Henna nearby at the frontline, military presence was strong in the area, and it was still generally safe for the locals.

“Ye!” Shang finally came out of his lengthy hiding.

“Shang!” Ye Chong greeted in surprise.

“Hehe, I’ll let you in on good news …” Shang sounded excited.

Xi Qing dragged himself slowly towards the nutrition tank. He lifted the lid on the tank and slipped unceremoniously into it. The nutrition fluid in the tank would rapidly replenish whatever nutrients his body needed, so that he could physically recover as soon as possible.

Once upon a time, such a luxury would have been unattainable for him. He had long heard of its various benefits, and now that he had the chance, he had used the tank every single day. The nutrition tank was effective, but being submerged inside was very uncomfortable. It was like having millions of ants biting every muscle and bone in your body. For that reason, not many people actually used it.

Xi Qing gritted his teeth, looking tortured, but he was holding on. A few students walked past the nutrition tank room and saw Xi Qing submerged in the nutrition fluid. They looked impressed. This designated group leader of theirs was at least respected by his members.

The nutrition fluid reached up to his neck, spinning fast so as to encourage faster nutrition absorption and produce a massaging effect. Xi Qing thought of his instructor, and wondered if he had made the right choice.

He knew that his instructor was definitely stronger than what his performance during the test suggested. However, no one knew exactly how capable he was. So far, the man had not participated in mech combat practice with them. They were also going through the most simplest and driest of trainings. Even so, the instructor had demanded very high standards in these trainings!

Nonetheless, he had completed them! Xi Qing’s lips lifted into a faint smile. He was the first in his group to have completed their training according to their instructor’s standards. At first, no one believed that anyone could have done it as their instructor wanted, Xi Qing included. To think that he had really achieved it! The joy of success made the pain in his body fade into the background.

The instructor had said, he remembered clearly, that he would personally teach combat to any student who completed the trainings. This was the part that he had been waiting for. He would be able to tell how strong his instructor really was, and whether or not his judgment had been wrong.

However, Xi Qing’s happiness did not last long. He had always thought that, with the Research Consortium taking part in the war, it would be over very quickly. However, the war had progressed to its current state, one far more serious than he expected.

When will this war end? Xi Qing wondered, lost in thought.

Arwa’s expression was frozen. Bei Guang looked similarly aggrieved too, and did not say a word. No one dared to approach the Xiao Family’s 1st and 2nd Platoon Commanders, not with the way they looked.

Arwa suddenly burst out in rage, “Those fools, are they suicidal? Didn’t they know that is no different from killing ourselves? Who the f*ck suggested this idea, I’m going to end him -”

Arwa’s outburst came from within the meeting room. The guards who stood outside kept their silence. They could not understand, just what kind of horrible thing that someone had done to make even their calm Platoon Commander Arwa explode in anger.

“The Alliance made the decision last night. Basically, 80 percent of the members agreed to this battle plan,” Bei Guang said with a low voice.

“Are they nuts? 80 percent? This is crazy! We don’t even know what’s inside. It’s insane to gamble all we have in this full on attack!” Arwa’s face was one of disbelief. The Alliance had decided on a battle plan last night, one that would gather all their military forces and charge right into the purple gas cloud!

Bei Guang’s face betrayed no emotion as he continued, “They all have their own men, and it is thanks to mediation by the Research Consortium that they had all joined in the war. With more and more red-tailed beasts infiltrating from the rear, they face a huge pressure and want to return to protect their own territories. You may not know this, but He Yue Galaxy is in chaos right now, perhaps even more so than us. The red-tailed beasts are spreading. Aside from Planet Yi Ju and its surroundings, where the collision army is, the other places are all in a state of unrest. These people are just afraid that we will end up the same at the rear.”

Arwa remained silent for a long while before forcing out a question, “What about us?”

“The Young Miss has agreed to it,” Bei Guang replied softly.

Arwa slumped into his sofa.

“Perhaps the situation is not as bad as you think. The attack will be led by the best and brightest of the entire Gray Valley! Even the Golden Army of the Research Consortium is participating,” Bei Guang consoled Arwa.

Arwa was about to say something, but changed his mind and instead uttered, “I really hope so!”

Chapter 482: Crazy Training III

i Qing’s long awaited personal training by the instructor himself had finally arrived. He had prepared long and hard for this day.

The two mechs faced each other. One was Xi Qing’s D-6, and the other, Ye Chong’s Muscle Man. Everyone in Group 25 halted their training and came to watch the fight. The instructor’s ability in mech piloting had always been a mystery to them. They would certainly not miss out on the chance to watch him fight in his mech.

“You attack first,” Ye Chong ordered simply.

“Alright,” Xi Qing was overjoyed and replied excitedly. He made his move instantly.

D-6 lowered itself down, pushing itself forward with its bent legs. Its engines were on on full power, and both hands were already armed with swords. As Xi Qing watched the awkward looking mech growing larger and larger in his eyes, he realized that he was feeling very calm inside.

The mech seemed to ignore his move and did not react. Xi Qing was patient, and did not get worked up because of it.

Close the distance, get in position, strike his target!

Xi Qing cleared his mind of all distractions as he types the commands quickly on his controls. The two swords in D-6’s hands rotated, their hilts now pointed to the front.

Wham! The mech’s legs stomped heavily on the ground, and as its engines swerved in another direction, D-6’s movements became a blur.

Geometrical veering!

D-6 accelerated abruptly to its maximum speed, and the sword in its left hand silently pointing towards Muscle Man’s throat. His right hand held its sword back, a hidden threat that could strike out at any time.

The students who were watching all gasped in surprise. The series of movements were so fast that it caught them off guard. Some of the more pretentious students began to imagine themselves at the receiving end, and considered their chances of avoiding the attack – they quickly concluded that they would not be able to do so. These pretentious students felt humiliated upon this realization.

Xi Qing had put a lot of thought into this attack. He was smart, and knew that the instructor would most likely ask him to attack first. He would be given that advantage. Hence, he came up with this strategy! He was confident that it would be able to at least cause trouble for the instructor, if not outright defeat him.

Strategically speaking, this was an example of a prepared attack launched against an unprepared opponent!

Muscle Man’s body grew larger and larger in his eyes. D-6 had already locked on to his target. However, Muscle Man did not move still. Could his instructor fail to come up with a countermove? Impossible! Xi Qing dismissed the thought immediately. However, he could not afford to consider it further. He would not want to disturb his momentum just because he could not read his opponent’s intention.

Now! Xi Qing’s eyes glowed. He quickly entered his preset commands.

Just then, the inert Muscle Man began to move!

Knees bent, lunge forward, attack! The clumsy Muscle Man was now like a human fighter, its every move deft and fluid. Its huge body and unwieldy limbs produced a sharp contrast with its movements. The paradox was strange to watch.

Muscle Man suddenly accelerated to a point 30 degrees to the right of the D-6 while swiping out with its left leg.

Xi Qing was secretly pleased. In all the possible scenarios he considered, this was one of them. His instructor would be able to escape his own attack range and change the fighting dynamics between them.

Of course, if Xi Qing had anticipated this, he would have a countermeasure in place!

D-6 swiped out with its right sword, took a right step back, then slashed downwards with the sword in its left hand.

Both mechs were moving fast. D-6’s right hand sword was going for Muscle Man’s throat, while its left hand kept the mech from escaping. Their instructor was about to lose! The students watched anxiously. It was not exactly shocking if their instructor lost, but Xi Qing’s attack was truly vicious and well planned! It did not surprise them that their instructor would lose.

As expected, Xi Qing was a capable man! Everyone looked to D-6 with admiration.

Just when everyone thought the fight was over, Muscle Man finally overcome its passive role and did something that everyone who was watching would never forget!

Muscle Man did not pull back its left leg, which had missed its target. Instead, its right leg suddenly kicked upwards towards D-6’s left rib. It was strange to see Muscle Man with both its legs not touching the ground, while its upper body bent down in a physically staggering manner as D-6’s right hand sword grazed past its face.

His opponent’s move was completely unexpected by Xi Qing. Nevertheless, he did not panic. So far, he had the upper hand. As long as he did not make any mistakes, he would win this round.

D-6 twisted its body to the side, avoiding Muscle Man’s right leg while its left hand directed the sword towards Muscle Man. Even though Muscle Man had thick armor, Xi Qing that knew that this premeditated strike would definitely cause significant damage.

With both its feet off the ground, Muscle Man once again did the impossible, rotating its body in midair like a top! All the students watched in astonishment as Muscle Man turned into a blur from its fast movements, thinking – how did he do it?

Klang! A sharp sound of metal against metal was heard. The sword in D-6’s left hand hit against the rapidly spinning metal body and was flung away into the distance, like it was being repelled away by a hammer!

Xi Qing was in danger! Everyone who was watching realized this immediately. With the sword in its left hand gone, D-6’s chest was wide open. In the blink of an eye, the balance of the fight shifted dramatically.

Muscle Man suddenly reached out and grabbed onto D-6’s left hand. Since Muscle Man was bulky, and currently spinning very quickly, D-6 lost its balance instantly.

Wam! Muscle Man’s two thickset mechanical legs slammed into the ground intimidatingly.

Shoulder punches, knee kicks …

D-6 never had the chance to land properly as it received all the attacks helplessly. The students had been trained for long distance combat since they were young, and had never seen such a violent fight. The two mechs that stood over 10 meters each now fought against each other in close quarters. Every hit was enough to make one cringe. The ground seemed to be trembling as the students watched in suspense.

Dust was sent flying all over the place as the two mechs fought, but the dull and loud sounds of metal against metal could still be heard clearly.

Soon, the yellow dust settled.

The students could finally see the two mechs. A sharp parrying spear was pointed straight at D-6 throat, barely five millimeters away from its target. The parrying spear gleamed with typical metallic coldness. At the other end of the parrying spear was a huge and seemingly unwieldy mechanical hand.

