The Legendary Mechanic, page 171
Han Xiao pointed at the communicator and said, “Don’t worry, this is not personal. I also am not hostile toward Godora. All I want is this.”
“You call this not hostile?” Kerlodd tried to pull away from the mechanical chains in rage.
Han Xiao sat on the sofa, placed his hands on his knees, leaned toward the Godoran with a pressurizing look, and said coldly, “If I was hostile, you would already be dead.”
“You just think I am still useful to you,” Kerlodd said with abhorrence.
“Correct answer, no reward.” Han Xiao smiled. “I just need the communicator to contact Galactic Travel Agency and leave this planet. We cannot be considered enemies. The crash of your spaceship had nothing to do with me, and attacking you was just to prevent accidents. I know about Godorans’ arrogance full well, and we can only have a proper talk after I defeat you. Now, I have a deal I want to talk to you about… Of course, you are in no place to reject.”
Kerlodd clenched his teeth and said, “Go ahead!”
“I need to borrow the money in your personal account. If you are willing to cooperate, I can let you go and bring you to leave with me. At that time, you can return home if you like.”
Kerlodd was surprised. “You’re willing to let me go?”
“Why not?” Han Xiao laughed. “I have no grudge with or hatred toward Godora; I’m just robbing you of your money, not your life. I didn’t really hurt you. Or is it that, because I defeated you, you are holding grudges and want revenge?”
Kerlodd thought carefully. Indeed, Han Xiao’s direct conflict with him was only their fight. Although he had lost, Han Xiao did not hurt him severely and even gave him a chance to return home. Godora had the old tradition of admiring the strong, and he was an investigator, so fighting was normal.
Although he was still quite upset, Kerlodd’s rage gradually cooled down.
After pondering, he said with dignity, “As long as you fulfill your part of the deal, I am willing to cooperate. I can promise in the name of God Gal that I will never seek revenge; I admit my defeat.”
God Gal was the religious god of Godora, so this kind of promise was very solemn.
Chapter 309. All Ready |
Clank!
The heavy chains fell onto the ground. Kerlodd heaved a sigh of relief, moved his limbs around, and awkwardly looked down on his nude body. “Can I…”
A set of clothes were thrown toward him. Kerlodd shoved them on hastily; being naked would have humiliated anyone.
Han Xiao stared at Kerlodd with a smile the whole time. Kerlodd’s personal account had galactic general currency. Calling the galactic travel agency needed money, and since Han Xiao was unsure if they would accept resources as payment, getting the general currency was insurance.
Furthermore, he indeed did not want to kill Kerlodd. Although he had the upper hand now, Godora definitely knew that an investigator had come to Planet Aquamarine, gotten into an accident, and lost contact. Thus, they would contact Six Nations at some point or even send out new investigator team.
The truth would always be revealed. If he killed Kerlodd, the conflict would only get more intense, and there was no need for that. Letting Kerlodd live meant that the personal conflict would not become a bigger one. Investigators often met a bit of danger; as long he did not die, Godora would definitely not bother as such small conflict was nothing.
Of course, although Kerlodd had made a promise, Han Xiao did not trust him completely. At least he would not let Kerlodd out of his sight in Planet Aquamarine and would not return any of his equipment to him.
Because of him acting mysterious, Kerlodd assumed that Han Xiao came from the galaxy as well, so he would not dare to make a move easily unknown of his identity.
As expected, Kerlodd asked again, “Who are you really?”
“Galactic Human,” Han Xiao said with perfunctory.
The human race in the galaxy was a very large species, and there were countless branches. Kerlodd observed that Han Xiao seemed to be the most common type of Galaxy Human race. Not being able to identify Han Xiao’s origins, he scratched his head and said, “Okay, I will not ask again. When are you planning to leave? I want to go home soon.”
“Not too long.”
Han Xiao planned to bring the pro players from the Planet Aquamarine Division away. The Divisions would soon end; he could wait.
“By the way,” Kerlodd suddenly said, “where’s my spaceship?”
