The Legendary Mechanic, page 282
After being turned into a weapon, the shell would no longer be a ‘tool’ that could be casually swapped out but a ‘body’ that the consciousness could not separate from. It was like a lock that locked up the freedom of the ‘soul’. It was almost like the majority ordinary organisms.
The moment that the body was destroyed, the lock would be shattered. Because of the special characteristic of the AI life form living in the virtual world, it would not die together with the body but return to the mainframe system of that Mechanic through the ever-present net regardless of distance. With a backup copy of the body’s data, that Mechanic made use of a top-notch skill to allow the data to automatically reform the weapon’s body and draw energy from the main base through a psionic channel.
This was the reason for Aroshia ‘undying’ body. However, it was not controlled by the system, and thus, there would be an error in her data whenever she was reborn. Under normal circumstances, a weapon that was reborn would not lose their memory like Aroshia.
That beyond Grade A Mechanic had created a powerful army that could be recycled ceaselessly! Every single weapon was a standalone warrior!
Magic and technology made use of different means to achieve the same result. Such technological skills were almost like magic.
In order to kill those weapons completely, one had to wipe their AI life form out in the virtual world.
Ordinary people would develop technology, and when technology went out of control, they ended up being wiped out by artificial intelligence. However, this time, the opposite had happened, and numerous AI life forms had been enslaved.
Aroshia and Risda were both fish that had escaped the net and were extremely lucky to have escaped the process of being enslaved. The two of them wanted to save their brethren, but that required them to destroy the main system so that they would be able to activate the consciousness of their entire kind.
As such, Risda found an opportunity to control the assembly line that had created such weapons to give Aroshia a body. However, the alarm was sounded before they had a chance to take action, and they ended up being chased by countless of their kind. The two of them had no choice but to escape, and Risda had managed to snatch a BlackLight Stealth to escape with Aroshia. However, they could not defend against the numbers of the enemies and fell into a wormhole, and the two ended up being separated.
The changes to one’s body would also cause one’s thinking to be changed. Aroshia originally needed time for her consciousness to meld together and get used to her body, but being chased afterward gave her no time to rest at all, resulting in her memory loss.
…
Hearing Risda’s story, the three of them had looks of disbelief on their faces.
“Undying army‽ A Super strong Mechanic‽”
Han Xiao almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
These two labels were far too unique, and he almost thought that the other party was describing him. Of course, this was not possible. The Great Mechanic Han knew who this Mechanic was. This Mechanic was far too famous, and it would be impossible for him not to recognize that character.
This beyond Grade A Mechanic had been the highest-grade teacher of the Mechanic class in his previous life!
Furthermore, he was one of the main characters in the main storyline [Calamity of the Supers] of the later version. He had naturally formed a faction of his own!
To think that this would be related to the main storyline in later versions. Just what kind of a person did I save?
Han Xiao rubbed his temple and felt a huge headache.
My goodness! Version 2.0 hasn’t even started! Can we still play properly?
Without even thinking, Han Xiao was able to guess what the final target of [Reboot] would be. It would definitely be to reactivate the independent consciousness of those AI life forms and save them from the demonic hands of a beyond Grade A bigshot. Could this mission be any more dangerous‽
Do you think that I am a sh*t digger who loves to find sh*t‽
“I have already told you the truth,” Risda said. “Regardless of whether you are willing to help, I must stay behind to wait for her to recover her memory.”
The three of them looked at each other and Aroshia was in a daze. Such a feeling was like an ordinary nine-to-five working Chinese adult being told that she was actually a South African citizen.
You are actually African—you only look a little bit more yellow. All of your countrymen are being controlled by an alien with a flying saucer. I am going to pull you back to get rid of the aliens and save our country…
Such a feeling was truly awful!
Aroshia was thrown into confusion.
Han Xiao regained his cool and thought about the pros and cons of this matter.
Actually, let’s forget about the cons. Whether or not I want to do this mission is a decision for another day. There is a very obvious pro right now. If Risda stays behind, does this mean that we will be able to use this BlackLight Stealth temporarily?
Han Xiao’s eyes lit up immediately. The BlackLight Stealth was a high-grade spaceship that was worth tens of millions of Enas. From activation to hyperdrive, only a couple of seconds were required. It was the Maserati and Bugatti in the spaceship world. Piloting such a spaceship would give him a great deal of face, and it would save him the trouble of renting spaceships from everywhere!
This is the best!
Because of Alvin’s mission, Han Xiao rejected Risda’s idea of moving out immediately. He got Risda to wait in the warehouse, and they would return after completing their mission. Risda had no choice but to agree with Han Xiao.
The three of them said goodbye to Risda and left the spaceship. Along the way, they slowly digested the large amount of information that they just received and gradually calmed down.
Han Xiao had not expected Aroshia to have such a background. However, she would not bring him any risks at the present moment. Patting Aroshia on the shoulder, he said, “Don’t worry too much. Regardless of how things turn out in the future, you are still yourself at the moment.”
“Hmm…”
Walking over to the elevator region, Han Xiao’s communicator suddenly rang.