The students gave a thunderous applause, finally releasing the excitement that had been building in them. They cheered as loud as they could, waving their hands excitedly as their faces blushed with eagerness.

Through the hole in the fence, Shen Ruxue watched in shock.

The real life combat training had stirred up all the students, encouraging them to train harder. They were all eager to learn directly under their instructor. However, their instructor had said that only those who completed his training according to his standards would be personally taught. Hence, the training ground was lit up with burning enthusiasm as the students underwent their training impatiently, unwilling to be left behind.

The one who was envied the most on the training ground was Xi Qing. Their instructor had spent almost all his time on him. However, it was Xi Qing who felt the gloomiest of them all. After just a few rounds, his instructor could read him like a book. Hence, his situation turned depressing. Everytime he fought against his instructor, he would be beaten to the ground, and everytime he trained, he would have to be fully alert. Whenever he stood in front of his instructor, he could feel a killing aura emanating from him. His instructor would make his killing aura more and more intense that it chilled him to the bone. Once, his mind went blank until his instructor’s mech pointed its parrying spear at him, pulling him out of his fear.

“He must have killed people before! And more than a few of them!” Xi Qing thought to himself, but never had the courage to ask his instructor about it.

On the other hand, Xi Qing could feel himself remarkably improving every day. He no longer paralyzed in fear at his instructor’s killing aura. He finally understood why the instructor had ordered them to practice those dry and basic moves. Whenever he suffered under the overwhelming attacks from his instructor, there was no time for fancy moves. Besides, Xi Qing had noticed keenly that his instructor had almost always used those basic moves, but executing them faster! These basic moves became powerful weapons when done by the instructor himself. He never had the chance to fight back whenever he fought against his instructor.

However, this intense daily training with his instructor would not last long. The other students were beginning to complete the training that the instructor had set for them.

Every since Ye Chong’s fight with Xi Qing, the other students were all eager to get their chance. Five days later, all the students succeeded in completing their training.

Ye Chong never went easy with his students. On the contrary, he dialed up his killing aura to stimulate his students. He was not skilled in teaching, and could only rely on this method. Fortunately, the students were all fast learners. Aside from that, the daily combat training sessions allowed him to get used to Muscle Man faster. Hence, Ye Chong decided to treat the combat training as his own training, and kept on it everyday from dawn till dusk.

Ye Chong never knew that his actions made his students even more respectful of him. The way they saw it, they had a very committed instructor who would always train all day long, and with each and every one of them. They were also intrigued by their instructor’s stamina. Surely it took a lot of strength to be able to fight all day!

Little by little, Ye Chong began to gain respect from his students unawares.

Chapter 483: Situation

quot;Ye, we have a situation,” Shang said with concern. In front of Ye Chong was a holographic screen showing the star chart of Gray Valley. There were many areas highlighted in red. Gray Valley looked like a sick patient covered with angry rashes, in a critical situation. The red zones were areas where red-tailed beasts were sighted.

Shang and Mu had worked together and decrypted Gray Valley’s virtual world computation system. After overcoming this difficult obstacle, Shang slipped quietly into the virtual world to gather useful information.

There was a spike in news related to red-tailed beast recently. Cities began to feel the pressure, and the number of casualties were hiking up crazily. Even the atmosphere within the training camp had grown tense. People were no longer smiling so easily. Everyone was training hard.

All this while, everyone in Gray Valley had been confident of winning the war. However, the situation had descended quickly into chaos.

Ye Chong studied at the bruised star chart quietly. He considered for a moment and asked, “How is security like right now at the Gateway towards He Yue Galaxy?”

“Hmm, from what I gather, security has laxed recently, but no enough for you to pass through,” Shang replied.

Shang was better than Mu in analyzing intel. This surprised Ye Chong, and it was only after Shang explained that he understood why. Shang was a pro in psychology, and could often deduce useful information from seemingly irrelevant information. This was a quality that Mu lacked.

Financially speaking, they could afford to leave where they were, but they had decided to stay instead. If they left, they might encounter the red-tailed beasts in outer space, and that was dangerous. Leaving Planet Henna right now would be a risky move. Even with Ye Chong’s extraordinary abilities, it was still necessary to act cautiously in the current state of unrest.

In a society of unrest, the power of just one person was like a drop in the ocean. Hence, after discussion with Shang, Ye Chong had decided to stay and observe the situation.

Every day he trained himself by training his students, and his students’ attacks became more and more violent. Even Xi Qing could not keep his cool. Ye Chong understood them, and did not hold back himself. In the end, he organized them into groups of five, and he would fight each group in turn. This allowed the students to practice coordination, while giving him some kind of challenge.

However, to Ye Chong’s surprise, his students were not capable of any kind of strategizing. He had to teach them how to coordinate amongst themselves, how to choose their positions.

If only one of the Sang Tribe members were here. In terms of strategizing, the Sang Tribe would take first place, and the Xi Feng Tribe placed second.

Shang took unexpected interest in his task. He gathered large volumes of recordings about strategizing and tactics from the virtual world, analyzed them, then came up with an original Shang’s Theory of War. To Ye Chong’s astonishment, Shang’s theories were very effective.

Shang was positively euphoric with Ye Chong’s acknowledgement, and remained in that state of excitement for the next few days.

Ye Chong used Shang’s theories to teach his students. Unlike Mu’s precision and accuracy, Shang operated in a whole other realm. His methods were simple and flexible. For example, Shang had designed a formula of coordination for five-person squads. It did not demand fixed roles for each member, but instead acted as a guide for the members to respond to each other’s movements. However, the squad members were restricted in the ways they could respond according to Shang’s theories.

Ye Chong did not study his theories deeply before he began to teach them to his students. Af first, they improved very slowly. However, these theories and Ye Chong’s rich combat experience helped the students improve in their coordination skills tremendously and in a very short time.

Now, Ye Chong’s battle with the five-member squads were no longer so easy. The students, in turn, became even more respectful of their instructor. They knew exactly how powerful they were once they acted as a squad, but even so, their instructor had won against them decisively, every single time.

Just how strong was their instructor? No one had the answer to that question, but Ye Chong was slowly becoming something of an enigma to them.

Ye Chong oddly noticed that the working staff in the training camp did not seem to pay much notice to them. The staff who came daily in the beginning no longer visited. Such a large scale training camp was now apparently left to their own devices. Had something happened?

Ye Chong did not care, and continued to focus on his training every day. His students benefited from training with him, and vice versa. He never had the chance to train against multiple opponents before this. Additionally, the students may not be particularly capable, but they were now fighting with Ye Chong’s typical style – simple but effective. These little Ye Chong’s offered Ye Chong himself a decent challenge.

Five D-6’s whooshed across the training ground in a seemingly random manner, but in fact they had already surrounded Ye Chong. Each mech was covered by two mechs on its sides. If Muscle Man attempted to target any one of them, the other two mechs would step in to interfere.

Inside his pilot cabin, Ye Chong’s dull eyes began to show a tiny ripple of emotion.

His students were getting better and better at coordination. Their deceivingly simple positions had actually set up three traps for him. Each student alone was still very much inferior against a veteran mech pilot. However, they were still new to mechs, and there were no habits that they cannot change yet to suit their teamwork. Besides, they were now at an age where they could absorb knowledge like a sponge. They were also all hardworking and persistent. That was how they managed to form such a real life combat worthy squad in such a short time.

Making things challenging for Ye Chong meant that they were now quite strong. Ye Chong might not mind his salary too much, but he believed that if his students took the exams now, they would definitely pass with flying colors.

Now, however …

Ye Chong took a sweeping glance at the five D-6’s, having no intention of making it easy for them. He fought each training battle with all he got. That was his secret to improving himself. It was also why his students could improve so quickly.

Ye Chong understood their coordination methods more than they did themselves. Aside from that, the students were still far from invincible even though they had already improved a lot.

Ye Chong made a bluff to attack the frontmost mech, then quickly turned back, creating an opening in the squad using this sudden motion. He then forced himself into this opening, creating a moment of confusion in the squad.

The confusion lasted for only two seconds, but it was enough for Ye Chong.

He made sudden veers, quick bursts of attacks, bluffs behind bluffs…

The five D-6’s were quickly unraveled, losing their formation. Two of them lunged at Muscle Man, trying to buy time for their comrades to get back into formation. Ye Chong pbviously did not allow it to happen.

He made another convincing bluff, changing directions three times in a row, and escaped the two D-6’s. H then pushed himself backwards in a few powerful steps, putting himself between the two D-6’s.

Muscle Man used a commonly seen move in hand-to-hand combat – pushing his elbows back to strike – and began his attacks.

Muscle Man was like a wild beast, unleashing all the energy that threatened to burst through its body. The mech’s attacks were like waves in a tsunami. The earth groaned every time it stomped its heavy legs onto the ground. Bang bang bang bang! The steps sounded like a war drum, and it made the students who were watching tremble in excitement. Dust was sent flying all over the training ground as the D-6’s were thrown out of the field, one by one.

The observing students discussed about the details of the fight, and even the students in the D-6’s climbed out of their pilot cabins to join the discussion. Instead of dejection, their faces showed eagerness.

Ye Chong did not use Muscle Man’s assault weapons. This was done not out of concern for his students or making things more difficult for himself. He knew that if he used those weapons, the D-6’s would be damaged, and they would lose a lot of time while the mechs were sent to be fixed.

Even so, he was slowly feeling the pressure. His students were improving very quickly, a truly surprising turn of events. They threw themselves completely into the battle, and were not distracted by anything that was happening outside of it. Perhaps the worsening situation in Gray Valley was a driving factor.

“Ye, something’s wrong!” Shang interrupted Ye Chong’s training, sounding panicked.

A news header appeared on Muscle Man’s holographic screen.

“Alliance Frontline Thoroughly Defeated!” The red letters looked menacing.

