《Mech: Shattering of the Galaxy》 Chapter 5 - 5 Lu Qingxue (Celebrating Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo with the 1st update!)

Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Lu Qingxue (Celebrating Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo with the 1st update!)

``` Lu Qingxue''s situation had be dire. The three mecha in front were clearly working as a team, and the metal torrent from the close-range Fire God Cannon, once it hit the mecha body, would wildly devour the mecha''s shield energy. The three mecha vaguely surrounded the white mecha from three positions, and the suppressive firepower from these positions forced Lu Qingxue''s mecha''s dodging maneuvers into a frantic pace. Behind her was a tropical jungle area, with towering, tens-of-meters-high ancient trees that could effectively weaken radar scan effects. While Lu Qingxue was retreating towards the jungle, who would have expected a yellow-green mecha to appear from behind, its high vibration particle de in hand faintly glowing red? A camouge device, invisibility device, clearly a reconnaissance-type mecha that had been hidden in the woods for a long time!! If it effectively stabbed, with the high vibration particle de''s massive lethality, Lu Qingxue''s mecha shield would be broken in one strike! The survival battle map was set as a Demon Ind encounter, designated as Volcano Ind, with a medium-sized escort starship above sporadicallyunching indiscriminate attacks against ground mecha. The system was set topile a round of statistics every ten minutes; survivors in that period would earn 3 points, while destroying each opposing mecha would earn 1 point. After ten minutes, the system wouldpress the ind''sbat area, and those not inside the effective zone would be forcibly expelled. At this moment, it didn''t matter whether the four mecha were of one group or two; Lu Qingxue was already in the most dangerous moment! "Ah, this is bad, Senior Sister Lu seems oblivious to what''s behind her!" The crew-cut boy eximed in rm. @@novelbin@@ Renault watched the three-dimensional screen, his thin lips still pursed, but the corners of his mouth had already curved upward. "Long Er, you fool!" said a refined boy wearing sses coldly, not waiting for the crew-cut boy to get angry before continuing on his own, "Senior Sister Lu''s mecha is a modified military-ss Mn type mecha, geared towards long-range attack,ndbat model, equipped with a fifth and a half-generation engine, standard specs for a 165 caliber Gauss sniper rifle manufactured by Valpo Company, a 35 caliber closebat Defender, and 32 axle-type rockets. ording to interster standards, it''s rated A for long-range, D for defense, D for melee, C for maneuverability. Have you seen Senior Sister Lu''s sniper rifle all this time, idiot?" "You, Feng Yu!" The crew-cut youth''s face turned red with anger. "See for yourself; Senior Sister''s Mn Modified, the orange-red nozzle is already showing yellow mes, indicating the switch to a sixth-generation engine. Senior Sister is the president of the school''s Swordsmanship Club. She chose Mn Modified and painted it white purely for aesthetics, not for Mn''s long-range firepower! Look clearly at the high-frequency sword on her back, idiot!" The refined boy with sses, known as Feng Yu, continued to sarcastically mock Long Er without any expression. "Is this the Wave Jumping sh?!" Long Er had yet to re up but suddenly screamed, his face twisting with astonishment. In the frame, the white Mn Modified with staggered, chaotic steps had a simrly white-painted alloy scabbard on its back! The sword handle, previously hard to notice but still snugly stuck to the mecha body, was at that instant swiftly drawn from behind by the Mn Modified, then the mecha crouched and gathered strength, and the jet propulsion beneath it suddenly overloaded with energy. The mecha was at a 75-degree backward tilt, the sword tip touched the ground; in a sh, at more than triple its previous speed, it transitioned from retreating to a backward parabolic arc, making the firepower from the three opposing mechas miss entirely. Meanwhile, the yellow-green mecha, sping the particle de with both hands, halted abruptly; with a crash, the mecha''s engine exploded, a one-hit kill! The white Mn Modified faced away from the yellow-green mecha, slowly withdrew the high-frequency sword it had just thrust into the energy cabin, and then... gradually turned around. "Isn''t this the wave-jumping sh used by the military for A-level tactical evasion? How is it possible to perform it with a mecha, and coordinate with a sword, even harming the enemy?!" Long Er''s mouth opened wide enough to fit a fist. "Not easy, Qingxue is indeed the Valkyrie of Dingchuan Academy''s Swordsmanship Club! No need to look anymore. The military A-level movement standard requirements are incredibly high, she must have unlocked the first stage of Spirit Lock." Renault''s voice resonated, a touch of astonishment in his eyes! ording to the Gxy Federation, for personnel who were not selected through military school channels, if they were under 40, and on the military''s open assessment day on September 17, could consecutively perform three A-level and above Fighting Skills, they could be exceptionally selected as Gxy Federation officers. Assessment personnel could pass a political review without regard for background, even the lowest-ranking Lieutenant was an illustrious step up for those striving on the survival line!! The military specified 379 A-level action standards, refined over nearly a hundred years; each one was an immense challenge! To master three could bebeled as a prominent talent! Indeed, the three tinum One-Star contestants in the frame saw that fleeting moment, immediately halted their advancement towards the Mn Modified, highly alert! "Senior Sister''s sixth-generation engine just enteredpensatory overload, now it''s bound to erupt," Feng Yu''s eyes behind his sses gleamed brightly. A mecha got ready to flee, the other two directly activated their Fire God Cannons. The Mn Modified had already entered the sixth-generation engine''s 150% overload mode; at this moment, its mobility performance jumped from C directly to 2C ss, achieving speed dominance over the three mechas with C- operation performance! Furthermore, the Mn Modified under Lu Qingxue''s piloting was a closebat expert masquerading as a sniper! Spotting, dodge slicing, close approach, one strike on the cabin! Approach, axle-type rocket pinpoint maiming, one strike on the cabin! Jump sh! The explosive speed brought kic energy augmentation, under the incredibly sharp high-frequency sword edge, thest mecha, even while standing with an assault rifle raised horizontally, was sliced in two with a single blow! Subsequently, halting, sheathing the sword, after confirming the surrounding safety, the snow-white Mn Modified leaned against a giant tree waiting for the energy furnace to cool down. "Time''s up, today''s survival challenge is over, 276 people passed, 724 were eliminated; passing contestants please prepare to rest, and enter the arena at 20:00 tomorrow." "So... amazing!" There was a simultaneous exmation of amazement behind Renault. A sound of air pressure release followed by a tick, the top of Virtual Cabin No. 3 popped open, and a white figure rose up from inside. A snow-white wide-sleeved swordsman''s clothes made her stand out, her shoulder-length hair casually tied back with a ck Martial Path Belt, with lightly furrowed eyebrows, clear yet cold bright eyes, a sharply contoured chin, no decoration on her graceful neck. Like a serene and independent Snow Lotus, Ning Jing but independent, the Swordsmanship Club president of Dingchuan Academy¡ªLu Qingxue. "Senior Sister" "Senior Sister Lu" "Qingxue"... "Mm," Lu Qingxue was evidently not articte. She then furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head toward Renault, a hint of displeasure surfacing in her eyes. "Ahem, Junior Lu, your strength has broken through again." Renault touched his nose with a bitter smile. "Mm, I have unlocked the first stage Spirit Lock," Lu Qingxue nodded slightly, "I''ve gained many insights this time, next I will explore Sword Dao." "Ah, unlocking the first stage Spirit Lock. Before this, only Captain Renault had it across the whole academy; now there''s Senior Sister Lu as well." The youth nearby showed obvious envy and admiration in his gaze. Spirit level corresponded with brain development degree, higher levels represented clearer ideas,rgerputing capacity, stronger resilience, and better coordination with the Light Computer. Going from Level 1 to 9 was likely the stopping ce for many through life, Level 10 was the first Spirit Lock, a qualitative change, unimaginable to those yet to break through, but those who do are assuredly not mundane! "So, about tomorrow''s battle?" Renault asked softly. "Not participating." "Uh, Senior Sister?" Long Er clearly became anxious. The survival challenge rewards were numerous, not just honors, but also limited edition mecha parts as prizes. "Long Er, Junior Lu was invited by me. I wanted to see whether real martial skills would have a noticeable improvement in mechabat; what we just saw with Mn Modified has given us the answer. Junior Lu has already broken through the first stage Spirit Lock, and since her aspirations are not here, don''t force it. What we need to do is strive to handle next year''s exchange match. I''m about to graduate, maybe choosing to further study on the Capital Star or perhaps enter the military; before I leave, I will do my utmost! The future of the academy''s Mecha Department depends on you all." "Senior!" Long Er and the others couldn''t help but shout. "Double the training volume for the next six months! Increase physical training by two more levels. I will asionally invite your Senior Sister Lu for sparring matches," Renault suddenly revealed a fierce smile toward the team members. "If there''s nothing else, I''m leaving first," Lu Qingxue still maintained a cold expression devoid of other emotions. After bidding farewell to everyone, she turned around and left without waiting for retainment. "Senior obviously likes Senior Sister Lu, but Senior Sister Lu is cold as ice to everyone..." someone murmured softly at the back. Renault seemed not to hear, silently watching Lu Qingxue''s retreating figure. ``` Chapter 6: 5 Academies (Congratulations to Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo for the 2nd update!)