“Someone took it away, probably without the intention of returning it to you.” Han Xiao knew full well what had happened after. He knew that Raylen locked down the information just from the fact that there was no intelligence about the crashed spaceship from the intelligence agents in the Dark Net; it was clear what Raylen wanted to do.
Kerlodd was upset and did not think about contacting the Six Nations at this time. The current situation did not favor him, so he did not want to take the risk. Furthermore, he felt that he had more to say to Han Xiao, who also came from the galaxy like him, and communicating with him would be easier than with the natives.
“What malfunction did your spaceship have?” Han Xiao asked.
“I don’t know either. It was flying normally and perfectly under stealth mode, and when approaching Planet Aquamarine, the engine suddenly stopped working. Although the observer spaceship isn’t big, it was very stable. I have no idea why it would suddenly malfunction.
Han Xiao thought about it before shaking his head
He started to get down to business. He turned on the communicator and registered for a personal account. The communicator also worked as a personal terminal—its personal account functions were very rich and had a bank transfer function, the most common way of making a deal in the galaxy, quick and convenient. Every big civilization had their own galactic bank, among which, the most authorized and powerful ones were the three Universal Civilization banks of course. The banks worked with each other, and they could be used anywhere in the galaxy.
Han Xiao picked one randomly and told Kerlodd to make the transfer.
Ding!
“Your account has been transferred 878 Enas.” A pleasant-sounding female voice appeared from the terminal.
“Only this much money? You’re too poor.” Han Xiao could not help but complain.
Enas was the general currency in the galaxy, the most common currency unit used.
Kerlodd’s face turned red, and he said, “I don’t have the habit of saving. Being an investigator is a tough job, and I need to enjoy myself… Wait a minute, why am I explaining myself to you?”
He suddenly realized that he was being robbed—why did he even have to feel ashamed of having little money?
Having received the money, Han Xiao’s target was achieved, and he felt assured. Counting the days, the Planet Aquamarine Divisions would last for about more than ten days, and he planned to use that time to contact the galactic travel agency in advance.
There were thousands of channels in the communicator. Han Xiao looked through and entered ‘Garton Galaxy Travel Agency Channel’. A dense list of traveling routes appeared on the screen, and a cold electrical voice appeared.
“Is filtering required?”
“Yes.”
“Location?”
“Star Zone 9, Planet Aquamarine.”
“Destination?”
Han Xiao paused then said, “Juberly Hub.”
“Please select price range.”
“Cheapest.” Han Xiao gave ‘Kerlodd the Cheapskate’ a stare.
“Number of travelers?”
“A few dozen.”
“Race?”
“Human.”
“Have you used the Galactic Travel agency before?”
‘Yes.”
After more than twenty questions, the result was finally filtered down, leaving only five traveling agencies. The Galactic Travel agency was a very large industry, and many large organizations provided this service. This was one of the cheapest ways for galactic travel, like a private hire, or more accurately, a ‘public spaceship’.
Han Xiao chose the ‘Short Horn Star’ travel agency as this was a galactic travel agency with a very good name. After choosing, the communicator transferred the communication channel into the Short Horn Star salesperson channel, letting both parties discuss the details.
“Greetings, thank you for choosing Short Horn Star. We will provide you the best high-quality and inexpensive services…”
The salesperson was a beautiful human female. According to the race of the customer, they would be assigned to salespersons meeting their standard of beauty. After the saleswoman finished her welcoming opening, she said, “We have received your travel requirements. Fortunately, a Whale Spaceship will pass by Star Zone 9 in twenty days’ time. We will bring you to the ship by then. What grade of seats would you like? We have economy class, business class, first-class class, VIP cabins, and even VVIP cabins.
“What’s the price for the economy cabins?”
“3 Enas per person. How many seats would you like to reserve?”
Han Xiao quickly counted before saying, “Fifty.”
Bringing about fifty of high skill players in the top places should be enough. Bringing some players was a very important part of the plan.