Ye Chong read on, and his expression turned grim.

A few days ago, Shang found out that there was to be a large scale military operation at the frontline. Ye Chong found himself thinking about that piece of intel as he read the news. It seemed to have come from an interview with a few mech pilots who survived. The United Army had gathered all available forces in a bid to kill all the red-tailed beasts in the purple gas cloud and end the war, but had instead lost the battle. It was said that less than 10 percent of the soldiers returned alive. More importantly, a large group of red-tailed beasts were heading their way! The creatures were pursuing the retreating soldiers, and may force their way into the heart of Gray Valley.

Ye Chong spoke in a low voice, “Shang, show Gray Valley’s star chart.”

A star chart showing Gray Valley in the center leapt up into Muscle Man’s holographic screen. Ye Chong studied the chart, and his heart sank even further.

Eastlight was the closest planet to the front line, and right behind it was Henna.

Chapter 484: Reaction

quot;Oh, by the way, Ye, just a moment ago, all the Research Consortium staff had left the training camp. This means that, as of now, we are the only ones left in the camp,” Shang added lazily.

“They left?” Ye Chong raised a brow.

“Yes, they just got the news too. Ye, by tomorrow morning, probably the whole of Planet Henna will have known. If we’re leaving, we gotta be quick. Remember to bring the students with you. Tsk tsk, can’t be a commander without soldiers. Ah, the girl’s here to see you.” Just as Shang finished, Ye Chong noticed a mech approaching him.

Shen Ruxue landed her mech hastily, not far from Muscle Man. The students saw that the female instructor was here to see their instructor, and quickly gave way. Their instructor was a silent man, but a hero nonetheless, and it was only natural for a hero to have a beauty with him.

Shen Ruxue came out of her pilot cabin, looking nervous. Ye Chong came out of Muscle Man as well. Shen Ruxue quickly came forward and started clumsily, “Did you notice anything unusual in the camp?”

“What’s unusual?” Ye Chong’s face betrayed nothing.

“The staff are all gone, and I can’t reach any of them. Something’s not right, I think we might have a problem,” Shen Ruxue said anxiously.

Ye Chong studied Shen Ruxue for a moment, and recalled Shang’s words. Of course they were leaving Henna, it was only a matter of how. Leaving would require two things – a starship and defensive measures. The starship would be easy. If he worked together with Shang, hijacking a starship was a walk in the park. The problem now was securing their safety while they were travelling. Planet Henna was surrounded by areas where red-tailed beasts were known to prowl. They would not survive the journey in outer space without enough defensive measures.

Ye Chong quickly made his decision. He would tell everything he knew to this woman. “The front line has collapsed in defeat. The Research Consortium staff have left.”

Shen Ruxue turned pale. She saw that Ye Chong was not joking, and finally understood the situation they were all in.

Back in the training ground, 40 D-6’s lined up in two neat formations. In front of them, 40 students stood in two groups of formation as well. Shen Ruxue stood beside Ye Chong, still in a daze. She was still trying to digest what Ye Chong had told her. Suddenly, she noticed something odd. Why would he be the first person she thought to ask? Could she have inadvertently acknowledged that this apathetic instructor of Group 25 to be stronger than her?

The 40 students noticed how they were two groups gathered in the same location, and did not understand what was going on.

Ye Chong looked at them all, and said plainly, “The front line has lost. The red-tailed beasts will reach here very soon. The Research Consortium staff have left. You have two hours to bring your families here. I will have an escape plan ready.”

The 40 students stared blankly at Ye Chong as he looked to the watch on his wrist.

“The time is now 1420, meet up back here at 1620.” His cold voice was devoid of emotion.

After that, Ye Chong said nothing more, showing only a serious expression.

Ye Chong’s students looked to each other, then quickly climbed into their mechs and went their separate ways. They trust in their instructor, and besides, the recent behavior of the Consortium staff had roused suspicious.

Shen Ruxue’s students still looked shocked and doubtful. They exchanged looks, but none of them moved.

Shen Ruxue sighed to herself, and spoke up, “Everyone, go now. His words are true, let’s not waste time.”

Her students looked terrified, but quickly rushed to their mechs. Shen Ruxue had already been acknowledged by her students, winning their trust.

“Ye, these 20 students have to be drilled,” Shang emphasised on the word “drilled”.

Ye Chong assented. He understood what Shang meant. If these students failed to follow orders in future, it would be a big problem. Better to train them beforehand. However, time was something they were short of right now, so it would have to wait until after hijacking their means of escape.

Allowing the students to return and bring their families along was Shang’s idea. Shang explained in detail to Ye Chong the reasoning behind it. There must be many family members for all these students, and it may seem like a larger burden on their escape plan. However, it was the only way to persuade the students to leave with him. Besides, if they encountered any danger, the students would naturally fight with all they got to protect their families. On the other hand, the starship was large enough to accommodate everyone with room to spare, requiring no further effort from Ye Chong.

Shang concluded that it was an all-benefits-and-no-harm bargain.

Ye Chong mused over his reasoning, realizing that there was a lot of thought was put into this seemingly generous offer. Shang and Mu are truly very different!

“Let me reintroduce myself. I am Group 24’s instructor, Shen Ruxue. I think that we’re going to be partners in the foreseeable future.” Shen Ruxue finally composed herself, and realized that she did not know this instructor’s name, only referring to him as Number 231. In fact, the Research Consortium did not require real names and information in order to be hired. This was a norm in Gray Valley. There were no countries in Gray Valley, and territorial boundaries were many and complicated. It was too easy to forge an identity.

“Jay!” Ye Chong replied to Shen Ruxue with his fake name that Shang had conjured up for him. Ye Chong did not feel guilty at all for lying about his name. It was becoming second nature.

Shen Ruxue asked straightforwardly, “Do you have a plan?”

Shen Ruxue’s skin was tanned, probably due to prolonged outdoor activity. Her body was all muscles and no fat, and her fitting combat uniform traced her curves clearly. She had short and clear cut hair, a sharp chin and arching eyebrows. Upon closer inspection, he found that this female mech pilot actually refreshing, with perfectly balanced facial features.

The now calm Shen Ruxue looked honest and open, lacking the typical shyness found in other women. She smiled when she noticed Ye Chong’s gaze on her, unannoyed by it. She could see that this Jay guy was not leering at her.

Ye Chong found himself impressed by her a little more. He had always been very choosy with his comrades. So far, the only ones that he acknowledged as comrades were Mu, Shang and Rui Bing.

Rui Bing … That training garb, white as snow, the girl who sat high and straight …

Ye Chong quickly gathered his thoughts and replied calmly, “I have many.”

“Many?” Shen Ruxue looked surprised. She studied the reserved man beside her, and could not see anything unusual about him. She was about to ask him some more when Jay closed his eyes and sat down. Shen Ruxue hesitated before joining him on the floor.

Ye Chong was conversing with Shang.

“Ye, I’ve checked all the starships in the docking zone. Today, there are a total of 125 starships scheduled for departure. 16 of them are large-sized starhips. Six of these are already filled up with goods. Two of them carry maintenance parts, while the other four carry goods including energy cells. Our main options are these four starships.”

Shang paused, unable to hide his excitement. He was always more interested in these kind of activities.

“These four starships are not too heavily guarded. However, the one called Haskel has the weakest security. Hence, this will be our main target.”

Ye Chong listened closely, taking in every detail.

“Haskel will leave at 2250, but her crew will assemble at 1900. Our operation must be carried out before 1900. Ye, I will first hack into their control photon processor to take over their starship systems. I believe this operation will not too difficult for you, but there are a few things to keep in mind. To avoid causing any damage to the starship, I think it’s better if you don’t attack with mechs. Haskel’s crew will keep the starship flying, so their safety is of the highest priority.”

Ye Chong thought through Shang’s plan and did not see any obivious holes. They decided to go ahead with the operation.

By then, some of the students had already returned with their families. Since they were brought to the training camp so abruptly, they looked mostly confused and afraid. The families discussed amongst themselves in bafflement. Most of them looked at Ye Chong doubtfully.

Xi Qing was from Crysound City, so he was the first to come back. He brought not only his family members, but also his good friend White. White himself had no surviving family members since his parents died two years ago.

Xi Qing settled his family down before rushing back to Ye Chong, panting. White remembered Number 231 as a failed instructor, and could not believe that the front line had lost. He was only here because of his friend. In fact, he believed that all this trouble was some trick played by the failed instructor.

“Instructor, what do we do next?” He had hurried to and from his home, and could barely catch his breath. However, deep down, he was feeling excited. Shen Ruxue was now looking at Xi Qing.

Ye Chong opened his eyes, took a glance at Xi Qing, then dropped a bombshell, “We’re hijacking a ship.”

Chapter 485: Haskel

t dock, it was a lively sight. People were walking towards all directions. Everything was peaceful. Apparently the news of defeat had yet reached the ears of the folks. Spaceships, easily a thousand of them, came in different sizes, were parked at every empty lot at the docking zone. There were ships leaving while there were also ships that had just arrived from a long journey.

Ye Chong were leading his party, consisted of Xi Qing, White and two random trainees whose names were Zhao Gang and Shu respectively. The two trainees were the outstanding performers in the group other than Xi Qing. Zhao Gang was a brave fighter, a careful one too, while Shu was a rather strategic, situational fighter with a stern, cold personality. Three of them were the best students who had won over Ye Chong’s trust with their capabilities.

Well, Ye Chong never knew he was actually educating his trainees. Having them in company would no doubt be a strategy to broaden their horizon while providing them opportunities to learn further about the world outside the classroom. Ye Chong did not intend to do that, he just felt their skills could mature faster, while being able to have a safer journey through this accompaniment.

Other than White, who looked confused and tensed, Xi Qing and Shu were looking calm. Zhao Gang was excited in the meantime.