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: 5 Academies (Congrattions to Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo for the 2nd update!)

``` The Gxy Federation spanned sixty-two light-years, with four major administrative districts and a total poption in the hundreds of billions. On the Federation map stood five great A-level colleges¡ª First Administrative District Capital Star¡ª"Dawn Military Academy" First Administrative District Capital Star¡ª"Bonar Joint College" Second Administrative District Xuanming Star¡ª"Pn Military Academy" Third Administrative District Forest Light Star¡ª"Taoyun Academy" Fourth Administrative District Blue Capital Star¡ª"Dingchuan Academy" These five top colleges were the cradle of the Federation''s talent, a golden starting point for soaring high, and the highest institutions in the vast territory of the Federation. Every admission season, tens of millions of eligible candidates from the entire star system applied for the exams. The Five Great Colleges jointly stipted that all applicants should be no older than twenty! Just this alone eliminated many talents! Every year, when the colleges were on break, they rushed to differents to discover outstanding reserve talents. The Federation stipted that A-level colleges had priority selection rights, causing numerous other colleges to silently curse when recruitment time came, as the top candidates were always picked first, leaving other institutions struggling to survive. Anyway, the Five Great Colleges didn''t worry at all, as there were always people to take the exams. Glory! Privilege! Getting into the Five Great A-level Colleges was the dream of countless young people! Each administrative district would set up exam locations on several majors, so every exam season, thousands of young people gathered on theses. Federation Calendar June 10, Exam Day! ... Blue Capital Star air harbor. ncing at the antique mechanical watch on his wrist, "Federation Calendar May 10, 10:57." A bald middle-aged man in a blue uniform looked up and sneered, "Damn upper management is sending me to that godforsaken ce. The recruits from there are always at the bottom of the academy! It''s thest year of the three-year evaluation, and they''ve assigned me there, expecting to pick eagles from a group of weaklings as if it''s deliberately trying to mess with me! Dammit, if I find out, hmph!" His thick wrist strained against the cuff of his blue uniform, with four embroidered characters tightly lined up¡ªDingchuan Academy. His fist mmed into the air furiously, the st of air ttening the skirt of the woman in front of him. Fortunately, it wasn''t on the interster travel ship yet, or he would have been sent off. Blue Capital Star Dingchuan Academy Fighting Instructor¡ªRuan Xiongfei! Federal 114th Ace Infantry Regiment Retired Commander, thirty-seven years old, twenty-fifth-grade physique, Spirit Lock Level Two Martial Path Master! Twenty-fifth-grade physique! ording to the Federation''s physique standards, at the sixth grade, instantaneous explosive punching power and physical endurance were 75KG, then sessively 150KG, 250KG, 400KG, 600KG, and 850KG corresponding to grades 7 to 11. Afterward, each grade incremented by 50KG, and the base for the twenty-fifth grade was 9600KG, a figure that inspired awe throughout the Federation. Since strength didn''t always correspond to endurance, a fifteenth-grade for strength might only have a tenth-grade endurance, thus just a tenth-grade physique standard. However, a twenty-fifth-grade physique meant both instantaneous explosive force and physical endurance reached 9600KG! This implied that when he unleashed his full physical strength, a punch struck with over 9 tons of impact!! This also meant he could endure that over 9-ton impact!! The crowd queued up for inspection only cast respectful nces at the blue uniform, unaware that a prehistoric fierce beast d in human skin was in line for ticket inspection. He had been teaching perfectly well before, and hadn''t offended anyone in the school. Yet today, he received orders from the academy''s higher-ups to go to Purple Jade Star, 8.2 light-years from Blue Capital Star, to be responsible for recruitment. Other academy staff had already departed; he was the overall head for Purple Jade Star and could arrange his travel method himself. What solo arrangement, notified today to leave today! Darn it! This man, who had been through countless battles, grumbled as he lifted his arms for inspection. People around, seeing the Dingchuan Academy teacher''s uniform, quickly turned away again. Passing security, he stepped into the waiting area, with twenty minutes left before entering the cold sleep pod. Ruan Xiongfei tossed his bag backwards to lean on it, his broad hands rubbing his shiny bald head with a wicked grin, causing people around to detour around him. Beforeing, he had looked into that so-called Purple Jade Star, located on the edge of the Fourth Administrative District, and the candidates from nearby would likely be converging here. "What talent could there possibly be! Damn academy higher-ups, ces like that have long been proven by history to fail to produce real talent. Every year, in the bottom hundred of each coursework statistic, halfe from the marginal zone! Including that Purple Jade Star! This is just bullshit!" "Anyway, I don''t understand much else; the academy makes the arrangements, and I just handle the infantry specialty, just like recruiting cannon fodder." "Right, that special recruitment for the Army Reserve is definitely interesting; only ten spots given, with seven or eight nearbys sharing ten spots. Heh heh, interesting, I just love things like this." A-level colleges cooperated with the Federation military; apart from the annual military assessment day on September 17, they had some special slots. These slots were managed by the A-level colleges of different administrative districts during recruitment, requiring not only an age limit below twenty but also a physique standard above fifteen. Then the qualifying 100 were filtered through a sea selection! Each A-level college had only 100 slots, destined for the military''s preliminary elite talent cultivation, eliminating 90 during the period, allowing them to choose to switch departments or leave the school. Eventually, only 10 would graduate. For the four major administrative districts, throughout the entire Federation... fifty people! @@novelbin@@ This challenge was a thousandfold, even ten thousandfold harder than direct exams! But if one could endure four years without elimination, the reward would be honor! Graduation would mean a major''s rank awarded! The identity of the various specialbat team officers! One in a million... Some geniuses believed themselves extraordinary, while the outstanding sought to prove their excellence by striving for this slot, often ending beaten and battered. This exam site required no academic scores, no vast knowledge, only proving one thing¡ªthat you were stronger than the others, capable of standingst, that was all! Hopefully, this could yield some talent for me, though the academy split into ten zones, still predicting my zone''s recruits would rank the lowest! Damn it, just thinking about it heated him up! His facial muscles twitched a few times as Ruan Xiongfei realized any calction led to anger, prompting him to directly board the ship, find a sleep pod, andy inside to avoid seeing or worrying!! ... ... The spaceship slowly started, heading to the space jump point, with a pleasant female voice looping inside: "Good afternoon passengers, interster travel is about to begin, please enter your sleep pods within five minutes. This voyage''s destination: Purple Jade Star, covering 8.2 light-years, taking seven Federation days, wishing everyone a pleasant journey." This unmanned ship bore the dream of further education for several edges'' youngsters, gradually speeding up until it vanished into the vast starry sky. One monthter, the Gxy Federation College entrance exam was about tomence in full swing! ************ (PS: An additional Chapter for Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo! Thanks to book friends for the reward of Ten Billion Light-Years and to book friend Dr. Xu, who loves sweets, for their reward.) ``` Chapter 7 - 7 When Dreams Become Reality (Third Update!)

Chapter 7: Chapter 7 When Dreams Be Reality (Third Update!)

