The Legendary Mechanic, page 194
However, this time was completely different. Only one hour after the Catastrophe ended, Fernas' cold face appeared on the television everywhere.
"My fellow men, I'm Fernas. I believe many people know me. I want to make an announcement. From today, on behalf of forty percent of the Supers, the people you call guardians, we will be leaving Planet Sunil and never return…"
The words he used were very firm, saying that they had done enough and were now going to search for freedom, not giving their lives to the race anymore.
The Sunils felt like a bucket of ice had been poured over them. The happiness and passion from getting through the Catastrophe vanished, and they were all stunned.
What is this? Why is it so sudden‽
The superiors of the military were shocked—they had absolutely no idea about this beforehand.
Far away in the forest, Herlous saw Fernas' announcement from the internal terminal in his armor, and he mumbled in disbelief, "Why not leave quietly‽ This way, the people will…"
With the announcement, the whole of Planet Sunil was shocked. The people felt confused and lost; they did not know the reasons behind it. All they knew was that the guardians whom they had always relied on were abandoning them!
Why? Why‽
No one kept silent.
Despair, desperation, hopelessness.
Howling, wailing, growling.
This was the collapse of belief! Even the minority that was unsatisfied with the Supers felt endless panic when they saw this!
This shocked the entire race!
Fernas appeared with the other Supers that decided to leave and walked outside. The Sunil soldiers looked at them in disbelief, yet they still opened a path for them.
This time, another group of people swarmed over with rage and shock, including Lerden.
Sunil Supers were divided into two groups, one announcing their leave from the race, another shocked and furious. They stood against each other from far away with clear separation.
The anticipation of a good show appeared on the faces of mercenaries, who were waiting for their reward.
Han Xiao leaned his back against a tank, looked at this scene, squinted his eyes and thought,And so it begins.
He had only read about the Sunil Supers splitting up from the news. This time, he could witness it happening.
The report had referred to the people including Fernas who were leaving the Independence Faction, and the ones protecting the race Guardian Faction.
"Why are you doing this‽" a person from the Guardian Faction said furiously.
Fernas gave him a cold glare and said, "I explained it very clearly, don't feign ignorance. I know you people must have thought about long ago. In the past many years, how many of our brothers were sacrificed? How many of our brothers became disabled? We have done enough."
The people of Guardian Faction's expressions changed a bit. Indeed, similar thoughts had crossed their minds before in most of the people present—few people could stay firm from the start to the end. Furthermore, they had been traveling in the colorful galaxy and had seen how alluring it was.
Some people escaped their expanding desires; some people let it grow.
"But…" Lerden clenched his teeth and said, "If you want to leave, you could have just left quietly. Why announce it openly? You are destroying the hope of the rac…"
Fernas cut Lerden off. "so what?"
The people of Guardian Faction were shocked. They felt that the once firm and reliable Fernas had become a stranger.
The two parties were in a stalemate, and the Sunil soldiers gradually surrounded them. Further away, the mercenaries took out snacks and focused on this show with excitement on their faces.
Han Xiao casually grabbed a strange cigarette that looked like a cigar, took a deep breath, and shrugged. "See, this is the ending of a long-distance relationship."
"Brilliant." The other mercenaries laughed. Mercenaries were a group of cold and unsympathetic people.
Han Xiao had a very open mind. The split of the Sunils was fated, opening the curtain of the end of the Sunil Civilization and the start of Herlous' story. He was just a spectator for now—only when the Sunils split up and chaos fell would he be able to take part. Until things unfolded naturally, he could only wait.
Furthermore, with him taking part, splitting up might not lead to the tragic ending in the original storyline but a new start instead. Since he could also benefit from it, this was a win-win.
Smoke rose up and covered Han Xiao's narrowed eyes.
Chapter 351. Settlement |
Splitting up was certain; the Independence Faction had made up their mind for leaving. Understandably, the Guardian Faction was shocked and angry. They could have defended the race together, but now, there were people who had betrayed them and were leaving. Furthermore, they had heavily smashed what they had once protected. The Guardian Faction was emotional, and they questioned the deserters loudly.
“You’re a Sunil, too. In the brink of danger, how can you abandon your race?”
Fernas was expressionless. “My race, my looks, my life form, these factors that were decided from the moment I was born cannot decide my mindset and standpoint. I have made my contributions, and now I want a new life.”
The Guardian Faction still wanted to question them, but they saw that the faces of the Independence Faction had absolutely no signs of regret or shame. Speechless, the words of accusation became stuck in their throats. The people they were facing were all brothers who had once fought alongside them. They had all shed sweat and blood; they were not enemies, just comrades that were taking a different path. They were not in a position to accuse the Independence Faction—everyone had their own desires.
Fernas pushed aside the people in his way as the Independence Faction strolled away. The Sunil soldiers and the Guardian Faction silently stared at their shrinking backs.