Ye Chong, on the way to the docking zone, gave a briefing on the few dos and don’ts while stealing a ship. Yes, they were going to steal a spaceship. Nope, it was not proposed by Shang the evil genius but Ye Chong after a few thoughts himself. Ye Chong believed it was necessary to show these children the true, gruesome side of wars. They were calm and intelligent but they were still children who had never experienced wars, a dead-or-alive situation. And Ye Chong was well-aware of how the upcoming journey would impose peril on them. There could be red-tailed beasts anywhere, there could also be pirates or any opportunistic robbers who eyed at their fragile appearance.

He had these four children with them, so they could have a careful look, a direct experience on what battles truly were. Well, there was not much risk to be frank, Ye Chong was capable to settle most dangers by himself, so it should be a golden opportunity for the children. Shang not only agreed but also was very much impressed at his idea.

Ye Chong’s group of children did not catch any attention inside the decking zone. Soon they had already arrived by Haskel, the target this time.

It was a giant spaceship.

Thought the children when they spotted Haskel. Their faces were pale.

“Please don’t tell me we are stealing this giant…” They looked at Ye Chong in utter doubts.

Stealing a gigantic spacecraft while there were only 5 of them? That was insane. It would be a game-over before Player 1 hit the gate!

The children thought they would be sneaking into a tiny, overlooked spaceship at one corner. But hell they were wrong.

Haskel was a spaceship with a length about 17.8 kilometers, categorized as Large in spaceship sizing. One could hardly see over 100 units of such model in Gray Valley, especially when half of them were under the consortium’s examination.

Xi Qing could feel his tininess as he set his eyes upon the ship. The instructor almost sounded like a crackpot when he pointed at the ship. The plan felt bizarre to Xi Qing, as his heart raced. To be honest, he was pessimistic with the plan. It was clear that Haskel was under careful guard. There should be a kind of defense mechanism that would prevent intruders. It was certainly a fight against the whale yet he did not retreat. The instructor might sound like a crackpot but he was a careful strategist. It must not be a wild plan coming from him. It was the trust that kept Xi Qing in line.

His lips cracked as he licked slowly. He had never conducted anything this exciting since he was birth. He looked at his mates whose gestures too had been stiffened by the electrifying thrill. The docking zone was busy. People were occupied by the loading schedule. No one bothered to lay even a glance at the strange group of children awkwardly lifting their steps.

They then shifted to a dark corner. Ye Chong looked at his trainees, “That, is Haskel. The target this time, just in case any of you was lost. There are 9 entrances. We would be infiltrating through the 7th entrance. Now, the important information. Listen, I would only say it once.” Anticipation intensified as Ye Chong stared the children with his soulless eyes, “Act fast. No survivors.”

What?

Xi Qing flinched. His horrified eyes looked back into the abyss of the instructor’s eyes. He and his mates lowered their heads.

Was Xi Qing right on this? The instructor is indeed a real deal? A ferocious killer?

White was astonished.

Ye Chong turned away after giving his final command, with no spare time for the novices.

“Shang, how’s the preparation?” asked Ye Chong.

“Done. Make your move~” said Shang in relaxation.

“Move!” He turned back to the children and urged them, before sprinting towards Haskel, with the children followed.

The 7th entrance was empty. There was nobody but the gate to the corridor was shut.

How do we even get in there?

Xi Qing was very bewildered, as he observed the gate while they ran.

It was a gate with extremely, almost colossally thick armor, made out of probably a highly dense and strong alloy. No one could break in with brute’s force while the instructor did not seem to be deploying his mech anytime soon. He just sprinted on.

They were approaching the gate, crashing soon. The instructor did not seem to be decelerating. Instead, he accelerated.

Were they going to do a meteor strike on the gate? The group was confused. At the next millisecond, the gate suddenly opened itself, as if connected to the instructor’s will. The timing was impeccable.

The children’s eyes were large.

Did the instructor make an “arrangement” beforehand?

Who is he?

That was when the children realized the monosyllabic instructor, who lived up to the action-speaks-louder-than-words spirit, could be a somebody.

But well, they had to steal a ship. No time for figuring that out at the moment.

The corridor was illuminated by the lamps at first. But it went out completely the moment they went in and heard a loud shout which shocked them.

“Who are you!?” Shouted from the interior, which a hmph, thump and dead silence followed. The children hesitated as their steps jerked, “Follow up!” Ordered the instructor ahead, which caused them to accelerate.

They then passed by a man passing out on the deck, with a distorted neck.

Oh the cruelty. The children was having cold sweat.

The instructor just moved on indifferently, which sent chills to their soul. They thought they knew their instructor, that maybe they had “tamed” him, but the horror returned. It was not because of his strength, but his indifference towards the dead, as if he once crawled out of the corpses and stood upon them after an apocalypse.

There were impression, fear and curiosity in their mind. A very complicated feelings they reckoned.

“FOCUS!” Frowned Ye Chong as he shouted and turned back as he ran.

The children went back to the reality and followed Ye Chong carefully.

Xi Qing was surprised that the instructor seemed extremely familiar with the layout of this ship. He did not have any form of reference with him, nor he ever got lost. He did not even look at the signs, or try checking out the rooms. And he had a shadow partner somewhere in the ship, who provided impeccable assistance.

As the instructor said, “Act fast. No survivors,” the instructor was efficient in taking out his foes. The foes always collapsed before they could take any action. It was then Xi Qing was reminded of the instructor’s insane brawling skills again. The most memorable one this time? He would say the battle of 1v12, which lasted only 48 seconds. None of the 12 men survived!

Dead bodies were everywhere, with distorted expression and anatomy. Blood painted the ground.

Xi Qing could feel his inside getting restless, and he heard White throwing up. It was a signal when he smelled the death. He finally could not hold the disgust wrenching his inside as he puked. Zhao Guo and Shu also halted and omitted.

Ye Chong stopped and looked at the trainees.

“Man, Ye, your students are weak,” teased Shang.

“It’s always the most unbearable the first time. They would do better the next.” Replied Ye Chong.

“Well, if we have the next that is. To be honest, I am very much worried when we are having a bunch of kids in the team,” said Shang.

“More is better than nothing,” responded Ye Chong.

“Oh?” Flinched Shang, “Hahahah! You are right. It’s still better than getting stuck here forever!” He seemed to have remembered something, “Oh yes, Ye, almost forgot, I need to open the air valve for you. The smell must be unbearable. These kids need to learn about hygiene, particularly the right spot to discharge their lunch, seriously, who else is going to take care of their mess after this?” Ranted Shang.

“It’s alright,” said Ye Chong. The smell was nothing compared to Trash Planet-12. He was used to that.

“The kiddos had done discharging. Ye, we need to catch the time,” reminded Shang. The quicker they completed the operation, the less likely things would go wrong. Shen Ruxue was guarding the base at the moment and honestly both Ye Chong and Shang had little confidence in her capabilities.

“Mhm,” said Ye Chong, as he looked at the children standing up after the overwhelming disgust, appearing pale.

Well Xi Qing felt better after throwing up, though fading fear lingered in his thoughts. He glanced at the instructor who still looked indifferent. His heart skipped a beat for a sudden, for some reason.

“Let’s move, we are running out of time,” said Ye Chong calmly as he began heading towards the gate with a password lock.

Chapter 486: Take Off

nce the algorithm exclusive to Gray Valley had been decoded, Mu/Shang the legendary top Maverick managed to demonstrate hacking to the gate. Within twinkling of eyes, Mu/Shang had seized the control of the entire spaceship. No one on the ship was able to discern the sudden change of ownership. Well, even if any of the sailors noticed the phenomena, Mu/Shang had full control of all sealing gates. None of these observant workers could leave their room.

And that was how Ye Chong leisurely cleared the deck.

In reality, he did not literally clear everything. Although he did have a complete list of these combative obstacles to knock down, he did not have the time. The news of defeat arrived Henna way faster than Shang had predicted, as he detected commotions in certain areas. And both Ye Chong and Shang were fairly convinced that it would only be a matter of time till the commotion reached every corner of the planet.

Other than the time left being insufficient, Ye Chong found the defense of the ship to be weak, too weak in fact. There were only a few teams of trainees patrolling on the ship, which was uncommon for a spaceship. He did weaken the defense further by taking out all the leaders but he seriously would not want to be welcomed with some unknown surprises hidden in the ship later. Well, still he had completed all the tasks for his plan. It took him and his vanilla apprentices an hour or so. Speaking of the vanillas, they had been drilled the bloodthirstiness and had started learning combats the true way.

They were superior but were still not a match to the adults singlehandedly. So they would fight in pairs, taking out enemies in a joint attack. That… was not exactly as efficient as one would have imagined. The shouts and punches lingered in the emptied vessel whenever Ye Chong cleared out every target in sight. Those came from the hardworking trainees of his who were still handling two enemies in pairs. Ye Chong would not provide assistance. It would be a quick kill of not only enemies but also opportunity if he would. These living dummies would promote quick growth for his students. No doubt!

Haskel was chaotic, as the remaining crew realized they had lost control of all electronic units. The sealing gates were tightly sealed. So they were technically stuck, with their own fear as well as a land-mowing killing machine.

The indifferent young man and his 4 violent minions had shattered the security in the crew, as the pilots were smashed.

No one could stop the slaughterhouse, the pack of hungry wolves. The surviving crew was confused though, since it appeared that these attackers had a specific set of targets, that they spared the few crew members, as they walked the crew members by, as if the crew members never existed.

People were restless, as they awaited the deadly time. Never once they expected such a severe security breach, especially conduced by such barbarians. They were the fourth largest weapon supplier in Gray Valley and certainly they spoke louder compared to the folks on the street. No organization would want to mess with them. Gangsters? They ran away before the safety pin was even pulled from the grenade. And the irony? Despite the weaponry and authority they gained from it, their fate was going to be determined by a few young men raiding their ship.