"If the apple was the most delicious poison for Adam and Eve, then the Light Computer and Mecha were the dreand that haunted Mu Fan''s soul. In the deep night, he fantasized about driving the steel monster that belonged to men, imagined having a Light Computer tomunicate with others. But upon awakening, with the tattered nket over him and touching his empty stomach, reality pulled him back. But today, Mu Fan, who never slept in, was wrapped in a threadbare nket, sleeping soundly in the corner! He only woke when the ring light of the star shone upon his face! In a jolt, Mu Fan looked to the right, where the ck Eggy quietly. "It''s not a dream!" Mu Fan recalled talking to ck Eggst night. Upon realizing that his long-held wish was within reach, he felt his heart about to leap out of his chest. As ck talked about the necessaryponents, he drooled dreamily about the future, falling asleep without knowing when ck stopped talking. "ck!" "Host dear." The familiar voice emanated from the ck Egg. "Call me Mu Fan from now on! You''ll be my friend from now on!" "Alright, Mu Fan." ck paused as if epting a new definition or savoring the concept of friendship. Mu Fan used a shell to scoop somewhat cleaner rainwater from the nearby cistern, washed his face, and said to ck, "Which part do you need most now? I''ll find it for you!" "Light Computer," ck replied quickly. "What? Light Computer? Aren''t you a Light Computer?" Mu Fan''s head throbbed. Even the lowest-grade Light Computer cost fifty thousand Star Coins. Where could he get that money? "Correction, I am a supeputer AI, codenamed ck, not a Light Computer. I can exist within any carrier and need a Light Computer to ess the current intersterwork, update the database storage, and transform my current form." "Light Computer, Light Computer. Fine, I''ll go earn some money!" Mu Fan gritted his teeth after hearing ck''s response. "ck, you''ll have to bear with it." He didn''t wait for ck''s opinion and piled up a bunch of misceneous scrap over it. "ck will enter sleep self-diagnosis correction mode, please, wake after obtaining the Light Computer." The electronic voice from the scrap heap sounded butcked emotion; ck had entered self-diagnosis. The sky seldom showed color, still a greyish haze with small transport ships asionally passing overhead. The suburban highway saw Floating Cars whizzing past asionally. From the factory to the town was thirty kilometers. The journey began in destion, through dpidation, to lively, and finally to bustling, forming a stark contrast. Mu Fan ran for more than an hour, yet showed no sign of breathlessness when entering the town. Mu Fan''s goal this time was very clear: first, to ask Old Bard, the owner of Bard''s Grocery Store in District 22. He often helped in the store previously. Old Bard was kind and frequently gave Mu Fan some rice balls and even some pay. This time he wasn''t nning to work but to ask if the old man had any advice¡ªhe needed money. District 22 wasn''t big but was unusually lively inside. As Mu Fan walked, people automatically kept a meter distance from him, his ragged appearance clearly marking him as an outsider. The self-professed noble city folks feared ridicule foring too close. Passing the entrance of Huali Food City, Mu Fan swallowed his saliva; walking further ahead, Xiuzhe Equipment Store, reputedly one of the best outdoor equipment stores in District 22, showed off well-crafted daggers andbat uniforms in its disy window. His eyes showed envy while his fists clenched tighter. Turning right at the intersection ahead, past a grocery store, he finally arrived at Old Bard''s grocery store. "Uncle Bard," Mu Fan politely greeted the Old Bard lounging behind the counter, smoking low-quality tobo leisurely. "Oh, isn''t this little Mu Fan~ You finally have time to see this old man, haven''t you? More than a month since yourst visit," Bard eximed, seeing Mu Fan, puffing on his cigarette with a cheerful expression. "Earlier I was working outside the city and couldn''t find time toe downtown; this time I''m here to consult with you," Mu Fan nodded in response. "What''s up, little Mu Fan,e in, have a seat, whatever Old Bard knows, I''ll let you know." Bard truly liked this sensible and hard-working kid from the bottom of his heart. "Uncle Bard, I want to know how I can make money the fastest?" Mu Fan''s clear eyes looked at the old man. "Money? How much do you need? Why ask suddenly?" Old Bard was surprised. He knew Mu Fan''s situation, that his wages barely filled his stomach,bined with his asional book purchases, making ends meet tight. Even so, Mu Fan hadn''t asked about quick money-making methods before. "Did you run into trouble? How much do you need? Old Bard still has some savings," Bard sincerely wanted to help the kid within his ability. "Thank you, Uncle Bard. It''s a bit different this time; I need a Light Computer, so I must earn the money. I can''t take your money. I came to consult with you," Mu Fan politely declined Bard''s goodwill. "Well." Bard exhaled a smoke ring, "Little Mu Fan, you''ve worked here many times before; there''s a way to make more money. I know you''re strong, but I want you to consider it carefully." "What''s the method?" "Martial Arts Hall, sparring partner!" Bard looked at Mu Fan seriously. "To say it inly, you''d be the punching bag! The longer you endure, the higher your ie! However, I must caution you, be very mindful of your safety; some people strike hard. I don''t want anything bad to happen to you." @@novelbin@@ "Thank you, Uncle Bard." Mu Fan''s eyes lit up, and he bowed deeply to the old man. "Don''t thank me. Come find me if you can''t stick it out," Bard waved his hand. "Okay, I''ll be off then," Mu Fan said, lifting his head and turning, striding away. "Hey, you little brat, wrong direction, wrong direction!" Mu Fan staggered, did a 180-degree turn, scratched his head, andughed sheepishly. ... In the northwest corner of District 22 stood a sprawling five-story building with a wooden que at the entrance¡ªStar Fall Martial Arts Hall. In the interster era, humans needed to pilot and control various machinery, especially with the emergence of mecha, requiring higher physical fitness from humans. The Martial Arts Hall,bining the Martial Path and Fighting Skill into aprehensive training facility, became popr once again with scientific advancement. The parking bays were filled with Floating Cars, ranging from vehicles worth tens of thousands for civilians to high-end versions costing millions. Four strapping men in ck Taoist robes stood at the entrance, adding an imposing aura to the building. "Hey kid, what are you doing, move along if you''ve got nothing to do." One of the brawny men said harshly to Mu Fan, who walked straight over. From his greasy appearance, he couldn''t be a normal customer. "Is this Star Fall Martial Arts Hall? Do you need sparring partners?" Mu Fan fearlessly stared at the robust man before him. "You? Hahaha, a punching bag? Yes! Follow me," he said and turned towards the hall. Mu Fan followed the robust man, stepping for the first time into this area where the wealthy spent money. Upon entering, he saw at once that the grand hall''s sides were inscribed with vigorous characters and paintings! Looking ahead was the incredibly spacious training ground behind reinforced ss. There were two-plus-meter-tall strength testing machines and rows of fitness training equipment inside. At this hour, there weren''t many people in the field. "Don''t look, this is the ordinary training ground. Martial Arts Hall instructors aren''t here; you punching bags are on the second and third floors," the man humorously said, looking at the taciturn kid in front of him. No neer had seen a Martial Hall and not been dumbstruck. This dumb kid didn''t seem to realize being a punching bag isn''t that easy? Recently, a young master, rumored to havee from Loga Star''s central district, had arrived, hitting exceptionally hard, already maiming three punching bags. "Thanks!" "In a moment, you''ll meet the middle manager of our Martial Arts Hall. A word of caution, kid, getting beaten to a pulp ismon; once you sign up, there''s no going back." The robust man was taken aback by this polite kid and dropped his teasing tone. The floating stairs dinged on the fourth floor, "Here we are; I''m Mankun, good luck." ********** (PS: The title was too long and had to be truncated, here''s a tribute for Alliance Hierarch Bai Yiduo''s three updates! Thanks to reader Liang Gong Xiaoyue for the reward) Chapter 8: Does the Martial Arts Hall Provide Meals?

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Does the Martial Arts Hall Provide Meals?