Han Xiao then paid the deposit and confirmed the boarding time, nodding in his mind. The preparation of heading into the galaxy could be considered completed. His destination was Juberly Hub, a transfer station in Garton Galaxy with accessible and convenient transportations. Various races of the Colton Group gathered there, and there were many opportunities. In Han Xiao’s plan, the Juberly Hub was the most suitable to be his first station of entering the galaxy.
Now, I just have to wait for the players to finish the competition. I will then make an announcement, and the team will be created. It’s all ready.
There were some matters in Planet Aquamarine that he had to deal with before leaving.
…
For a few days in a row, Han Xiao transferred his resources secretly and brought Kerlodd along all the time. He made him wear a cape covering his skin. They occasionally appeared before people in the sanctuary, raising some curiosity and shock as to why there was suddenly a mysterious man alongside Han Xiao.
During the battle between the top eight to decide top four in the Singles, Frenzied Sword met Li Ge. Frenzied Sword, who everyone expected to lose before the match, gave an astonishing performance. After five tough battles, he beat Li Ge by one round. This time, Frenzied Sword expressed what a Mechanical Pugilist was fully capable of and finally showcased something he had been hiding, his Energy Warhammer. Its explosive power was even stronger than a Pugilist, helping him to break through Li Ge’s combos.
Frenzied Sword entered top four Singles, and the haters suddenly all disappeared. The victory was the best confidence boost, his ‘China’s Best Mechanical Pugilist’ nickname in the forums became more popular. He was considered the black horse of the first season!
Li Ge did not think that he would lose to Frenzied Sword, and unfortunate things did not come alone. The Temple of God entered the top four teams, meeting Long Sky. This time, Hao Tian gave his all. He cleansed himself of his previous shame, defeated Temple of God, and entered the finals of the Groups.
The situation became clear. Long Sky and Dynasty would fight for the Divisions Champions and Runner-Up. Temple of God could only fight for Second Runner-Up with another team. As for the Singles, if things went smoothly, Frenzied Sword could very possibly enter the top three, and he had a very high chance of entering the Internationals. As for the champion, not that Han Xiao looked down on Frenzied Sword, but Dynasty’s King Admiral was way too strong. His skills, control, and attributes were almost undefeatable in Version 1.0. Dynasty seemed to have the momentum of becoming the champion; the media favored them.
Even so, Frenzied Sword’s achievements and popularity were way better than what he had boasted in Han Xiao’s previous life. It had definitely been worthwhile cultivating him.
The Divisions lasted for about half a year. The batch of players with the highest level already reached an average level of the limit LV 60.
As Han Xiao was doing his preparation discreetly, Bennett suddenly called him.
“I have arrived at Sanctuary Three. Where are you?”
“Why are you suddenly here?” Han Xiao said jokingly. “Missed me?”
“What do you think?” Bennett said with a very serious tone. “Where did you hide that alien? You didn’t eat him, did you?”
Han Xiao’s smile disappeared, and he frowned. “Did Huang Jian expose it?”
“Talk when we meet. You’re in big trouble this time again!” Bennett said with a low voice, but there was not much blame in his tone… He was already used to having trouble drop from the sky.
Chapter 310. Raylen's Message |
In the high tower of Sanctuary Three, Bennett stood behind the window with hands behind his back and looked down on the players in the square with deep and mysterious emotions in his eyes.
The door was pushed open. Han Xiao walked in, and Bennett asked with a serious expression, “Is that alien still alive?”
Han Xiao stepped aside, and Kerlodd walked in as well. Bennett’s pupils constricted; this was the first time that he had seen an alien, so he could not help but stare, forgetting himself.
“Native, what are you looking at!” Kerlodd said unhappily.
“He speaks our language?” Bennett said with surprise.
Han Xiao pointed at the translator and explained it to Bennett—only then did Bennett understand.