Beep That was when every single screen of their communicators shone.

“Fellow crewmen, I believe all of you are fully aware of what had just happened to your ship. I’m sorry but the ship now has switched its owners. All existing contracts would have their ownership transferred to the new boss of Haskel. Should you have any ‘inquiry’, just ask, you have all the rights to do so. Hehehehe…” The rascal voice rang like a blizzard upon their back. There was a pause, then the rascal voice continued, “As all of you had done a great work, there won’t be any reformation necessary, we would take off in 2 hours. Be prepared or the consequences might be … undesirable. Hmmm, hah! Don’t be afraid, you’ll be ever safer than ever as long as you do your works right. You have me on your side, well except if you want to switch side, then I’ll…” The threat was clear in this one.

Tick And the screen turned off. Silence returned.

The crew members were looking confused, at a loss of idea on where to start at first. But that realization came simultaneously on each of them that they jerked, as if gotten electrocuted, and began walking around getting into position. They were unaware of the hijacker but they were fully informed of what bloodshed the hijacker had created outside, and they absolutely would not want another bloodshed to happen.

The leaders had been slaughtered. The crew members, the pawns remained in the field and they should be doing what pawns were supposed to do.

…

“Phew.” Ye Chong let out a sigh of relief after securing the ownership of the ship with Shang. He might have a long health bar, but after so long he still got tired. His students, Xi Qing and the rest had already blended with the floor after collapsing.

Although they looked dead tired, Ye Chong insisted them to pilot a miniature vessel to escort the other trainees and their families.

Another hour lapsed in the process. Out of the 40 trainees, only 33 came. The 7 missing trainees? They were from Shen Ruxue’s group. So, it was naturally justified. Everyone dropped their jaws upon seeing the gigantic Haskel. They could not imagine how Ye Chong hijacked the entire ship with only 5 of them.

The trainees were astonished in the beginning, but excitement soon colored their expression. It was a dream-came-true for most of them to be able to fight on a such a giant spaceship.

Shang had made the arrangement. So there were sailors to lead them to the accommodation.

Right after the newly joined passengers settled down, the screen was turned on again.

It was a projection of the entire pathway, towards which crowds were flooding. Noises, screams, of fear and agitation could be heard. The crew members held their steps as they looked upon the screen, again bewildered of the happening.

What happened?

“I believe you have seen what was going on the screen. I hereby inform all of you a bad news. The front-line had fallen. The alliance had lost. And by that I also believe you all should know what it means.” Said Shang, as the visuals changed rhythmically, of every corner of the largest city on Henna where citizens were frantically scurrying everywhere.

It was hell on Henna.

It was dead silent in Haskel.

“This place has already been turned to hell and very likely most of the residents would not be able to escape this. Any form of migration, evacuation, transfer would not be possible.” The tone was cold, so cold that it ached the crew members.

“There is no time for sentiment. All of you are not in a position to do that yet. Now, think of your fate … and fight for it. Think of your family, your wife, your children. If you want to die right here and right now, then so be it. But what would happen to them? What would be their fate? Would they even have a future? No, save the thinking. You don’t need to think about that. All you need to think is to live. Yes, to live. We just need to live. But what could guarantee our living? The armor of Haskel? The weapon of hers? No. It’s your contribution! Every bit of your strength and every ounce of your courage, to fight for the next break of dawn.” It came flatly yet it struck every single crew member in the room.

Ye Chong was rather impressed by Shang for he was able to raise the will in the people with simply a few words.

“Ye, we are going to fly. We have to depart now or we might crash into other spaceships,” suggested Shang. He was right, the pathway was already chaotic. There was no longer anything recognizable as traffic. They got to force their way into the space.

“Mhm, let’s go,” nodded Ye Chong.

“All crew member, prepare for departure.” The order was passed and soon they could hear the loud buzzes made by the heating engine, along with the cracks of the unmoved crates once laid next to it.

Haskel was departing, as gradually the ship left the ground.

Passengers, sailors, their eyes upon the crowding citizens in most fear on the ground. There was sentiment but there was also no time. They should not be sentiment as they could not even guarantee their own tomorrow either. They were glad for being able to leave Henna safely, while they also worried their upcoming fate.

As they bade a silent farewell to Henna with a heavy heart, Ye Chong and Shang were having discussion.

“Ye, what makes you think that?” Shang was rather curious. It was a pretty creative idea from Ye Chong.

“I dunno. It just came to my mind somehow.”

“If you want to do that, we got to do it now,” muttered Shang. “It’ll be a major operation you know?”

“Right,” Ye Chong nodded, “We do not have much time left. At least it’ll be unlikely to encounter any red-tailed beast in the nearest course around.”

“Wowie, Ye, you actually turned smart,” Shang chuckled. “Well, let me take here for you. According to your plan you’ll need to reform the combat units on the ship or it’ll be pointless even if we managed to accomplish your brilliant idea.”

“Okay,” responded Ye Chong, without a doubt. He headed to his trainees.

Time is gold.

No one should understand the meaning of this proverb better than them right now.

Chapter 487: Preparation

ach was the top person in charge of the maintenance department in Haskel. He was known for his giant, glaring, bloodshot eyes as well as his thundering, eardrum-rupturing mortal howl, “Move harder, punks! The captain did not pay for you sissies to tell me things won’t work! Hurry up! We have a long pier of reinforcement to do, yes? What, impossible? What did I say just now?” The scowl was twitching, “Make it possible!” Father Bach, or maybe more fashionably, Daddy Bach, was in his blue collared uniform tainted by the last few continuous days of work, he had not been sleeping ever since. Stain of oils were over his body, his hair was tussling, the red eyes intensified.

This was the third day in a row.

It almost felt like a dream, of an endless war.

Everything felt so unreal to him but the senses had convinced him. For starters, the ship which he had been serving for almost five years got hijacked, without a single forewarning. It felt as if the hijacker hacked in and assassinated everyone. The following news was utterly earth-shattering even for an experienced sailor like him – the frontline had failed, the army had been defeated. He believed nobody on the ship would buy the news if it was not the broadcast by the new captain. They would not be foolish enough to even approach Henna if they ever foresaw this.

It did not make sense however. How would it be possible for the frontline to crumble simply without a sign? There were a large flock of pilots, in their formidable mechs guarding the galactic boundary, “Or we are indeed fighting against monstrosity this time, that we could not hold it back?” he muttered in bewilderment.

He was at loss of hope upon hearing the news. Disbelief, confusion, frustration flooded his mind, till the hijacker voiced motivation which flushed all those away, that he realized, “Yes, he is right, I could not just stop here. I have things I would fight for.” Thought he, reminiscing the mischievous, innocent giggle and smile of his granddaughter. “I am not saying goodbye to my granddaughter.” And the old workman felt all pumped again, “Not just yet.”

As ordered he sprinted back to his work station, only to receive a detailed proposal of heavy modification from the new “captain”.

Certainly, Father Bach recognized the entire purpose of this modification at first glance. He had been in lead of ship maintenances since 20 years ago. “Alright sir.” And he accepted the proposal promptly, without hesitation and paying attention to the hideous deadline creeping behind the page.

“All workmen, gather up!” He called upon all members and made the arrangement right away. His charisma had won over the respect of his men and they were fairly informed of how this operation could determine their survival, thus the hard work, the overwork. Father Bach could not remember the last time he had even a forty winks, the corners of his lips were getting blisters from the constant friction out of restlessness.

“Hurry! Right there, strengthening.”

“Someone, I want something welded here right now. It’s not sturdy enough.”

The hoarse voice echoed within the spaceship.

…(Meanwhile)…

Ye Chong was as busy as a bee too. He was racing with time as he had to gather up as many pilots as possible and he managed to get 177 of them eventually. It was a figure within his expectation but he was not entirely confident of this force. Only if he had the Sangs, then he probably would need a mere 50 of them to keep the journey safe.

Well it was not the time for him to sigh over his bad luck. He had works to do. He had to train these pilots, which a majority of them was ranged attackers.

He did not intend to shuffle the whole force with his 20 trainees. The trainees had founded a considerably impeccable rapport with each other. It would only weaken his trainees if he broke them up. They should not impose a major issue, unlike these new pilots. He did not expect much from these pilots.

But he had to recognize the fact that these pilots were far more experienced than his trainees, at least they had fought in a war field, not inside a classroom. Similar to the trainees, these pilots had a kind of bond among themselves, so a formation could be discerned whenever they engaged in battles. Well, that left Ye Chong with the basic patch works then. It sounded easy but not as effortless as one imagined. These pilots had a formation and the formation was probably drilled deep into their head. It would be a chore to alter it.

He needed assistance. So he called Shang. His plan was simple. He would first torture them with hands-on fights again and again, then Shang would point out their mistakes in replays of various angles. It was rather fortunate that these pilots were very much aware of their life-dead situation, so they worked diligently. They were changing. Their attack patterns were changing, but not up to Ye Chong’s standard. No doubt these pilots would defeat his trainees in a one-on-one, but it would be a different story if they were in a five-on-five.

…

“Captain. We have received an alliance request from ships nearby,” announced a crewman, as in the projection several spaceships had just left Henna clumsily. The crewman was not clear of the new captain’s identity. He seemed… pretty mysterious since the crew members had never seen him in person, not even in corridors but somehow he seemingly knew everything that happened in the ship. It felt creepy at first, since it almost felt like there was a pair of eyes following them everywhere, watching them all the time. However it was only a matter of time till they got used of being monitored. The new captain was very charismatic, as well as capable. Well, sailors were simple beings, as long as one could provide them the safety, the identity and creepiness were no longer an issue.

“I see. Ignore them. We are at a different course anyway,” rang the voice of Shang next to the crewman’s ears.

