Chapter 597: Behind Enemy Lines Alone
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The BlackLight Stealth took Jupiter and the others to the nearest planet with a city.
Jupiter and the others walked around the interior of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p curiously. This was Black Star’s personal s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, and it was extremely rare for players to board it.
Risda locked up the doors to a large portion of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, and the players were only able to explore some unimportant public regions.
“This s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p must be extremely precious, right?” Poseidon muttered.
“I searched it before. This s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p is the model of an advanced civilization.” Jupiter nodded in agreement.
Now that the players had their own communicators, they could connect to the galactic network, getting rid of their status as a backward aboriginals. All the various channels of information were finally opened to them, and their knowledge increased every day. Together with Phillip’s ability to search the web, they were able to search for any information they wished, and the players gradually grew used to searching for any questions they had.
“A s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p is far too expensive. Who knows when we will be able to afford one?” Poseidon shook his head.
“Not necessarily. As long as we complete a few missions and raise some funds from the guild, it would be possible for us to buy a basic s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p.”
Jupiter was the guild leader of a prestigious club and would always have some plans. The resources that he had control over were also something that an ordinary player would not be able to compare to. A s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p that had a sky-high price in the player’s eyes was just about achievable as long as he gathered funds from the guild. After all, the guild of a club was essentially a company. All the core members of the guild were employees of the guild, and redistributing resources was an extremely simple affair.
He was considering the type of advantage having a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p earlier would bring him and whether it was worth the resources.
Right at that moment, a core member with the name of ‘Michael’ said, “Guild Master, we can actually buy a functional model instead. I previously checked the market for materials and fuel. Many large corporations are collecting these resources without any limit. While the prices are low, the profits are stable.”
Jupiter’s eyes lit up, and he said, “You mean we should buy a mining s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p?”
“Yes, we should organize a mining expedition and mine for resources on an uninhabited planet. We can then sell these resources to earn a steady profit.”
“We wouldn’t be able to recover our costs too quickly at the start,” Michael added. “However, if we complete missions while mining for resources, we would be able to gather enough funds to purchase more mining s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. After a period of acc.u.mulation, our profits will increase and s...o...b..ll. If we can form a whole fleet of mining s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps, our profits will definitely increase exponentially.”
Jupiter was moved by this proposition. “So, the earlier we buy a mining s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p the greater our profits?”
“That’s right.” Michael nodded. “Presently, everyone is focused on completing employment missions, and the benefits are plentiful. However, unions like Dynasty and King City, which are able to mobilize a large number of players, will be looking for other ways to make money as well. Time waits for no one.”
Apart from making money, their responsibility as the guild of a club was also to provide better logistical support for the professional players. Jupiter could not help but fall into deep thought.
Poseidon then looked at Michael and said, “Are you in cahoots with the members of the other guilds? Quickly exit the group chat to prove your innocence!”
“Scram to the side.” Michael showed his middle finger in response.
Poseidon then looked at the luxurious interior of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p and said, “Wouldn’t we be able to make heaps of profit by s.n.a.t.c.hing this s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p? We should be able to leave Dynasty far behind in the dust.”
Everyone looked at him speechlessly.
“You are actually the spy, right?” Michael teased back in response.
“Tsk, a casual remark of mine has all of you so anxious.” Poseidon clicked his tongue in response.
…
Going from the pickup point to the Fawn Star System required one to go through a few stargates, and the journey was not a short one.
However, in order to get rid of Sykes, a hidden danger, Han Xiao decided to wait patiently.
The pirates’ s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p was flying in s.p.a.ce, and Han Xiao’s Chaos Body was stuck to the wall of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p in a very concealed spot. This made Han Xiao realize that the talent of the Chaos Observer was extremely suitable for conducting such non-rigorous stealth operations. To him, any operation that did not end up with him silencing all eye witnesses was considered non-rigorous.
Because he was currently in his Chaos Body form, Han Xiao did not have anything to do. As such, he could only scroll through the forums every day and understand how the players were doing in their various missions through the posts. Because they had not entered the galaxy for a long time, the players were pretty obedient, and most of the missions went pretty smoothly. Everything was also going smoothly with the 200,000 mercenaries on Planet Sunil.
The situation made Han Xiao feel at ease.