``` "Are you here to apply for the sparring partner job?" In a spacious, redwood-style room, a short-statured man sat in arge leather chair, looking about forty years old. His thin face was covered with a blue stubble, giving him a shrewd appearance. His broad Taoist robe entuated his small build and,bined with the sharpness in his eyes and slightly high-pitched voice, made it difficult to associate him with a Martial Arts Hall. He seemed more like a shrewd businessman. "Yes." Mu Fan lowered his eyelids and leaned forward slightly. "I''m Chanison, a mid-level manager at the Star Fall Martial Arts Hall. The second and third floors are exclusive venues for our VIP clients. As a sparring partner, your job is to be the customer''s practice target. In other words, a punching bag, because you''re not allowed to hit back. The sry is settled daily at 500 Star Coins, and any tips from clients are yours to keep. The Martial Arts Hall provides meals and daily treatments, and if you identally be disabled, thepensation is a one-time payment of 30,000 Star Coins with no further responsibilities. Heh, if you agree, just sign here." After speaking, he took a contract from the table and tossed it over. Mu Fan looked at the contract before him. Simply put, it was just two pages. After a quick scan and confirmation of its uracy, he scribbled his distorted name on it. "Tear off your copy of the contract. Mankun, take this kid to the first floor to shower, change clothes, and then brief him on the specifics. The official work starts this afternoon." @@novelbin@@ "Yes, boss." When the redwood door closed, Chanison touched his chin and chuckled lightly, "Another foolish kid, thinks it''s that easy to make money? There haven''t been enough punching bags for the Halltely, tsk~" Following the original route down the elevator to the first-floor lobby, Mankun pointed to a row of rooms to the right of the exit, saying, "Those are the showers. Kid, pick any room to shower first. The smell of engine oil is too strong. I''ll have a training suit ready for you to change into. Consider thisplimentary from the Martial Arts Hall." Ten minutester, Mu Fan stood at the entrance of the lobby in a gray training suit. Mankun walked over and couldn''t help but brighten up at the sight. "Kid, you''re looking sharp!" Mu Fan was already tall, and the clean training suit only made him stand out more. His face was now free of oil stains, and he exuded the vibrant energy unique to youth. His eyes were bright and resilient, standing there like a leopard ready to pounce. "First, let''s go to Training Field No. 5. I''ll give you an overview of the basic steps as a sparring partner and some resistance training. This job isn''t as easy as you think. I don''t want you to get hurt." ... Training Field No. 5, exclusively used by the staff of the Star Fall Martial Arts Hall, was bustling with activity. A group of people in gray training suits were sparring with one another. "Haha, is that a newbie? Can''t be more than twenty, huh? So young and already here to earn disability fees? Hahahaha," a giant man, who stood at about one ny meters with a scar on his forehead, easily fended off the attack before him with a punching pad on one arm. He casually nced around and spotted Mu Fan being led by Mankun. Seeing his lean build, he couldn''t help but loudly mock. "Jeff, shut your foul mouth. If you want to earn money in the Martial Arts Hall, keep it together. If you mess up the boss''s business, you know the consequences." Mankun''s gaze swept over the giant man, his words growing icy toward the end. Jeff was the troublemaker among the sparring partners at the Hall. Already thirty-three years old, he was an ex-mercenary who once got into trouble with the wrong people after messing up a client''s job, forcing him to leave his life of living on the edge. With his strength, he joined the Star Fall Martial Arts Hall two years ago. His exceptional 13-level physique was far above the average level 6 human, and with rich fighting experience, Jeff had never suffered a severe injury. He gradually gained a bit of fame in the sparring circle. Since everyone was warming up, the notoriously venomous andbative Jeff naturally wouldn''t miss the opportunity to find amusement in Mu Fan. "Heh heh, if you''re scared, kid, just run off. Four like you have already been beaten up. But even if you want to leave, you can''t. You must have signed the contract, right? Fight three full rounds first, little rookie, hahahaha." Jeff cast another nce at Mu Fan before turning around andughing loudly. Mu Fan calmly looked at Jeff for a moment, then withdrew his gaze. Jeff felt like he had been provoked by such an indifferent attitude. But with Mankun present, he couldn''t act out, and he yelled at the person he was hitting in front, "Grandma''s leg, why are you hitting like a woman? You''re like a puddle, hit harder! Harder! Like a mosquito, damn useless!" Moving to an empty spot, Mankun stopped, retrieved a hand-held punching pad from a wooden cab on the side, and tossed it to Mu Fan, "Kid, hold it properly, keep a firm grip with both hands. First, practice holding the punching pad. Clients at the Hall have varying punching powers. This is your only protection. If you fail to grip it properly and let go, you might get seriously injured. Give it a try." Mu Fan caught the punching pad, slipped it onto his right forearm, and waved it before positioning his arm in front of his chest. His left arm stayed at his side, in case of emergencies. "Hah, kid, you''re being cocky. Let me teach you a lesson." Mankun''s physique was at an 11-level standard. Federation''s 6-level standard''s instantaneous punching power was 75KG, then sessively 150KG, 250KG, 400KG, 600KG, 850KG for levels 7 to 11. The standard increased by 50KG with each subsequent level. Seeing Mu Fan not following his instructions a bit annoyed him. Though he appreciated this kid, it didn''t mean he''d go easy. A heavy punch from a strong opponent, and failing to hold on properly, meant serious arm injury. Mankun held back half his strength, quickly throwing a casual punch with a sudden turn, aiming to knock Mu Fan away and teach him a lesson. "Bang" resounded like a dull thud hitting leather. The expected sensation of repelling didn''t appear. Mankun frowned; Mu Fan stood firmly in front of him. His right leg bent slightly, left foot firmly angled, his body unmoved except for his right arm and the stray hairs on his forehead. Hiss~ got a hidden gem here. Mankun clearly understood what this meant. He didn''t expect such strength in that seemingly lean body. Easily withstanding a punch delivered with 9th-level standard strength means his overall standard won''t be lower than mine! Interesting! "Good kid, I underestimated you. Keep this in mind, you can train over there with the equipment or with others. Do you have any questions?" Mankun pointed to the group on the right. Various pieces of equipment were piled behind them at a distance of several dozen meters. "Yes!" Mu Fan''s voice suddenly rang out, powerful and resolute, even making Mankun pause. "Speak." "Does the Martial Arts Hall provide food?" Mu Fan''s eyes suddenly radiated an intense light. "Yes, the Hall provides breakfast and lunch. Dinner is on your own." Mankun looked at Mu Fan with a puzzled expression; was there something odd about this? "Can I eat before starting work?" "Of course, you can. In an hour, you can go to the No. 3 cafeteria for lunch. Lunch break is an hour and a half. Then meet here on time. I''ll assign afternoon sparring tasks. Being more than five minuteste will result in a 50 Star Coin penalty. If you''rete for more than thirty minutes without reason, you don''t need toe back." Mankun felt ufortable seeing the heat in Mu Fan''s eyes and answered with the fastest speech he could muster. "Thank you, then I''ll start training. You can punch me again if you want." Mankun watched as the kid before him seemed suddenly charged with energy, entirely different from the previousposed demeanor. He chuckled, "I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Kid, go train over there on your own. I''ll report today''s situation to the boss. Come over after filling up at lunch. Don''t bete." "Hmm." Hearing "fill up," Mu Fan felt as if a surge of energy welled up within him, even bing somewhat dazed. Mankun nced at the kid before him, shook his head amusingly, and turned to leave. Mu Fan stared ahead, walking toward the sandbags and punching machines. Then, his eyes slightly dazed, he rhythmically punched the sandbag with dull thuds, "thud, thud," though a closer look would reveal Mu Fan had drifted into his thoughts... ******** PS: Thanks to book friend "Dark purity" for the 1,888 reward! ``` Chapter 9 - 9 Large Appetite Must Be Awesome

Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Large Appetite Must Be Awesome