Regarding their big runaway with children, both Ye Chong and Shang had a long discussion. With reference to Shang’s collection of information he detected in the surrounding, they eventually came into an agreement to land on Duodania, a planet near the pathway to He Yue galaxy. A few factors came into their consideration. First off, stability. The pathway was obviously guarded by a large troop which could provide them security. Compared to the red-tailed monsters from another dimension, humans were at least something whom Shang and Ye Chong could reason with words. Second and most importantly, opportunity. Assuming one day the red-tailed beasts had invaded the area, the guard would be dispersed and that would be when they got the best opportunity to run all the way back to He Yue galaxy again.

“Course change! According to new coordinate!”

Haskel made a turn and exited the orbit that those spaceships travelled, heading to Duodania.

On their way there, they could sometimes see spaceships of various sizes, coming from behind, frantically heading towards all sorts of directions at full speed. Within only a few days, the news of the crumbled frontline had reached the entire Gray Valley, stirring up fright in people. Haskel was advancing at highest velocity too. No one other than Ye Chong and Shang knew how fast those terrifying monsters would reach the ship, so their blood was boiling the whole time, fearing of missing that one important split second of their life.

“W…we are finally done.” Whispered Bach, with his reddened eyes looking at the fully transfigured spaceship in relief. It took the team days and nights to finish the modification. Luckily they were supplied with sufficient materials as well as masterly craftsmen.

“T-tell the cap-” And Father Bach had fallen into slumber. “Father Bach!” Shouted one man as he quickly went to grab the collapsing old man with the others.

BEEP

BEEP

“Emergency. Emergency. All combat units into position now. All combat units into position now. Non-combat units please evacuate to safety. Non-combat units please evacuate to safety.” Wailed the alarm.

Ye Chong had returned to the captain’s room, where a giant holographic screen was there, displaying 28 red-tailed beasts charging towards them.

The crew members were shaking in the captain’s room. Their faces were pale. They had heard of the monster before, and they once thought they were mentally prepared for it, but the stress was too overwhelming in actuality.

“Everything’s done?” asked Ye Chong to Shang.

“Jajajaja, we just finished, Ye. Looks like the Lady Luck is on our side today.”

“Mhm, okay, I’ll be going. Ask the crewman to send the things to Exit No.13,” said Ye Chong as he left the room.

All combat units were already in their respective position, with anticipation searing their patience.

Ye Chong walked up to these pilots, with his eternal indifference in his staring eyes, he said, “I know all of you are probably afraid of what is ahead. But it is pointless to be afraid. There is no time to act afraid. There is no way back now.” A moment of silence lapsed, as if he was building up for the ultimate command, “Either we or the monsters are going down today.”

Ye Chong was not a born motivator but he did feel a need to say something. So he did.

Well, contrary to his expectation, that one random line worked pretty well among the pilots, as he could see the worries fading on their faces. They looked steadier by then.

“Follow me,” said Ye Chong, heading towards Exit No.1.

The 13th exit was the smallest pathway of the entire ship, with a mere diameter of 30 meters, initially meat for the safe boats.

But the exit looked totally different to the folks today, as they were welcomed by broad, reinforced metallic bars, a dense arrangement of them. These bars looked so sturdy that it should not bulge even when a mech crashed into it at full speed. The exit had appeared much narrower than before. Well it took an expanding design, where the point where they were standing was the narrowest and the pathway would open up as they travel.

“This, would be our battlefield,” said Ye Chong, which confused the folks.

“What did he say?” There were whispers.

“Group of 5. On shifts. Watch on your formation and strategies.” That was when they realized the meaning of the design. With such space, only 5 mechs could fight at the same time. And the narrowing pathway would help “filter” the raiding beasts to a more manageable amount. That explained all the reinforced metallic bars.

So that was Ye Chong’s plan.

The catch was… how Ye Chong would be keeping the beasts busy here? How would he ensure that the beasts would only be intruding from here? Given that the beasts could be smart enough to launch a full attack over every corner of the ship, the plan would fail immediately.

“R-r-r-reporting. The batteries are here, s-sir,” said one crew member, his voice trembling in anxiety.

Ye Chong responded with a nod, gesturing them to leave. It felt like amnesty for the members that they fled the scene like a free bird.

So there were over hundred fully charged batteries piling up behind them.

“Battle station,” said their leader, in a firm voice.

Chapter 488: Maiden Battle

ive D-6’s quickly took their positions. Xi Qing was in the squad assigned as their first line of defense. The other students were also in their mechs, acting as backup. Ye Chong was in Muscle Man.

Swish! The alloy door behind them shut close. Next, the hatch for Passage 13 opened up. The corridor lost its atmosphere as air rapidly escaped outwards. However, the people were unaffected, held in place by the starship’s artificial gravity.

The passageway was long, and it was dark outside, in outer space. They waited anxiously for the red-tailed beasts to arrive.

While they could not understand how their instructor was so certain that the creatures would come this way, they prepared themselves nonetheless.

“Get ready!” The instructor’s voice came through their comms, his low voice magically calming their hearts.

The passageway darkened, and all five mechs took a step forward.

Three red-tailed beasts entered the passageway in a straight line, moving quickly.

Xi Qing understood his role in their first line of defense. As the leader of his squad, he must be the main attacker . He was at the front of the squad, the most dangerous position.

They were fast! Even though they were informed earlier, the speed of these creatures still surprised him. The creatures were over 10 meters tall, with crimson red eyes and a tail with a red tip that trailed behind them like an asteroid. Xi Qing had seen them before on the news many times, but it was still fearfully choked now that he was facing them in the flesh.

He did not panic, however. No longer was he the young freshie that he used to be. Even with just one time of real life combat experience, he was now more mature than many of his peers. His D-6 lowered itself and crossed its two weapons, forming a blocking motion. He did not guard his flanks, since his comrades would. His instructor had told them that once their partners were with them, they should be trusted. He remembered this well enough.

Klang! A strong blow landed on the two curved blades as Xi Qing’s mech was pushed behind, but he managed to slow down his opponent at the same time. Everyone there knew the power of a high speed attack. Only when the red-tailed beasts slow down would his comrades have a chance.

In that moment, the two D-6’s beside Xi Qing lunged forward towards the attacking red-tailed beast, slowed down by Xi Qing. They restrained the creature from attacking Xi Qing.

The other two red-tailed beasts slowed down as well, hindered by the first one in the front. The passageway was too narrow for them to take advantage of their agility.

Ye Chong had chosen this battleground after much thought. The red-tailed beasts could move far more deftly than mechs. If it was too spacious, the students would face a very challenging fight. Ye Chong himself had experienced it first hand. In the narrow passageway, the red-tailed beasts would not be able to make full use of this advantage. It would be a battle of brute force. A mech’s exterior were more durable than the skin of a red-tailed beast. So long as no vulnerable parts were hit, the mech could be repaired and ready for the next battle.

The narrow terrain could not fit in too many mechs and red-tailed beasts together. Besides, Ye Chong did not have enough manpower anyway. This would allow them to survive longer.

On the other hand, once Passage 13 was under their control, they could sever communications between the red-tailed beasts within and outside of the passageway since Passage 13 was heavily fortified.

There was also another important detail. There was artificial gravity inside the starship, unlike the floating sensation in outer space. This meant that Ye Chong could join in the fight with Muscle Man. Muscle Man could only fight on the ground, a disadvantage that Ye Chong was painfully aware of. However, he dared not use Han Jia. Han Jia had many small cracks on it. Using the mech without prior maintenance would very likely open the cracks even wider. Ye Chong did not know if Gray Valley had any skeletal material, but to find skeletal material of the quality found in Archipelago would almost definitely be impossible. Besides, Ye Chong had spent so much time training with Muscle Man. It felt like a waste if he could not use it. He knew that the students were still greenhorns, and those mech pilots could barely contribute to the fight. This made him the strongest combat personnel they had. It was one of the reasons Ye Chong thought of this brilliant idea. Passage 13 was not the only passageway that was modified.

To make the red-tailed beasts enter Passage 13 obediently, Ye Chong had stored a large amount of energy cells behind him. He knew that these terrifying creatures craved for pure energy. The six-fingered red-tailed beast that he pursued some time ago seemed to be able to sense energy ores in rocks. Ye Chong was not sure if these normal red-tailed beasts would be just as sensitive, but now it looked like it was working.

In the battleground, three red-tailed beasts and five mechs were deep in their fight. The hatch behind the red-tailed beasts was closed. In other words, the creatures were trapped inside. Despite that, no one relaxed. The three red-tailed beasts fought powerfully as they tried to break through the surrounding formation of the five mechs in quick, agile movements. The red-tipped tails hit violently against the mechs’ weapons, a scary sight for the mech pilots who were watching from outside the fight. However, these five mechs managed to keep the three red-tailed beasts contained throughout it all.

From their initial awkwardness, these five mechs were now beginning to get the hang of the battle. While they were initially overpowered, now they could force the battle into a stalemate. Xi Qing was still the main attacker while the other D-6’s covered him, trading places as they made sure each red-tailed beast was at least engaged by two mechs at a time.

Ye Chong watched the battle, quietly approving of his students. He could see that Xi Qing was already in the flow of the battle. Ye Chong recognized him as a talent, had spent more time on him than the other students and offered him more guidance.

Xi Qing fought with simple but effective moves, almost like Ye Chong. While he was the main assault member, he was also the squad’s leader. This required him to see the bigger picture of the battle. Now, he was doing just that competently.

He used the advantage of his role as main attacker to move around freely, and swapped places with the four mechs as required. He did not target any particular red-tailed beast, but instead continued to distribute their attacks equally on all three of the creatures. He led outstandingly, allowing his squad members to coordinate smoothly with each other and press on their enemies with their numbers.

With this, they slowly turned the tables and gained the upper hand. The red-tailed beasts seemed to notice that the hatch behind them was shut, and began to look nervous. The way they looked at the energy cells longingly was noticed by Ye Chong.