“Aliens’ technology is indeed advanced,” Bennett commented. He looked at the two of them and said in confusion, “Didn’t you capture him? Why does it look like…”
“We have agreed on some matters.” Han Xiao did not want Kerlodd to hear their following conversation, so he took off his translator.
“How did you know about the alien?” Han Xiao asked.
Bennett shook his head and said in a low voice, “Raylen told me, or else I wouldn’t have known an alien came. They investigated you, confirmed that you captured the alien, and contacted me discreetly to demand that you to give them the alien.”
Han Xiao was not surprised that it was Raylen. Following the traces at that time, they would indeed investigate him. Besides he had never planned to hide it because there was no need to.
“And what if I reject?”
“Their official response was ‘violent methods will be unavoidable’. Raylen is very firm this time.”
Not only was Han Xiao one of the biggest contributors to the fall of the Germinal Organization, but he was also the strongest superhuman in Planet Aquamarine. So, the Six Nations respected him. However, Raylen had made up their mind this time and had a very strong attitude; they were not preparing to give him face and wanted to force Han Xiao to give up the Godoran and control him. Han Xiao inwardly shook his head; Raylen’s hostility meant nothing to him anymore.
Bennett was very speechless. “Can you tell me, how did you kidnap an alien back after a casual walk outside? What do you want to do?”
Han Xiao sat down, looked at Bennett, and said, “I’m planning to leave Planet Aquamarine.”
Bennett was completely stunned.
This message was way too sudden, Bennett only regained his focus after a while and asked with surprise, “Why? Are you really an alien?”
“Compared to the galaxy, Planet Aquamarine is just a tiny rural place. The world is so large, and I want to explore it.” Han Xiao smiled.
Turns out this was the reason for the capture the alien…
Bennett adjusted his mindset very quickly. He had seen a lot of things. After all, he said with some sadness, “You are a friend who shares the same ideals as me. If you’ve really decided that, I can only wish you all the best. I will miss you.”
Han Xiao looked him in the eye and smiled. “That’s a wider world, aren’t you tempted? Do you want to come with me?”
Bennett’s mind drifted away a little. It was like he saw the endless galaxy in Han Xiao’s eyes. Men’s romance was the sea of stars, and one could only look further by standing taller.
His heart started beating faster; the desire for exploration in his heart became stronger.
However, Bennett calmed down very quickly. He shook his head and said, “The sanctuary is my ideal. Sorry, I need to continue it.”
Han Xiao hesitated and said, “There’s actually another reason. A disaster will sweep over Planet Aquamarine in two to three years’ time; I foresaw it. It’s a horrifying disaster, and there’s a very low chance of surviving… Are you really not leaving?”
Han Xiao decided to warn Bennett about the arrival of the Mutation Disaster. After all, Bennett had treated him well. It was dangerous staying in Planet Aquamarine, and Han Xiao wanted to enter the galaxy before Version 1.0. One of the main goals that he had was to avoid the first and most dangerous wave of disaster when the Mutation Disaster arrived in Planet Aquamarine.
With the possible identity of a foreseer, Han Xiao’s ‘foresight’ had reasons to be believed.
However, after Bennett listened carefully to Han Xiao’s rough description of the disaster, his hesitation disappeared completely, and he said, “Then I categorically have to stay; this is my home, and she needs me.”
Han Xiao stared at Bennett for a while before letting out a long sigh.
“Indeed, that’s the type of person you are.”
People’s beliefs differed and could not be forced. Bennett stared at Han Xiao with complicated emotions in his eyes and asked, “Are you leaving to avoid the danger?”
Han Xiao smiled and said, “The solution to the disaster is hidden in the galaxy. Not only am I avoiding danger, but I am also looking for the solution in the galaxy.”
He did not lie to Bennett; solving the Mutation Disaster in Version 2.0 in advance was part of his plan. If he could change the storyline of Planet Aquamarine in Version 2.0, he would definitely gain some Legendary Points.
Hearing this, Bennett smiled and said, “I was not wrong about you. When I heard your speech back then, I knew we are the same type of people.”