This time, every Sunil seemed to see the dark and gray future. The sound of sobbing started faintly, and even the soldiers who did not fear even death were tearing up. This was the collapse of the spiritual pillar in their hearts. In all these years, the Supers guarding the race had become spiritual totems and motivation for the Sunils.
Sometimes, the collapse of the spiritual pillar can have a blow even heavier than an exterior disaster on a group.
Han Xiao shook his head. The Sunil after disaster was like a tough disabled man, and the parts lost on his body did not defeat him. He still had the determination and motivation to continue, his mind was healthy, but when even the belief collapsed, he became disabled in his mind too, losing the strength to move forward.
Therefore, the impact of the split in the race was not just the decrease in the number of Supers—it had made a deep impact on the spirits of the people and the tough quality of the race.
The way that Herlous became the ‘main character’ was when the position of Fernas and the other Supers who were once heroes faded away, and the Superiors made him the new role model and spiritual motivation, signifying that there were still people who held on.
In his previous life, Herlous’ future position had even exceeded Fernas’ old position. If Fernas was the representative of changing from kindness and passion into tiredness and coldness, and Lerden was the representative of redeeming his sins, Herlous would be the representative of someone who had previously avoided the reality then awoken his sense responsibility. After the Sunils went through the disaster, the mindset of the race changed continuously, from hot-blooded to indifference, then from the indifference they found the belief of determination. The belief collapsed during the split up, and Herlous’ appearance was building a new belief in the ruins, giving this race a new quality. His experience and actions gave his lost race a reason to regain their determination, staggering in pain and hardship, but still marching forward. The conflict in his heart was a scaled-down reflection of the entire race.
Unlike Bennett, who was building sanctuaries far away on Planet Aquamarine and had developed a firm belief long ago, Herlous was a main character who was still growing.
Thinking of the path that this whole thing took in his previous life, the Great Mechanic Han sighed. Sadly, water can carry a boat but could also sink one… When Herlous died in battle, the Sunils gave up struggling and jumped into Godora’s arms.
…
The Independence Faction left the defense ring and entered the forest. They were planning to find a place and contact a Galactic Travel agency, never to return. Suddenly, a person appeared before them—it was that mysterious armored warrior.
Fernas and the others stopped their footsteps.
Herlous took off his helmet and said with a complicated expression, “Why? You found me before leaving because you wanted me to replace you to protect the race, but what you’re doing now is destroying the race’s belief…”
Fernas looked at him coldly, shook his head, and said, “If I don’t leave… how are you going to replace me?”
Anger appeared in Herlous’ eyes. “Because of such a boring reason?”
“I actually really despise you. You have such strong powers, but you’re fine with staying at the back lines. You are in no position to talk down to me.” Fernas’ expression was indifferent. “Now, you have displayed your strength and exposed your armor. The race will definitely search for you with all of their might—you cannot go back anymore.”
Herlous suddenly realized. “You used me for your plan…”
“Don’t think too highly of yourself!” Fernas’ eyes were firm as he said coldly, “Everyone has experienced a lot of things. Why would we change our mind because of a minor character like you? Leaving is for our own sake, just like the brothers who decided to stay. Even if us splitting up has made a negative impact, their foolish resolve to protect the race will not be shaken.
“I will say the same thing—only staying alive is important. I want the entire race to not have that extravagant wish of holding on. This meaningless struggle has to end—accept help from Godora willingly, and no one will have to bleed and fight anymore. All Sunils will gain a peaceful and stable life… This path is the true way to protect the race.”
Herlous opened his mouth, and Han Xiao’s face appeared in his mind again. He had once told Fernas about the future of accepting help, but Fernas held onto his opinion and was not shaken at all. He felt it was the wrong foresight.
With nothing else to say, the Independence Faction left.
Herlous hesitated for quite some time, then gradually made up his mind. He left the forest and took large steps toward the defense ring.
The army was still reeling in shock from the split up. When they noticed that this mysterious armored warrior had appeared, they only remembered the order from above after being stunned for quite a while. They arranged their emotions, suppressed the loss in their heart, and prioritized the order to surround him.
In front of countless soldiers, Herlous took off his helmet slowly, glanced around exhausted both physically and spiritually, and took a deep breath. “My name is Herlous…”
…
To the entire Sunil race, this Catastrophe was full of twists and turns. The guardians split up after the battle, but the legendary Commander Class armor appeared again when the hidden grade B Super called Herlous stood up to protect the race. After a few days in his new role, the media spread Herlous’ experience all over, building him up as a hero that stood out in the time of need. It was also reported that the research lab would receive more funding after receiving the Commander Class armor, hoping that the race would one day get back the technology of the Commander Class armor. Thus, they managed to use Herlous and their future plans to wash away the impact from the mass desertion.
With the army and the leaders working together to spread the word, Herlous’ name was known everywhere, gradually becoming a new role model for the race.