``` Not far away, Jeff had obviously noticed the situation here. Another burst of loudughter erupted, "Hahaha, kid, are you sleepwalking, or have you already been scared by the sandbag training? This isn''t a ce for house y, hahahaha." Mu Fan continued to punch the target in front of him, all straight punches, left, right, left, right... just like... just like breathing in sleep, rhythmically. If you looked closely, you''d notice a bit of sparkle at the corner of Mu Fan''s mouth. His bright eyes were unfocused. After Jeff finishedughing and saw that Mu Fan ignored him, he felt a bit bored but couldn''t lose his temper, so he just ignored the dazed kid. Five minutes passed, everyone was still practicing, while Mu Fan punched, one after another... Fifteen minutes passed, everyone was still practicing, and Mu Fan continued his steady punching... Half an hourter, some people went to drink water and rest, but Mu Fan maintained the same rhythm. A careful observer would note that Mu Fan''s punching frequency hadn''t changed at allpared to half an hour ago, but the target remained motionless, and only asionally did someone nce over. Fifty minutes passed, and most people had stopped to rest and chat, including Jeff, who also finished and left the arena. Mu Fan continued punching without the slightest deviation in rhythm. By now, people started noticing and whispered among themselves. "This kid is impressive, he''s been at it for fifty minutes without moving." "Look at the target, it hasn''t budged. The kid''s punchesck power; only a few muffled sounds are heard." "Jeff is going over again. Is he displeased with the kid and trying to show him who''s boss?" "Shh, look there, Jeff is pping him on the shoulder. Will his strength push the kid down, haha?" Jeff finished drinking water, frowned, nced at Mu Fan, and walked over. Mu Fan seemed oblivious, his eyes still unfocused, continuing his even punches. "Hey, kid, put some strength into it," Jeff grinned with ill intent, walking over and raising his left hand as if patting a good buddy on the shoulder, but secretly put some force into it, enough to topple anyone not weighing 100 kilograms. Mu Fan''s body, at most 70 kg, couldn''t withstand this, standing like a fool for so long without speaking, as if here for exercise. This attitude was truly irritating. Smack! Like when Mankun did it, the scene Jeff expected didn''t happen. He felt his hand hit something hard like a rock, then experienced Mu Fan''s left punch retracting with joint movement. "Kid!" Feeling his face redden with embarrassment again, Jeff looked down at Mu Fan, who slowly turned his head, grinning wickedly. Then he saw those unfocused eyes flicker and settle on him, "Is it mealtime?" Mu Fan''s eyebrows suddenly lifted, ring at the giant in front of him. "What?" Jeff''s aura weakened in an instant. "Is it mealtime?" Mu Fan asked again, looking up at him. "Oh, oh, soon," the giant was dumbfounded; this was the first time he met someone like this in years. "Ah, thanks," upon hearing that it was soon, Mu Fan''s whole demeanor returned to its initial spirited state, even bing more vigorous. "Kid, you haven''t even worked but already thinking about eating. With your build, how much can you eat? Don''t choke after a few extra bites," Jeff, snapping back, taunted. "What does choke mean?" Mu Fan genuinely didn''t understand, having never experienced fullness in memory, let alone choking. "You!" Jeff''s forehead scar pulsed with irritation; if no one else was around, he''d love to punch this brat out. "Kid, food intake is proportionate to strength." After two years at the Martial Arts Hall, Jeff''s crudeness intensified, his mindset twisted since retiring as a mercenary. "Don''t act like a starving ghost taking a couple of bites, Martial Arts Hall strictly forbids taking food outside; caught once, you''ll be crippled." @@novelbin@@ "It''s mealtime!" someone shouted, and Mu Fan''s eyes lit up as he dashed away, ignoring the giant before him. ... In Cafeteria No. 3, the Martial Arts Hall''s staff-only dining area was equally spacious and open. Being on the ground floor and closest, the first instructors arriving found fewer people present. Everyone queued at the window to collect two boxes of nutritional meals before sitting aside to eat. This dining area differed from others bypressing and adding synthetic nutrients into different vors, rich in energy, protein, and vitamins, but ptable food it was not, and it more easily caused satiety. Normally, a box less would suffice, butpared to civilian-level synthetic food, the Martial Arts Hall''s meals had four times the energy per 100 grams. People mainly came for the free meals. Though unappetizing, they were nutritious and saved money for better dinners and drinks in the evening. "Two boxes, next one... next one." The dining staff orderly handed out the nutritional meals. "Oh, Kemo, three boxes, take it." Standing behind Mu Fan, another tall man took three standard meals from the dining staff, causing Mu Fan''s eyes to widen. "Two boxes, take them, next one... huh, why aren''t you leaving? The others are waiting, move along." Holding two boxes of nutritional meals, Mu Fan stared at the person before him and pointed at the leaving man named Kemo, protesting, "Why did he get three boxes, and is there a limit on meals?" The surrounding people were stunned and then burst intoughter, with some nearly crying fromughing. "Hahaha, I said someone''s brain works differently, asking for more meals! Kemo''s size can handle it, can you? These arepressed; you want extra? You might explode, hahaha," mocked a voice like a bell from behind. As Jeff entered and saw the scene, he brusquely pushed forward, dispersing those around. Seeing the bear-like Jeff, no one dared to object. Jeff approached, looked down at Mu Fan, mockingly grinning, "Kid, pay attention." "Where''s my meal?" "Oh, yours, five boxes!" Jeff bnced five boxes of meals in one hand, patting Mu Fan with his right, chin pointing at the meals, "See it? Appetite corrtes with strength." "Then I want ten boxes!" Mu Fan earnestly addressed the caterer wearing a white cap. "Hahahaha~" erupted another wave ofughter around. White cap, helpless, quickly handed him three boxes, saying, "Finish this first, then return. Prove your appetite, and we''ll provide more; remember, no extras are allowed outside." Taking the three boxes of meals, Mu Fan nodded solemnly, "I''ll return soon, prepare them." Laughter erupted again, with many unable to stand upright. ... Carrying his three meals, Mu Fan sat on a nearby chair, arranging the boxes on the table. The waft of synthetic meat filled the air, his stomach growling loudly. He had never eaten so much in one meal! Always living in hunger, Mu Fan couldn''t wait anymore, grabbing a steel spoon to scoop a fifth of a box of nutrient meals. Without much chewing, he swallowed it all, rough texture notwithstanding! Suddenly his eyes widened! He could feel the hunger in his stomach. Previously, the civilian-level synthetic meals he''d bartered for seemed to vanish the moment they reached his stomach. Now he clearly felt it was more filling, even slightly inting in his stomach, though the sensationsted merely a second before dissipating. But that trickle of energy from his stomach to his limbs felt soothing, a thirst for energy resonated from his flesh and blood. Despite thepressed nature of the nutrition meals having slightly less energy than the tastier fierce beast meat, their absorption speed and quantity were perfect, exactly the food he needed. "Satisfied!!!" ``` Chapter 15 - 15 The Ring

Chapter 15: Chapter 15 The Ring

``` The clock pointed to 5 o''clock, and the fat man sat down on the floor with a huff, takingrge gulps from the bottle in his hand, his sweat pouring like a river. Mu Fan tossed his protective gear to the side, his voice showing no sign of exhaustion, "Harry, that''s it for today''s training. I don''t know much martial arts skill, but I''ll do my best as your sparring partner. If you can persevere, I believe there will surely be a change." After an afternoon of training, the fat man was too tired to say a word. He wiped his face with his broad hand and mumbled, "I''m going all out... We''ll continue tomorrow, Fat Brother must make those guys take notice." After cleaning themselves up, the two walked out of the training room, the alloy door slowly closing behind them. The fat man stumbled along, propping himself against the wall. His suit couldn''t conceal his bulk, and the swaying of his body couldn''t even let the passing waitress''s curves catch his attention. If you got close enough, you could faintly hear him muttering to himself, "I''m going home, almost there... I''m going home..." Mu Fan followed the fat man down the stairs, and in the lobby on the first floor, he saw a group of people tidying up their clothes. "It''s payday, it''s payday!" a burly man shouted, quickly passing by Mu Fan. @@novelbin@@ Mu Fan looked in the direction of the man''s walk. There, a small group of people had gathered, some of whom he had seen at lunch. It seemed it was time to receive their sries. So Mu Fan called out to the half-alive fat man in front of him, "Harry, I need to head over there to get my money. You go on ahead." "Ah, alright then. Where do you live? I''ll give you a rideter," the fat man forcefully replied. "No need. The Martial Arts Hall will probably arrange tomorrow''s work soon, you go ahead," Mu Fan didn''t want the fat man to escort him, one reason being he was used to running home, and second, he didn''t want to reveal any hint of ck''s secret. "Okay, I''ll go arrange things with Uncle Wu. See you tomorrow. I''m exhausted, I''m going to die, really exhausted," the fat man said as he drooped his face and moved toward the door. Mu Fan walked over to the Martial Arts Hall staff nearby, "Name, area." "Mu Fan, VIP Room 9 on the second floor." "Well, Mu Fan, here''s your pay." After checking the electronic register, the staff handed over 500 Star Coins. Mu Fan solemnly epted it with both hands; this was the first time he earned so much in a day. "Be at the Martial Arts Hall by 8 a.m. tomorrow,ters will have money deducted." The habitual phrase was a notification to Mu Fan. After agreeing, Mu Fan, with Star Coins in hand, headed towards the changing room. Along the way, he noticed some colleagues carrying bruises. Mu Fan''s eyebrows furrowed for a moment and then rxed. When he went out again, Mu Fan changed back into his tattered clothes, but the smell of engine oil had lessened