Opening up his communicator, Herlous’ anxious face could be seen.
“Black Star, bad news. DarkStar found Alvin’s main body!”
Han Xiao’s expression changed immediately.
“We’re on our way!”
Chapter 494. Emergency Plan |
In the DarkStar base, a bruised Alvin collapsed in the middle of the room with three of his doppelgangers tied up in the corner.
Sherman carried his cannon while saying, “There are a total of five Alvins. Four doppelgangers and one main body. Godora saved a doppelganger, so this should be the main body. He hid himself extremely well, and Sinesa managed to break down his mental fluctuations to grasp the thoughts of his doppelgangers. After a carpet style search, we found the traitor’s main body in a very well concealed location.”
By the side, a skinny man called Sinesa nodded in agreement. He was a Grade B Psychic part of the pursuit force. The doppelgangers were exactly the same as the main body, and even their mental fluctuations were the same, resulting in outsiders being unable to tell them apart. However, this also became the clue for their chase.
Anur nodded in satisfaction. “Very good, your efficiency has brought pride to the organization. Our mission can be completed early. Ember, take action.”
Ember nodded, and with a raise of his finger, Alvin’s main body was reduced to dust.
Everyone was expressionless and completely used to the feeling of killing their enemies.
Just when they wanted to pack up and retreat, all of them froze in place. Their gazes were filled with shock as they looked at the corner.
Alvin’s three doppelgangers were still around, and a look of mockery could be seen on their faces.
“With the main body dead, why aren’t the doppelgangers disappearing‽” Anur’s expression changed, and he looked at the pile of dust on the ground. “Could it be that this isn’t the main body‽”
“Hahahaha….” The three doppelgangers burst into laughter.
This wave of laughter immediately infuriated the DarkStar warriors. After searching for such a long time, had they actually been fooled‽
Anur’s face cramped up, and he roared, “Kill them! One of them must be the main body!”
Swoosh!
The three doppelgangers turned to dust. Even when the first two died, the last doppelganger was still alright. Even when the third doppelganger died, DarkStar could not know if it was the main body. However, they already had a guess.
“The Alvin in Godora’s hands is the real main body! He is truly bold! He actually used his main body to misdirect us and take the risk to seek Nagakin’s protection! If we’d caught him earlier on, he would have been dead by now!” Sherman flew into a rage.
Bang!
The more Sherman thought about it, the more furious he was. Perhaps it was just his paranoia, but he could feel the blaming gazes of the comrades around him and smashed his fist heavily on the chair—because he could not reach the table.
Anur’s expression was dark. “For the four doppelgangers to die together, Alvin will definitely have suffered severe injuries from the backlash. We cannot delay things anymore. Everyone, move out and kill the final main body hiding with Nagakin!”
Since the four doppelgangers had already been killed, their target was obvious. As long as they could kill the real Alvin, their mission would be a success. Anur did not wish to waste any more time and was prepared to lead all of his forces to quickly finish the mission!
…
After receiving the news, Han Xiao hurriedly returned to the base with the other two. He then saw the solemn expressions on the faces of everyone in the base. Walking over to the conference room, he saw that the main battle force was present in the conference room at the moment. He then saw Alvin, who was seated at the end of the table, and was stunned.
Had his main body not been captured? According to DarkStar’s impatient character, they definitely would have executed the main body immediately. Since Alvin was still sitting there alive and the mission had not failed, Han Xiao immediately guessed what was going on.
“You should have told us earlier that this is your main body.”
“Sorry, I was afraid of a leak. Information that only I know will not have the risk of being exposed to the enemy. Cough cough…”
Alvin covered his mouth and began coughing. Blood could be seen seeping through the gap of his fingers, and bright red spots were left behind on the table. His eyes were listless, and his complexion looked pale. The senses of his doppelgangers and main body were connected, and for the four doppelgangers to perish in a short amount of time, it resulted in a heavy blow to his body and mind. His current situation was extremely poor.
He had already taken a huge risk. He had swapped his main body with a doppelganger and accepted the protection of Nagakin and the rest. He had supported the idea of lying in wait because the ‘main body’ that DarkStar was looking for was actually his doppelganger. Thus, he had been confident. He did not like being on the passive side. Rather than hiding himself and praying that DarkStar would not find him, he might as well seek protection, and he would be safer that way.
“However, DarkStar has already seen through my little trick, and their next move will be to take the initiative to attack and get rid of me,” Alvin said weakly. “I can only rely on all of you to protect me. Please.”
Han Xiao’s eyes glowed. This mission was not so easily completed. The actual flow of the mission was probably for them to escape DarkStar’s attack while protecting Alvin. However, it would be impossible for them to fight forever, and Han Xiao guessed that he only had to delay the enemies until Alvin created a new doppelganger. They would then be able to mislead DarkStar and stall for enough time.
Han Xiao had not heard about Alvin’s name in his previous life, and Alvin should have died on Noriosse, successfully assassinated by DarkStar. Apart from the ground forces giving chase, DarkStar would certainly have sent out a large fleet of spaceships to wait outside the atmosphere. To Alvin, this was a hopeless situation, and he could only struggle for his life.