Apart from looking through the forums, Han Xiao spent his time looking through the [Observer’s Mark]. He spied on Aros.h.i.+a, Serbia the Fifth, and Herlous to pa.s.s the time.
After around ten days, the pirate s.h.i.+p finally left the Garton Star System and entered the Fawn Star System. Soon, they linked up together with the main troops.
The Purple Snake s.p.a.ce Pirates had more than forty battles.h.i.+ps with the majority being small to medium sized pillaging s.h.i.+ps. The flags.h.i.+p was a modified Crow Grade battles.h.i.+p, which was the main battles.h.i.+p model in the Fawn Star System. A s.p.a.ce pirate fleet of such a scale was not one to be underestimated.
The s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p flew into the fleet and met up with the flags.h.i.+p. A few s.p.a.ce pirates supported the feeble Befuli through the walkway to the main hall of the flags.h.i.+p. Sykes was already waiting there with all his subordinates filling up the main hall. The other three Grade B Officers were standing beside him.
The moment Sykes saw the frail Befuli, he stood up abruptly and ran over with a questioning gaze.
“Befuli, how were you reduced to such a state?”
Befuli looked at Sykes with his lips trembling and tears in his eyes. He said in a choking tone, “Black Star is a demon!”
“What exactly did he do to you?” Sykes sized Befuli up from head to toe. In his memory, Befuli was a burly well-built man, but the Befuli before him looked like a rack of bones that would crumble at any moment.
Not just him, even the other s.p.a.ce pirates looked over with disbelief in their eyes. They did not dare believe that this powerful comrade of theirs would be reduced to such a state.
Just what could have happened that would reduce a Grade B Super to such a state‽
The moment Befuli thought about his h.e.l.l-like days, he could not help but reveal a face full of fear as he trembled.
“He… he locked me up in a dark cabin, and I don’t even know how long had pa.s.sed since then. He used some equipment to extract my Super-Gene, and my recovery speed became slower and slower. Even now, I have only been able to recover a little bit…”
Those who had strength would fear losing it the most. Every time he recovered a bit of strength, it would be mercilessly taken away from him again. After experiencing this endless loop of hopelessness together with the fact that he was locked up in a dark chamber, he lost all sense of time and suffered a huge psychological blow.
Upon hearing that, Sykes could not help but tremble slightly and regret his decision of provoking Black Star.
He had never imagined that Black Star was not only powerful but a pervert as well!
Sykes had only taken the risk to threaten Black Star because of Befuli’s strength as a Grade B Super. However, Befuli was as good as crippled already and would need a long time to recover. Sykes only needed a useful Officer, not a crippled subordinate.
Even the other Officers who had friction with Befuli could not help but feel a sense of fear in their hearts when seeing Befuli in such a state.
“Black Star probably insisted on doing this exchange by making use of Befuli as an example to threaten us,” another Grade B s.p.a.ce pirate said.
Sykes nodded heavily.
“What are we going to do now? Are we not going to take revenge for Befuli?” someone suddenly asked from within the crowd.
Sykes face immediately darkened. He naturally did not wish to provoke Black Star again, but he was truly put in a tight spot at the moment. If he said that he did not want to get revenge on Black Star, would it not make him lose his prestige and leaders.h.i.+p abilities?
“I have my own plans.” Helpless, Sykes could only give a vague reply and attempt to change the topic.
Right at that moment, the same individual asked again, “What kind of plan? What exactly will we do?”
You again! Can’t you just shut up!
“Is this something that you have the right to ask?” Sykes expression was ugly as he looked in the direction of the voice. He wanted to see which subordinate of his dared talk back to him.
Seeing their boss flying into a rage, all the s.p.a.ce pirates made way to reveal the individual who was talking. The gazes of all the pirates in the room were also drawn over to this individual.
Eh… he seems like a member of the Galaxy Human Race, wearing a black windbreaker, and his looks… eh? Why does he look so familiar?
Sykes glared at this individual with doubt in his eyes. The next moment, the doubt turned into shock, and he let out a loud roar.
“Black Star! What are you doing here‽”
All the s.p.a.ce pirates in the surroundings jumped away as though they had seen a ghost, and the area around Han Xiao became empty.