considerably. ... Looking up at the sky, Loga Star was on the outskirts of the Federation map, and night descended especially early. At this moment, the Star Curtain had been reset, and the Dark Night lowered. Mu Fan took a deep breath of the mixed air and looked around. The crowd in suits, bustling with yful banter, was scattered. The nightlife of District 22 had already begun, and various neon lights lit up the district. Touching the 500 Star Coins quietly sitting in his pocket, Mu Fan felt in an exceptionally good mood today. Right, there was also that fat man; thinking of him, Mu Fan''s mouth curled slightly. After several turns, he reached the city outskirts, nced back at the city, made a few stretching movements, then swung his arms and ran towards the suburbs. "What on earth is that?" A driver in a floating car heading into the city threw his cigarette butt out the window and inadvertently noticed a flickering, darting silhouette in the distance. He shivered slightly, threw away the cigarette butt, and recalled various scary and disturbing rumors. "Drive faster; it''s too dangerous out here at night." Mu Fan was unaware that someone in a floating car heading into the city had noticed his movements. Even if he knew, he wouldn''t care. His world was simple: just survive. Now he added another goal, to earn a Light Computer. In the future, he wanted to pilot a mecha across the starry universe. Of course, what to doter was still unknown; that was a matter for the future. The fat man''s words greatly moved him internally; he felt something indescribable. His current world seemed too monotonous; he wanted to see the wonders outside. He lowered his head in distraction, but his feet urately stepped on t stones and roads in the night. His body narrowly passed between branches and rocky walls, moving like a phantom of the dark night, with graceful agility and enduring stamina. With a thud, he stepped onto a diagonally extending piece of deadwood, his body following the inertia for an airborne twist, brushing past the branches below andnding on the other side. Mu Fan''s eyes caught a glimpse of movement in the forest beside him; he heard the sounds of animals but paid no heed. He was very satisfied with his lunch, so food was not a worry now. Going home came first! Home! ... The abandoned factory still sat quietly there. The sky hadpletely turned pitch ck, and the factory merged with the dark curtain, without a single glimmer. Yet Mu Fan''s eyes sparkled at this moment. "No trace of anyone at the entrance, the detection line by the wall hasn''t been touched, the fire pit is unchanged, hmm... no footprints near the ashes by ck Egg..." "ck!! Mu Fan, please call me ck, not ck Egg!" Mu Fan was gently muttering as he examined the security measures he set before leaving this morning when suddenly a voice from the scrap heap startled him. "Didn''t you self-check?" Mu Fan''s face didn''t show a hint of embarrassment. "Keywords trigger automatic activation." Mu Fan clearly sensed a tint of annoyance in the voice from the scrap heap. Mu Fan silently lit the fire, fetched ck''s carrier from the scrap heap, and looked at the white globe-bearing antenna risen facing him. "Why do you seem a bit different now?" "Featuring a 30% emotional simtion with 10% intelligence, Lord ck is not an ordinary artificial intelligence. As intelligent life with autonomous thinking ability, it must be distinguished from the norm." The white globe twisted vigorously when it saw Mu Fan''s poker face. Mu Fan continued expressionlessly, "Oh." Then, without waiting for ck to protest, he continued speaking to himself, "I''ve got a lead on a Light Computer." "Ding," the white globe suddenly projected an expression, showing a blue smiley face in the air. "Mu Fan, I''vepleted an initial level-one self-check. Secondary program sorting and self-repair no longer require the current carrier." The bright blue smiley faced Mu Fan. "ck Egg." "Here." "ck Egg." "At your service, host." "ck Egg." "Speak, Mu Fan." "ck Egg." "Hmm..." ... Mu Fan was finally satisfied. Seeing the brightly lit smiley face projected by ck, he nodded approvingly, "I got a job at the Martial Arts Hall, met a friend, and he''s having me teach him fighting. We''ll join the Battle Net together, and he''s agreed to give me a Light Computer." "A Light Computer, Battle Net!?" The blue smiley suddenly looked surprised, "When?" "The fat guy wille by again tomorrow." "Mu Fan, I need your world''s current data. I will formte a training n suited to your physical condition based on the data. I need the Light Computer to connect to thework for the virtual personality''s self-improvement. Please take me with you." Mu Fan nced at the giant egg in front of him, eyebrows twitching. As if noticing Mu Fan''s confusion, the white globe suddenly retracted its carrier. After a few seconds of silence, a small mechanical arm extended, with a tray at the top. It held a ring without any exquisite gem, golden shine, or any extra patterns, just slightly wider and thicker than a normal ring. ************ PS: Thanks to reader First-ss Xuanji for the 600-point reward! Thanks also to readers Discrete Mathematics, Oh Ru Ba, and others for your generous contributions! ``` Chapter 21: Stylish Underpants and Vests

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Stylish Underpants and Vests

``` What a realistic world. This was Mu Fan''s first reaction after opening his eyes during the teleportation and seeing the scenery before him. Completely different from the endless metallic city of the rookie base, he now found himself in the center of a fountain corridor surrounded by flower beds. Droplets of water sshed onto his face, carrying a hint of coolness. Around him was a vast square, a bar with old-fashioned wooden swing doors had yersing and going, contrasting sharply with therge light-screen news bulletin on the side that rolled with thetest updates and popr videos in the area. The bright sunlight warmed his face, and Mu Fan squinted, savoring the warmth he never felt in reality. A meandering corridor led under the lush shade of trees to the square, and Mu Fan followed the prompt on his wristband, heading towards the direction of the chubby guy. It didn''t feel like a modern city brimming with technological civilization, but rather a fantasy paradise. Such scenes never appeared even in Mu Fan''s imagination, as he came from a ce where he was destined never to see them. Mu Fan walked quickly, and soon reached the navigation point the system had indicated. "Ding, coordinates reached." Looking up, he saw a building several timesrger than the Star Fall Martial Arts Hall in reality. The silver-white metallic sheen on the main doors gleamed brilliantly, and there were several smaller doors on either side, bustling with people. It was clear this was a gathering spot for yers, but with so many people around, finding the chubby guy seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack. "I''m here, how do I find you?" Mu Fan sent a voice message to the chubby guy. "This is an isted space-type building, just like the teleportation point you passed. Once you enter, there''s a public lobby, and there are private rooms. My room number is CC1029. You can just ask the service assistant at the entrance when youe in." The chubby guy quickly replied, evidently, Young Master Harry was still quite the rich man here. At the entrance stood a woman in a ck uniform, providing consultation services to the yers. In terms of the Battle Net, the interaction with female yers was undoubtedly more friendly and intelligent than the system could offer, a feat the system could never match. The female yer with the nickname "Dark Night Laurel" was such a service assistant. She was a second-year student at Changhe Medical College on Wenchang Star. When she heard from her peers that working in the Battle Net could earn some Star Coins, she was tempted. Her appearance was still quite fresh and pretty, and with a mindset of giving it a try, she came to this recruiting service point in the War Zone and unexpectedly got the job. There weren''t as many bureaucratic procedures as in reality¡ªjust having a good image and an amiable manner sufficed. But the work was quite exhausting. "Dark Night Laurel" had just finished answering a yer''s inquiry, and sheined silently. Yet, seeing her partner''s persistent smile beside her, she couldn''t help biting her lip. After working part-time for a month, she could earn an extra 3,000 Star Coins, which not only covered her daily expenses but also left her with savings, a notable improvement over struggling in college to pay for meals. "Let today end quickly," she silently prayed again, but evidently, the time was just halfway through. "Hey, that person looks so cool." Laurel nudged her partner with her elbow. "Ah, what''s up? ... Hahaha, why is that person just wearing a starter vest? At least after the tutorial, he should have a new recruit training suit. But he looks really cool. Look, that guy is quite dashing." Her partner turned her head and was initially taken aback, then covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. She seemed to notice the physique and muscles on the man, her eyes showing stars. "Speechless, you infatuated girl." Laurel rolled her eyes. Her partner became a bit excited, "Look, he''sing toward us. He must being to ask for our contact info, right? This dashing, should I give him my number or not?" After starting work here, they had frequently encountered yers looking for contact details, mainly due to therge number of yers. A few fresh-faced MMs at the entrance were bound to catch a lot of attention. The person walking towards them was none other