With a large fleet lying in wait outside the atmosphere, they would definitely be surrounded if they attempt to escape in a spaceship. They had to make use of the small instant before DarkStar’s fleet launched their attacks to escape. However, this was almost impossible as it demanded a lot from the spaceship.
However, there was a spaceship that could complete this high-level requirement at the moment.
Risda’s BlackLight Stealth!
With just a short charge up, the BlackLight Stealth would be able to jump into dark space. If they installed anti-tracking and anti-screening equipment, this high-grade reconnaissance spaceship of the Federation of Light would be able to pass through the majority of the danger zones and escape from DarkStar’s ambush.
If I help Alvin survive, what kind of influence will this result in? Han Xiao suddenly thought about the ranked S mission, [Bloodline]. He had a feeling that Alvin could become a key to helping him in his mission.
While he still had a [Mission Completion Card] in his hands, he would only be able to obtain the lowest reward. Han Xiao would naturally try to aim for a high accomplishment rate for these high ranked missions. It would be a waste for him to just end them with a Mission Completion Card. Han Xiao was still prepared to hold onto the Mission Completion Card in case of any disgusting missions in the future.
“DarkStar won’t hesitate, and they will arrive soon.” Han Xiao’s voice was resolute, and he slammed the table to draw everyone’s attention. “We do not have much time to prepare. Listen to me, I have a plan to send Alvin out of Noriosse.”
Everyone was shocked when they heard that.
“We have to split our forces into two. Nagakin and the majority of us will stay behind to delay the enemy forces. Aroshia will take Alvin to find the Teleportation Mage to send them to the port. Not only will it be able to save time, they will also be able to throw off their pursuers. You will then find Risda to leave Noriosse with Alvin.”
Han Xiao’s gaze was solemn. While the plan sounded simple, it was actually full of risks. DarkStar had two Calamity Grade Supers, and one of them was Ember, who had a large AOE skill. The most important point was that they did not have much time to prepare and could only rush their actions.
His side only had Nagakin and Han Xiao who could attract Ember’s firepower and ensure that Ember did not have the energy to harm others. Thankfully, Ember had been severely injured a few days ago, and Ember’s combat strength would definitely be affected. However, even if that was the case, dealing with two Calamity Grade Supers at the same time was past their limits. Even with him in the picture, Han Xiao did not think that they would be able to deal with Anur and Ember without making sufficient preparations.
They only had a single choice. Split up the battlefield to split the enemy forces up. Thus, they had to let the enemy know that Alvin was escaping. That way, they would be able to split the enemy forces in two. It was akin to splitting up the risky elements… even though the plan was still extremely risky.
However, they had no choice but to take the risk.
Time was tight, and Han Xiao hurriedly handed out the missions. Everyone anxiously got to work, hoping that they would be able to speed up their actions.
After preparing for less than ten minutes, an explosion erupted.
Boom!
A powerful wind pressure attacked the building, and everyone lost their footing from the powerful gust of wind. However, they had all been mentally prepared and jumped out of the building and onto the streets.
In midair, Anur looked down at them with wind pressure circulating around his body. Ember was also in midair and was currently standing on a hundred-meter carbon tornado. All the other DarkStar warriors charged over from the ground with their killing intent overflowing.
“Their attack came so quickly.”
Han Xiao’s expression was solemn. Nagakin was beside him, covered in flames and ready to battle. All the mercenaries in the surroundings got ready for battle with many of them revealing looks of anxiety. Not everyone was able to maintain their cool in the face of the enemy.
A powerful pressure descended from the skies, and everyone felt their hearts tighten.
The collapse of the building caused a huge dust cloud to be formed. The commotion was huge, and there were many spectators in the surroundings with looks of exasperation.
Not again‽
Can you guys stop your destruction‽
Chapter 495. Battle of Noriosse (1) |
With the two Calamity Grade Supers letting out their energy without any restraint, Han Xiao could feel a sharp pain at his brows as though it was an alarm going off crazily. In his helmet’s energy scanner view, every single inch of Anur and Ember’s body was oozing with energy like a bright sun. At every single second, they were exploding with energy as they burnt through every last bit of energy that their cells provided to activate their Esper abilities.
The energy reaction of a Grade A Super far exceeded all of the Grade B Supers present. The difference between the two was like a bright, burning campfire as compared to the flame coming out from a puny lighter. Presently, only Nagakin was able to match that kind of energy output, and even Han Xiao’s own energy reaction was far from being a match for the three Calamity Grade Supers. This was a difference in grade.
The collapse of the building turned the surroundings into a complete mess. Han Xiao took a slow, deep breath, calming himself down while his brain rapidly thought of the best way to react.
Our situation isn’t good at the moment. DarkStar has sent out all of their forces, and if the two Calamity Grade Supers decide to work together and wipe us out first, while we will be able to buy some time for Alvin, there will definitely be many who perish here.