The battle was beginning to be favor Xi Qing and his squad.

The battle situation was unexpected. The red-tailed beasts were rumored to be very strong, and the fact the frontline was defeated made these creatures look even more intimidating. Now, however, they looked like they were only about as strong as some advanced mech pilot. Could the rumors be mistaken? Then why would be the soldiers at the frontline lose? Or was it because the combat strategy that their instructor taught them was too good?

The young mech pilots could not help but steal a glance at the clumsy Muscle Man. Muscle Man held his position steadily like an unmovable mountain. The cold, bulky machine looked lifeless. The pilot within did not seem inclined to get involved in the fight.

The five mechs fought with growing momentum, while the three red-tailed beasts were starting to panic.

Xi Qing’s D-6 suddenly came out of its safe position amongst the other four mechs. It twisted around to the back of one of the red-tailed beasts engaged with two D-6’s and striked out with its two curved blades towards the creature.

Blood splattered. An X-shaped wound was carved into the back of the red-tailed beast. The creature froze in pain, and the two mechs engaging it took the opening. Four curved blades came for the red-tailed beast from four odd angles. The creature tried to avoid them, but was still cut open on its left shoulder. It froze again in pain, and this when its throat was fully exposed for Xi Qing.

Xi Qing recognized the opportunity. He maneuvered his mech calmly, driving the curved blade in his hand towards the creature’s throat!

Blood sprayed out like a blooming flower. With his target eliminated, Xi Qing ignored the red-tailed beast that was now crumpling down backwards and head towards the other four mechs.

The other two red-tailed beasts flared as they saw their companion killed, and dashed towards Xi Qing, trying to stop him from returning to the protection of his comrades.

However, just as they moved, four blades glimmered coldly before them, and stopped them in their tracks. Two of the mechs had seen Xi Qing in danger and came forward to assist.

With that, Xi Qing returned to his squad.

As he reunited with his squad, Xi Qing quickly slipped behind two of the D-6’s. His own D-6 moved behind and between the two mechs, taking his position per their strategy. As Xi Qing moved, the other two mechs adjusted their positions, going into proper formation.

It all happened so quickly, but it was also the turning point of the battle. Under Xi Qing’s leadership, the remaining two red-tailed beasts were handled steadily by the five D-6’s without rushing their attacks. With one red-tailed beast down, the other two soon failed to defend themselves, and died one after the other under the the attacks of the five mechs.

The five students had killed three red-tailed beasts!

Five students had killed three red-tailed beasts, without incurring a single casualty – this was something that happened right before everyone’s eyes, but it still felt like a dream, impossible to believe. For the moment, everyone felt a little uncertain.

Chapter 489: Along the Way

e Chong looked gloomy.

The first battle under Xi Qing’s lead had gone perfectly, but this perfect first time also came at a high price. Because Xi Qing’s squad had performed wonderfully, the other mech pilots began to underestimate the red-tailed beasts.

However, this incorrect supposition was quickly overturned!

The second squad fought against three red-tailed beasts as well, and four of the squad were injured in combat. Had Ye Chong not stepped in to help, they would have all lost their lives. Even so, the four of them received significant injuries. Fortunately, Haskel had medical equipment onboard, even though it would still take 10 days for them to fully recuperate.

The wake-up call once again reminded everyone of how dangerous the red-tailed beasts were.

There were no more casualties in later battles, but Ye Chong still looked gloomy. His combat power came not from the adult mech pilots, but from his very own 20 students. Those were his capable fighters. However, four of them were injured.

These 20 students had formed squads of five, so it meant that Ye Chong had just lost one out of four combat squads. What’s more, it was a loss that could have been avoided. Ye Chong had planned meticulously to create this strategic environment to reduce the natural advantages of the red-tailed beasts. Hence, he could not help but feel let down that he had lost a squad so soon into their journey.

“Ye, don’t worry too much. They’ll be good as new in just 10 days,” Shang offered a rare consolation.

“Alright,” Ye Chong replied.

Shang did not seem to notice Ye Chong’s mood as he declared excitedly, “Ye, today’s battle proved that your method works. As long as we keep this up, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Ye Chong quickly composed himself and corrected Shang, “You mean, if we don’t encounter any large groups of red-tailed beasts.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Shang mused, “If we encounter a larger group of them, then we’re screwed. However, if our deductions are correct, the odds are in our favor.”

Ye Chong and Shang had done extensive analysis when deciding on their flight course, and had chosen their current route in the end. It was not the fastest route, but their calculations suggested that it was the one with the lowest chance of encountering large groups of red-tailed beasts.

Killing more than 20 red-tailed beasts was a feat that raised the morale of everyone on the starship. The crew all looked hopeful and energetic.

Now, the crew discussed mostly about the brilliant ways in which the students defeated the creatures. The four casualties that Ye Chong thought avoidable was ignored in these discussions. To them, four casualties and none dead were definitely a good outcome in killing off 28 red-tailed beasts. Where before they had felt hopeless against the mysterious creatures, now they allowed themselves to be optimistic.

Even the mech pilots who did not participate in the battles were encouraged. The red-tailed beasts were not invincible. They knew this now as fact. With this glimmer of hope, they began to train themselves even more.

They realized that the students won against the red-tailed beasts because of their unique coordination strategies. That would be their key to survival. Recognizing this, they began to train in earnest, even without Ye Chong’s reminder.

The maintenance crew got busier and busier .They would have to fix all the mechs that were damaged from the daily trainings. These mechs would be returned again and again to the maintenance section due to the trainings. To avoid interrupting their training sessions, the maintenance crew worked diligently without complaint.

The entire starship was filled with enthusiasm! The desire to live, whether courageously or cowardly, had never been too different.

Xiao Wan looked tired. In front of her was Arwa. The genius tactician had lost a lot of weight, but he was still in high spirits.

Arwa had a sense of foreboding about the war, but in the end, the United Army had been defeated quite decisively. The man was famed for his tactical skills, but he was ignored by all the higher ups back then. No one had listened to him.

The unprecedented loss ended with about one third of Gray Valley’s combatants losing their lives in the purple gas cloud.

Arwa had been acting cautiously seen the beginning of the war, and his caution paid off. He recognized the situation for what it was, and quickly made adjustments. By then, they were already surrounded by red-tailed beasts.

These creatures were intelligent – they could plan ahead! Arwa realized this with shock. Was it a coincidence, or had the creatures been waiting for this moment? Without more time to consider it further, Arwa decided it must be the latter!

Arwa was none other than Gray Valley’s number one tactical genius! In the moment where death seemed to close in, he calmed himself down and made a series of adjustments. In retrospect, his adjustments were wise. Just when they were all surrounded, Arwa’s adjustments had allowed them to break through the creatures and escape.

The 1st Platoon was destroyed. Commander of the 1st Platoon, the infamous Guang Bei, was lost in the war.

Only 200 mechs survived and escaped. It was a terrifying and ghastly aftermath. After escaping, Arwa immediately brought his 200 mechs to their base and the Young Miss, began their retreat.

Arwa came from a poor neighbourhood, and had endured through countless difficulties since his childhood to become the tough person he was today. Despite their great defeat, he did not lose his bearings, but handled it competently as he always did.

His only concern was the Young Miss. This defeat was too heavy a blow on her. She was regretful, ashamed, pained, lost … All these emotions haunted her, and she looked more withered every day. Arwa may be a genius, but even he could not help her. He could only do his best to protect the Young Miss until she recovered.

Fortunately, his subordinates were all trustworthy, and his last desperate attempt had led to their survival. They were all very grateful for him, and obeyed his orders to the letter.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Arwa decided not to stay at headquarters, but instead stole a midsized starship from there and head towards Duodania. Arwa had his reasons. Headquarters was not close to the frontline, and the bulk of the red-tailed beasts would probably reach there very soon. Even if they did not arrive, the base was no longer save. Their meager number of combatants would not be enough to defend the place. Even without the threat of the red-tailed beasts, ambitious local organizations would be enough to overwhelm them.

In the bigger picture, Arwa believed that Gray Valley would ultimately be lost to the red-tailed beasts. Gray Valley was no longer an option. It was better for them to leave now. He had the same idea as Ye Chong – with security at the Gateway laxing, he and his men would be able to enter He Yue Galaxy unnoticed. Together, they would be able to reform the Xiao Family’s army.

What he was worried about was the Young Miss. She had fainted the moment she heard of the news of their defeat. When she came to, she was filled with despair, and continued to behave passively so far.

Ye Chong had already encountered a few small groups of red-tailed beasts. They never have more than 30 of them in each group. The number of casualties had gone up to nine, but they were mostly Shen Ruxue’s students or Haskel’s mech pilots.

Luring the red-tailed beasts into the narrow passageways with energy cells, shutting the hatch, then killing off the red-tailed beasts with their acquired advantages – this was a combat strategy that everyone had gotten used to in the past few days. They were getting more efficient in it. Everyone had participated in at least one of the battles against the red-tailed beasts. Even Shen Ruxue fought against the creatures herself. These experiences had improved their strength over time.

However, they were also no longer feeling optimistic. The red-tailed beasts were appearing more and more frequently. Once, they encountered two groups of red-tailed beasts in the same day. It was only when Ye Chong entered the fight himself, killing seven red-tailed beasts with Muscle Man that the tension in the air was slightly relieved. Ye Chong’s combat prowess had astounded all the other mech pilots.

Haskel’s combat ability had also gathered the attention of many others. Many starships that they encountered along the way were impressed by Haskel’s defenses, and stayed close to the ship. In just a short time, Haskel became surrounded by a good variety of starships. There were small and midsized starships, transport ships, and even a midsized warship. The warship was fitted with menacing looking cannons, but they only managed to look powerless. Here was a gathering of all kinds of random starships.