than Mu Fan. At this moment, he had no idea he was still wearing the character''s starter vest and shortsbination. Of course, given his nature, he wouldn''t care even if he knew. These clothes were clean, much cleaner than what he wore in reality, so why not be satisfied? However, he had no clue that afterpleting or skipping the tutorial, the system would reward a basic, brown recruit training outfit. The clothes had no excessive decorations, yet their simple lines remained aesthetically pleasing. The Battle Net was quite generous in not exploiting the newbie outfits too much, but if individual yers wanted a variety of clothes, they''d have to spend Star Coins to buy them. The ce offered millions of clothing options, with prices ranging from low to high. Mu Fan, first and foremost, didn''t care, nor did he pay any mind to the amused nces around him. Secondly, he had no idea about this matter. @@novelbin@@ Why? Because he simply hadn''tpleted the new recruit training, and the system didn''t present an option to skip it either. After being beaten to death by alloy rods twice in there, he left, and what followed? No prompts, just getting on with finding Harry. Naturally, he had no clue why a recruit who hadn''tpleted training could enter the War Zone, nor why everyone looked at him so curiously. Strange things happened to a person who thought they were acting normal: imagine a man in an athlete''s shorts and vest walking into a cocktail party, one could only imagine how eye-catching such a sight would be. "Look, he really is walking over." Her partner muttered quietly. Laurel saw him indeeding her way, quickly shed a weing smile, and approached him. "Hello, is there anything I can assist you with?" She revealed a practiced, standard smile developed through countless interactions. "Hello, I need to enter room CC1029," Mu Fan replied honestly. "Oh, pleasee this way. This is the VIP passage. After entering, the system will ask you to directly provide the room ID, and if you have room ess rights, you can enter directly." Laurel was taken aback. Indeed, the mindset of the wealthy was hard toprehend. The CC-level, third-tier VIP room was no small expense. Yet here was someone who could afford a VIP room and didn''t know to change clothes. "Oh, okay, thank you." Mu Fan, of course, was unaware of Laurel''s inner monologue, following her guidance into the nearby VIP side door passage. Once in the VIP passage, the crowd thinned out considerably as he followed the guide path into a transport circle. A faint white circle of light enveloped him. "Hello, please enter the room ID." "CC1029" "Beep, recognizing room, confirming personal ess, recognition sessful, teleporting." A sh of light passed, and Mu Fan disappeared within the glow circle. Laurel watched as the vest and shorts shed away, and clicked her tongue tacitly, regretting internally that such a dashing guy didn''t leave behind a contact. Now, such stylish, thoughtful, and wealthy people were rare. ``` Chapter 22 - 22 The First Generation Human-shaped General-Purpose Heavy Machine

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 The First Generation Human-shaped General-Purpose Heavy Machine

``` Amidst the virtual swirl, Mu Fan appeared in the Fat Brother''s VIP room, about a twenty-square-meter space with twobat transmission rings on the side. At this moment, the Fat Brother was sullenly slumped in the plush sofa beside, watching Fighting videos. As soon as he saw a sh of white light, the Fat Brother immediately put away the video and leaned in with a bitter face, "I got wrecked, man, I got ambushed! I... hahahaha, why are you still wearing that tank top? Didn''t you finish the training?" He was in the middle ofining but seeing Mu Fan still rocking the cool rookie style defeated him in an instant. Mu Fan''s cool expression almost slipped, but luckily the Fat Brother didn''t notice. Remembering that casually thrown metal rod that was unavoidable, his head still seemed to ache faintly. "...Yeah, finished, but I think I need to learn the basic operations more. I''ll probably go there often," Mu Fan said with a calm face, surprisingly managing to get these words out without flinching. "That''s good," the Fat Brother didn''t think much about it, "So, have you learned how to operate the mecha? You must have jumped straight to the mecha, right? I told you Fighting isn''t of much use to you." "...Right," Mu Fan squeezed out a word. "Then stop dawdling,e on and let''s battle, I''ll start you from the First Generation Mecha. There''s not much you can mess up with these mechas; they''re slow, and the arena is small, very suitable for you to get started." Young Master Harry had a face that said he was helping, patting Mu Fan''s shoulder in a pretending-to-be-sincere manner. "See thosebat transmission rings over there? Step in, confirm the battle room, and then you''re in." The Fat Brother kindly pointed his chin toward one of thebat transmission rings. "Alright." Mu Fan felt like a duck being chased onto a perch, but he had no choice but to go for it. "Watch out, folks, observe as Fat Brother ughters in the rookie room, tremble in fear, hahaha!" The Fat Brother stepped into the transmission ring with a vicious expression, licking his lips. "Mu Fan, prepare to battle, system is matching." ..."Beep, matching sessful, battle room: A4J1507, battle level 1~2 generation, battle map: Eight-square-kilometer Chaotic Stone Zone, battle count 8V8." Mu Fan and the Fat Brother''s figures disappeared from the room in an instant and appeared above the map. However, for now, they couldn''t see each other, as Mu Fan viewed the area below from a bird''s-eye perspective; the unevenly scattered giant rocks on a in area, with small hills and scattered shipwrecks partitioning areas, giving it a bit of a stonebyrinth feel. System countdown: 2 minutes. Please select mecha... @@novelbin@@ Mu Fan saw the list that popped up in front of him, hmm... a long, very long list, from the First Generation to the Seventh Generation, everything was avable, and beyond that were just ck question marks. Unfortunately, they were all grayed out... Mu Fan swiped his hand to the right, pushing away the grayed-out First Generation Mecha page, finally revealing a colored mecha icon. Usable!! Mu Fan was a bit excited yet helpless, why? He simply didn''t know how to operate it. Of course, it was thrilling to use a mecha for the first time, but realizing he didn''t know anything made him a bit helpless and somewhat embarrassed to tell the Fat Brother. Confirm selection of this mecha? The system prompted. Of course, confirmed, you didn''t provide any other options. "Confirm selection, First Generation Human-Shaped General-Purpose Heavy Machine¡ªEH01 Model." After Mu Fan confirmed, that icon rapidly erged, and then a mecha resembling a human skeleton appeared in front of Mu Fan. Mu Fan''s height was about 1.78 meters, and this... let''s call it a mecha, was about 6 meters tall. The especially bizarre thing was that this mecha was nothing like what he saw in the Fat Brother''s Sky Communication video, how to describe it? Yes, it looked more like a skeleton. A mecha introduction surfaced beside the mecha: Realistic Mecha, ground-use First Generation Machine before humans broke through the atmosphere¡ªthe Human-shaped Frame EH01 Model, originally for civilian use,ter modified for military use due to its interchangeable parts design. This mecha required mechanical operation, with mechanical leversplemented by a 178-key control console. Height: 6.2m Weight empty: 8.77t Type: Land-use First Generation Mecha Max running speed: 45km/h Weaponry: Interchangeable parts¡ª120mm shoulder cannon, arm-mounted 52mm Gatling gun, Alloy samurai sword. Engine: First Generation Power Pod + Supplementary Fuel Cell. System Rating: F-grade long-range, F-grade defense, E-grade melee, F-grade mobility. Mu Fan felt this waspletely just a rack of metal bones, with only one impression¡ªdumb, clumsy, thick! Can this even run? Three ck lines appeared on Mu Fan''s forehead. Please confirm weapon selection. The system dutifully prompted. "Select samurai sword, abandon others." Without hesitation, Mu Fan responded. Seeing the system''s prompt, removing the shoulder cannon and the Gatling gun could reduce weight by about 0.6t, slightly improving performance; even a slight improvement was an edge for the First Generation. "Confirm selection, mechanical master will enter the cockpit?" "Confirm." After stepping into the elevator, Mu Fan found himself in the cockpit again. The cockpit of a six-plus-meter-high mecha was supposed to be fairly spacious, but... this mecha was just a skeleton frame, and Mu Fan was positioned where a human spine might be, in apact space, with thirteen red and blue interspersed mechanical levers on each side, a semi-circr array of 178 control buttons in front, a seat barely amodating one person, and a lit operational screen. How was he supposed to operate this!? Mu Fan waspletely clueless, sitting in the hard seating, fretting at the sight in front of him. Over there, the system couldn''t care less, "Countdown begins, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... injection." Mu Fan instantly felt a cliff-diving-like weightlessness, being dropped straight from several hundred meters above, with the metal mecha beingpletely unable to eliminate the''s gravity-induced adrenaline rush. "This is intense!!!" Mu Fan touched on mechbat for the first time, the pre-battle sensation made every pore feel innatelyfortable. But! Being dropped from such a great height, wouldn''t the mecha end up smashed? With the ground approaching in the field of view, Mu Fan almost couldn''t help but scream. "Sss" the mecha''s