The Sunils settled the hiring reward, and the mercenaries left one after another. During the times of fighting alongside each other, Han Xiao had come to know quite many peers. They had quite pleasant conversations, and the other mercenaries had a very good impression on the Black Star Mercenary Group, which had suffered zero loss, showing their friendliness.
Mercenaries liked to know people in the same industry. After all, they might one day fight alongside each other one day.
The players returned, and the Sunil military expressed their thanks to the Black Star Mercenary Group before giving out the reward. Every player receiver 12,000 Enas, largely increasing their purchasing power. As the leader, Han Xiao received the same amount as well, and along with the job of Battlefield Repairs, the Great Mechanic Han made 16,000 Enas this time, about enough to buy more class advancement knowledge.
Chapter 352. The Black Star Will Bless You |
Through battlefield repairs, Han Xiao had gotten a few new blueprints, including the Hovering Turner, High Caliber Defensive Machine Gun, and the Offensive, Defensive, and Scouting Enlistee Class armor. As he expected, the NCO Class armor required [Heavy Machinery Modification], so the progress was stuck.
The Great Mechanic Han was not one to return with nothing, so using his relationship with the military, he bought three different types of NCO Class armors with 2,000 or so Enas. When he returned to the Juberly Hub and learned [Heavy Machinery Modification], he would be able to get its blueprint. He would then build the different sets of armor and sell them to the players. The cost of buying the armor could easily be earned back.
Everyone received twelve thousand, so their purchasing power is largely increased.Han Xiao was exuberant. This kind of mass-produced armor sold very well, and its attributes could be increased just by him putting in some experience to level up the blueprint. Furthermore, he had the boost from Machinery Affinity, so the armor that he produced would be much better than the ones from assembly lines. After selling them, he could still earn from long-term repair fees.
The commission that he received from the hire could only buy about one class advancement knowledge, but through profiting from the players, that earning could be multiplied many times.
The Credibility Points of the Black Star Mercenary Group increased quite a bit, and they finally had their first combat mission experience. The Sunils detailed their missions, including them requesting for the most dangerous missions and completing it perfectly without any deaths. This new information was very valuable.
The relationship with the Sunil was unlocked, and it increased to 1,000 points immediately, reaching the ‘Friendly’ level.
On top of all that, their Renown increased five points as well, two points more than the original reward, so Black Star’s name started to spread around the mercenary industry. The most direct increase was the Faction single mission reward quota was increased by 10,000 experience, which meant that there was 260,000 more daily experience due to the twenty-six times multiplier.
After the rewards were given, the mercenaries left one after another, but Han Xiao stayed in Forest City. The players stayed for a few days and got a little impatient.
On this day, the players found Han Xiao, and Frenzied Sword asked, “Black Phantom, you…”
“Call me Black Star.” Han Xiao knocked on Frenzied Sword’s head.
Frenzied Sword then said, “Black Star, when are we going back? What are we staying here for?”
“Waiting for someone.”
The players thought that after the Catastrophe ended so did this hiring mission, but in Han Xiao’s eyes, it was just the beginning!
…
One day later, the Sunil Military sent someone to tell Han Xiao that Herlous wanted to meet him. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Finally.”
Following the soldiers to a base facility, he entered a private room, where Herlous was waiting. The man stood up, waved, and sent the soldiers away—he then closed the door, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
There were two glasses of alcohol on the table. Han Xiao glanced around and sat down directly. “I thought you’d find me sooner.”
“It was delayed by something. I had to fully cooperate with the military for publicity and lend the armor that my older brother left me to the research institution.” Herlous sighed. He had never expected to receive such treatment, but it was mainly caused by three reasons. Firstly, they needed to wash away the effect of the split up. Secondly, Herlous was strong, and strength signified position. There were only two known grade B Supers in the entire race—Fernas had left, and Herlous had appeared. Thirdly, they now had a chance to resurrect the Commander Class armor.
“You seem to have many questions for me, but first let me ask you a question…” Han Xiao raised the glass up, swirled it gently, and purposely said in a very slow tone, “Do you believe I’m a foreseer?”
“Half.” Herlous’ eyes were sparkling. “Did you foresee the future of me protecting the race long ago, and that was why you came to contact me?”
“Of course, I didn’t know a bar owner is actually a hidden grade B Super, and I also didn’t know that he would wear a Commander Class armor called Shattered Light to fight the Catastrophe.” Han Xiao said mockingly.
Herlous smiled bitterly. No one knew his armor was called Shattered Light, so the foreseer identity was proved. Yet, that left him with another question. “How many things can you foresee? How far can you see into the future?”
“Hahaha, frankly, I can only foresee parts of the future, bits and pieces. I don’t know much. If I didn’t accidentally peek into Planet Sunil’s future, I wouldn’t have come,” Han Xiao said sincerely without even blinking.
“I see, although I don’t know much about the galaxy, I did hear that foresight usually has limitations.” Herlous understood, and he was glad that Han Xiao had seen Planet Sunil’s future instead of something else’s future. Maybe this was the long-awaited luck of his race.