They relied on Haskel for protection. Whenever the red-tailed beasts appear, they would slip behind the ship’s hull. Only when Haskel had killed all the creatures would they slowly return to their positions around the starship.

Annoyingly, the number of starships around Haskel was growing rapidly. Each day saw a few more starships joining the fray. There were now three warships with Haskel. Most of the starships were civilian class, without any firepower or resources Ye Chong and group could use. The warships looked threatening enough, but were powerless against the red-tailed beasts.

It was real predicament, dealing with these starships!

“Shang should worry about this!” Ye Chong thought as he headed towards the training ground.

Chapter 490: Let’s Be Heroes Today Onwards!

eanwhile, Arwa was also very puzzled of the same problem.

He did manage to break free from the siege of the monsters with his 200 pilots who were certainly the top 200 he could ever imagine commanding. They encountered a few unaccompanied red-tailed beasts on their way but none of these beasts imposed an issue as they would strike the beasts down before anything else. There were tiny flock of wandering spaceships that witnessed the scene and decided to join them without hesitation. As the knightly mighty army of Arwa struck down more beasts, there seemed to be more spaceships tailing them as well…

It should not go out of hand this fast under normal circumstance but it was that one slip of tongue of Arwa’s man that reacted vigorously among the wandering spaceships from all corners. “My lord Arwa, he… uh.. opps…”

It was as if there was a light of hope when the spaceships realized the owner of the leading spaceship was no one other than the greatest strategist, Arwa himself. The fleet was growing rapidly, which could be a little issue for Arwa.

But can I just abandon these folks? No… If I do… my name would be…

If I took them? I don’t think I could protect all of them, we are slowing down too…

Arwa was facing a dilemma.

The young mistress had not recovered from the last shock, her eyes were soulless and that was something to worry.

…(Meanwhile)…

“Are you sure?” said Ye Chong, bewildered as his eyes set upon the list of supplies in his hand. He could not perceive the motive of Shang’s decision.

“I just got a really bad news,” said Shang slowly, “The pathway to He Yue galaxy has already been engulfed by the red-tailed beasts. Although I still could not identify from where they came, I highly suspect these were the red-tailed beasts from He Yue galaxy itself.”

“He Yue’s own variation?” flinched Ye Chong.

“Mhm,” Shang responded grimly, “I had simulated several calculations yet there is no plausible way that the red-tailed beasts could reach the pathway when they were far behind us. So where did these beasts come from? The first possibility is that they had infiltrated in small batches since the time before; The second… the pathway had received severe attacks from the galaxy itself. The second seems more probable by the way.”

Ye Chong nodded, as he remembered the few red spots on Ye Luo’s intergalactic layout. In an approving tone he replied, “There are several potential spawning locations of the red-tailed beasts in He Yue. So it is indeed likelier for the second assumption.”

“Thus my current proposition would be to sail slowly. We would make use of the time to reform our force, so that we could at least attempt to force our way in even if no opening could be found when we arrived,” said Shang proudly.

“Force?” Ye Chong gave a raise of brows as he waved the list in his hand, “By force, you meant them?” Haskel had been followed by over 300 spaceships. It was already a gigantic fleet. Even if they pretended each ship was carrying passengers of a mere number of 300, they would have achieved 100,000 easily with this fleet.

“Well, the likelihood of us returning to He Yue galaxy is pretty low, at least in short terms. So I believed it would be better if we have a paradigm shift. We could make use of the force we have. You might think it mostly consists of citizens who could hardly hurt a fly, but I must remind you to not look down upon them. There could be talents hidden among them. To craft diamonds one must always start from the filthy ores. We have ample time to train a batch of pilots. These citizens should have sufficient foundation to be trained. So our only problem would be time. As long as we did not come into a large flock of red-tails beasts, then we would be spared on time. And we would no longer have nothing in our hands. We can go anywhere we want once we got the strength. And so, we fight. We would fight.”

Ye Chong was astounded of this strange sensation in his mind. He seemingly was no longer speaking to a handicapped artificial indulgence. It was as if he was speaking to a hero, one with ambition, a wild ambition and intrepid wishes.

Could this be Shang in the past? Is this how he once was?

“Jajaja~ Ye, good news. Mu has permitted my plan. So I’ll be staying on manifestation till we got back to He Yue galaxy, unless something happened which is unlikely under my intelligence.” Shang did not seem to notice Ye Chong’s expression.

“Shang, how did you come to this plan?” asked Ye Chong.

“HAH!” The artificial indulgence was proud, “Told you to watch more movies! Yet every time you turned a deaf ear to my advice! It took me a long time to formulate this master plan with reference to 180 well-known film productions of the mafia genre as well as the heroes making histories. See? You were impressed by my idea too. Were you not? Hahahahahahaha!”

Ye Chong felt a strong nostalgia filling his heart upon hearing the uncontrolled laugh of this artificial indulgence.

He is still the Shang I knew.

“Well then, let’s be heroes today onwards!” smiled Ye Chong.

Shang was immediately stupefied as the beeping chuckle stopped.

…(On the other side of the galaxy)…

Yang Ming marched to the captain’s room, he wanted to respond to the message. Well, the captain was his uncle and technically every single man and woman inside the ship was his family. Including the other 5 spaceships nearby, they were all Yangs. The Yang family was a mere small tribe which consisted a population of barely over 2000.

They performed a migration upon a prompt decision of the chief since the hearing of the frontline collapse, and they were in this fleet at the moment considering how it might be safer hiding themselves in a massive crowd. Yang Ming thought it was a standard crowd without hierarchy at first, but he realized how there was one single ship leading them silently.

It was a gigantic model named Haskel.

And after the first encounter with the red-tailed beasts, he finally knew how Haskel managed to be ahead of all ships. Haskel was not only a leader, but also a guardian!

He was presented with the formidability of the ship’s forces. The red-tailed beasts came in one wave and another and somehow Haskel was able to attract them like a powerful magnet while swallowing all of them in one go. No beast had left the ship ever since they got in.

It was a mystery in Yang Ming’s eyes.

So where are they from? Which forces do they belong? What is the motive?

Questions mushroomed in the head of Yang Ming yet he had no way to answer them. Haskel was the silent one, like the angel who would escort the fleet to salvation. On the other hand, the followers were noisier as they would exchange information at least once a day. There was once they mentioned about Haskel and one of them claimed that Haskel belonged to a military group.

There were speculations but surely they could confirm that Haskel was strong!

And today was different.

All spaceships received a message from Haskel, the very first throughout the entire course. They were requested to complete a survey. It was compulsory for every member on the ship, both passengers and staff or Haskel would no longer provide any form of protection to any uncooperative unit.

To be frank, if the survey was passed at the beginning, the threat would slip their eyes without notice and probably most ships would just quit the party themselves upon the indirect disrespect. However, in the past few days the ships had witnessed the heroic acts of Haskel so the situation had changed as it had become an unconditional, unsaid agreement among them to have Haskel as the leader.

Yang Ming was there to complete the survey. He would be reporting to his uncle in regards of the questions given. Those were some basic questions, such as Your Strength, Your Favorite, Your Health Condition and Your Experience in Piloting. In no time Yang Ming had done the survey, though in total bewilderment. Of all times, why would people on Haskel want to know these trivialities now?

In the next 5 hours, 5 spaceships were expelled from the fleet. Yang Ming was told that these spaceships were the unconvinced rebellions of Haskel’s request. The survey was ignored and no action was taken. They thought nothing would happen till Haskel sent a new request, demanding them to leave the fleet immediately. Well, of course, similar to the survey request before, they showed ignorance. Eventually 3 warships suddenly surrounded these 5 spaceships and they got held back. The people on those ships could do nothing else than bidding a silent farewell to the fleet.

Such event had gained greater obedience from the other spaceships. They realized it was not a time to crack jokes. It was a period where red-tailed beasts could be anywhere in the galaxy and these spaceships had left the fleet. Well, their fate was instantly imaginable and certainly the remaining spaceships would not want to join them.

The more horrifying part was, somehow Haskel was fully informed of everything on each spaceship in the fleet, including their vessel, the supplies they contained.

Very soon after, Haskel announced a sequence of measures to be conducted. Even though Yang Ming knew he would never be able to get anything from his uncle regarding the measures, he was given a mission to transfer to one of the medium-sized spaceships for training.

Speaking of training, Yang Ming was as average as you and I. His physique was average, his strength was average, his dexterity was average and his piloting skill was average too but there was one particular feature that probably caught the leader of Haskel – his talent in machines. That also happened to be the core module of his training on the ship too. He was transferred there, along with 3 other companions who shared the same talent as him. Apparently there were also other modules too which had taken a handful of other Yangs he knew. Well, no doubt he had the greatest envy towards the Yangs who got assigned to pilot-training.

Nobody suspected a thing, since it was a command from the great one. Haskel must have a well-trained army. It almost seemed natural for Haskel to have one, probably at least a few hundreds of them. They were the group who slew red-tailed beats effortlessly after all. It would be a golden opportunity for the folks to be trained by these experts.

However, Yang Ming did not feel anything in particular. He was more interested in the machines he would be touching. Clearly, Haskel wanted more forces for they commenced trainings for ordinary, almost good-for-nothing youngsters like them at such a critical period. So he had to work hard!

Inside the transporting unit, he clenched his fists as he looked at his family who remained on their own ship, waving exciting shouting an unheard goodbye to him.

Haskel, once hollow was now filled with a massive, lively crowd, like an opening day for a military camp. The youngsters could not help but to jump around, enthralled for they passed the first phase of inspection. The survey was a kind of interview while there was the second selection process right inside Haskel. The qualified would receive notification regarding them joining the official pilot training successfully. The unqualified, sadly, had to take the transport back to their own ships right away.

There were 1500 members who passed the selection process, and they were quite a talent too because of their physique and mech understanding. There were also 200 adult pilots who would receive a different training in order to accommodate them in the war field later.