The entire hall became silent and Han Xiao looked at Sykes. Stroking his chin, he said slowly, “You don’t need to be anxious. I am here to make a deal with you.”
“What deal?”
“I want you to pay the price of freedom in exchange for…” Han Xiao snickered. “Your life!”
Buzz! Pa!
Just as he finished his sentence, he equipped the Berserk Ape suit immediately and took out his High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon. The blast from the cannon broke through from the interior of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p and out into s.p.a.ce.
The suction force from the vacuum came like a powerful gust, and the pirates in the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p were all sucked out by the frightening suction force and thrown into s.p.a.ce. A portion of the weaker Supers froze up immediately with their blood vessels rupturing. The environment of s.p.a.ce was fatal to some low-grade Supers.
Only Sykes and a couple of the more powerful pirates were able to stabilize their bodies and resist the suction force. Only those who were at Grade B were able to barely endure the treacherous s.p.a.ce climate.
The mechanical suit had its own regulation mechanism, and s.p.a.ce did not affect him in the slightest as he floated in s.p.a.ce.
Sykes had a face full of fury as his mouth opened like he was roaring. However, the violent gust from air being sucked out of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p completely drowned out his voice.
Without saying another word, Han Xiao sent his fist toward the alloy ground and activated the Power Detonation skill!
Boom!
The shockwave of his punch spread out in all directions with bolts of lightning accompanying it, shattering the alloy floor!
With the shockwave spreading, the destruction of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p hastened, and hole enlarged even further.
Without solid ground beneath their feet, all the pirates apart from Sykes were sucked out. Only Sykes was able to send out a sticky, purplish substance toward the alloy wall to stabilize himself.
This sticky, purplish gel-like substance was Sykes’ Esper ability. This sticky gel was extremely poisonous and corrosive. It was also able to solidify in an instant to take the shape of various things. Furthermore, the purplish gel excreted could be stored for a very long time. Sykes could control the corrosiveness of this purplish gel, and this was where his t.i.tle of ‘Purple Snake’ came from.
Despite Sykes being an Esper, he had his own armor as well. However, because he was not a Mechanic, the armor could not be compressed into a compressed orb. At this moment, his armor was in his personal storeroom.
While he hated Han Xiao to the core, he knew that the most urgent matter was for him to put on his armor. At the very least, he would be able to move around in s.p.a.ce freely with it. He immediately made use of his purplish gel to scale the wall and sprint toward his personal store room.
Hu!
Han Xiao’s thrusters were activated, leaving behind two trials of fire as he rapidly approached Sykes.
Right at that moment, Sykes waved his arm, and a wave of purplish gel shot toward him. As it came into contact with the walls of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, thick purple smoke was released as the alloy walls melted.
This ability is interesting. Han Xiao’s eyes narrowed, and his arm transformed to reveal a pipe.
The inside of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p had not become a vacuum yet, and air was sucked into his mechanical suit through the nanoparticles. The air that was sucked in was then channeled to the pipe, and a high-pressure air cannon was fired to scatter the wave of purplish gel.
The corrosive gel splattered everywhere, and the entire place became filled with smoke.
Han Xiao sped up further and caught onto one of Sykes’s arms.
Mechanical Force exploded from his entire body, and his thrusters started to shoot flames in the opposite direction. He then grabbed onto Sykes’ arm and got into a throwing posture.
Berserk Throw!
…
“Will the flags.h.i.+p please respond! Please respond! What is the current status?”
The s.h.i.+ps of the Purple Snake s.p.a.ce Pirates surrounded the flags.h.i.+p in s.p.a.ce.
A few seconds ago, they had all lost contact with the flags.h.i.+p and could not get a response no matter how hard they tried.
Just when the s.h.i.+ps were about to board the flags.h.i.+p to check what had gone wrong, the exterior armor of the flags.h.i.+p suddenly exploded, leaving a large hole behind. All the junk items from within the flags.h.i.+p were sucked into s.p.a.ce, and many of their comrades were included.
Before the other s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps could react, a large hole was also created at the bottom of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p over a thousand meters away from the main hall. Broken metal bits and a human figure were sent flying out of the hole. That human figure was their boss, Sykes!
Sykes had been sent flying through half the flags.h.i.+p with a single Berserk Throw from Han Xiao!