leg buffer device initiated. Though buffered, don''t expect this First Generation Mecha to dispel much, having a buffer was lucky enough. "Boom!" The EH01 Model mechanded heavily on the ground, and Mu Fan inside the cockpit got a heavy jolt. "The mecha is already busted, descending each time feels like bungee jumping, really should report this on the PO forum." "Don''t kid, if they wanted to change it, they would''ve long done so; this is the feel of realbat, are you expecting an Eighth Generation experience from First Generation machines? You know squat." "You know squat! You''re nothing." "Screw you." ... Mu Fan waspletely bewildered, what was with the voices filling the cockpit, why were they arguing? "Alright, check the battle map, let''s first evade and gather at points A and B, fight on two lines, team, let''s pump it up." Another voice sounded, clearly more reliable this time, almost making Mu Fan doubt if he joined the wrong ce. "Okay, I''ll go to A," the first yer who spoke up again. "I''m going to A too." "Scram, don''t follow me." "Scram, say one more thing and I''ll mark you down as a watchdog!" "...You low-life." The two mechas cursed and rushed towards point A, and Mu Fan saw two green dots moving steadfastly toward point A on the lower right corner map of the operational screen. "Really, are there only trash talk kings in a level 1 room?" This time Mu Fan clearly heard it, the Fat Brother''s voice. "What sort of big shot are you?" "You loser." The Fat Brother snapped, "You XX." Mu Fan waspletely speechless; was this really the first mech fight of his life? ``` Chapter 23 - 23 Mecha First Battle

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Mecha First Battle

``` "Mu Fan, Mu Fan, are you there?" The Level 1 room''s many-talented fatty decided to ignore those two big fools and started calling Mu Fan on the teammunication channel. "Yes!" Mu Fan replied, but he only answered in the cockpit; the team channel couldn''t hear him because he really didn''t know how to transmit voice. "Mu Fan, where are you? Where are you?" The fatty asked repeatedly, but there was no answer. "Stop howling; go to B quickly." The two geniuses started cursing again. The fatty had already muted them in the voice channel. After ncing at the map, his professional Silver 1-star expert tactical awareness made him decide to head to point B. Mu Fan was set aside for now. If he asked any more questions, the enemy would reallye and ughter them. From an aerial view, in this irregr Chaotic Stone Zone, point A was at the eight o''clock direction, point B at the four o''clock direction, and Mu Fan''s mecha was at the deepest part of the six o''clock direction. The map was very small, but since it was a first-generation mecha battle room, the mobility of everyone''s mechas was very low, which resulted in unexpectedly spectacr battles in such a rtively confined space. This was a map simting an encounter on the outskirts of a city, and the fatty was piloting the Raider I-gen¡¤mod, a first-generation mecha sold directly for Star Coins in the realistic category. The mod designation indicated a 5% improvement in mobility and defense. Raider I-gen¡¤mod Realistic mecha, used on the ground before human breakthroughs in the atmosphere, military standardized mecha. The cockpit was expanded at the chest, with key areas fortified with high-strength alloy. The weight was bnced, focusing on mobility and defense. The weapon was the military''s first-generation standard weapon. Due to its durable and rugged construction, it was still being used by civilian armed forces on somes in the Federation. Height: 5.14m Weight: 8.15t Category: First-generation military mecha Maximum running speed: 55 km/h Weapons: Dual-fire 128mm howitzer, 60mm Gatling machine gun, high-strength dagger, military alloy machete. Engine: First-generation nuclear power chamber. Auxiliary devices: Emergency power chamber, first-generation engine overload device (10% fluctuation). System rating: F- level long-range, F+ level defense (mod), E level melee (mod), F level mobility. The fatty bought all the celebrity first-generation mechas that could only be purchased with Star Coins, upgrading and modifying them all to their respective "mod" models. This was what it meant to be well-prepared! To be wealthy and powerful! To be professional! This was our Loga Star''s Fowen Consortium''s¡ªYoung Master Harry! At this moment, Harry the fatty piloted the Raider I-gen¡¤mod in a leap, jumping from a part of a spaceship wreck to a giant rock, instantly performing a perfect transition move¡ªcrouching, lying down motionless! Fat Brothery on the ground, and then shouted in the voice channel, "Enemies detected at point B! Already engaged, swiftly apply fire suppression at point A." Then, the fatty saw on the map that those two geniuspanions at A point rushed out. The fatty muttered to himself, "One, two, three, four, almost time," silently unmuting those two geniuses again. The receiver in the cockpit picked up gunfire three kilometers away. There was a burst of noise on the voice channel, followed by a torrent of swearing. The fatty''s mechay on the ground, and with the chaotic terrain and fragmented rocks, he could only mentally reconstruct the scene of the firefight through sounds. Green side "McConnell Star Cannon King" got killed. Red side "Mathiled" got killed. "That Lemon Balloon, I''ll blow you up." Following the fatty''s words, the two mechas rushed out, but in reality, the green dot at point B, the fatty''s mecha, didn''t move after a leap. The two encountered enemy mechas squatting at their point, forcefully taking down one person. Only one, barely alive, retreated behind fragmented rocks. Damn, they got tricked by those at point A. "You trash!" The first sacrificed teammate could no longer send team voice messages. Meanwhile, the mecha of the remaining teammate, which was half-destroyed, had already exposed its position. Being focused down by the enemy was just a matter of minutes, and he kept cursing in the team. What was the fatty doing at this time? He listened to the upset voice of his teammate and chuckled, "That''s for insulting me." Flicking switches 4 and 6, he activated the active search radar and discovered a target! The fatty''s Raider sprang up from the ground, overloading the engine by 10%, instantaneously transitioning from stillness to motion, running and leaping onto a lower rock. Just joking, Fat Brother''s ambush skill level could definitely earn two more stars! Thebat screen already disyed two enemy mechas, one yellow and one ck, stealthily approaching point A. The fatty leaned against a standing boulder, drawing his dual-fire howitzer from his back. The system''s search radar performed corrections, locked on! "Oh no!" The enemy mecha''s cockpit immediately emitted a piercing rm, indicating weapon lock-on, prompting quick evasion! Unfortunately, from detection to reaction and then evasion, it was toote for those in this Level 1 room. The mechas couldn''t swiftly react as if arms were controlling them directly. "Bang bang" white smoke billowed out, the heavy projectiles tore through the yellow mecha''s back armor with massive kic energy, exploding! The second shell even pierced through the back of the mecha, sending it flying several meters. Red side "Coreyselic" was killed. "Lemon Balloon" earned a one-hit kill medal. "Damn it." The barely surviving mecha on their side and the ck mecha on the enemy''s side both said this simultaneously. Hide quickly! The fatty knew now wasn''t the time to show off, he performed an imperfect roll, the mecha rolled like a ball from the fragmented rocks. "You bunch of trash." The fatty''s voice echoed in the cockpit again; this time he was on the full channel. Both the opponents and teammates started cursing simultaneously, taking the hint in his words. Speaking of piloting this first-generation mecha, it really was ufortable. Every aspect of response was too dyed. In the cockpit, the fatty had spent Star Coins modifying a hand-synchronized control instrument, switching from full mechanical operation to semi-intelligent hand synchronization; however, this was as far as modification could go. Further would be cheating. "Oh no, someone''s ambushing on the opposite side." Thebat map momentarily showed two red dots bypassing the fatty''s location without even rming him, killing the two teammates a kilometer to his right-rear. "Fire support! Fire support, quick! Shell this location, coordinates 33, 47, hurry!" The team channel instantly descended into chaos. The excitement and tion from earlier killings fadedpletely. Where was that Lemon Balloon? Damn it, hurry up! This side couldn''t hold on! The fatty''s brow furrowed, how was winning so hard, with a bunch of pig teammates. Suddenly, a shocked voice in the team channel eximed, "Holy crap, what is this, a museum specimen? How can there be something like this in our team! Can this even fight? System, if you''re going to screw us, just say so." Standing silently was the EH01 model. From afar it looked... it looked like a mecha that starved to death after undressing, reduced to just a skeleton, its whole body exuding a matte white finish, motionless. A team member piloting a Wolf Walker Beast-shaped Mecha retreated to the six o''clock position of the map while evading enemy fire and then raised his head to see the stationary Mu Fan mecha. "System identification, EH01 model First Generation Human-shaped General-Purpose Heavy Machine." This fellow shared his identification info on thebat channel. Instantly, it was as if a cold wind swept through everyone''s cockpit; this seemed to be an antique that only existed in textbooks. Wasn''t the lowest on the PO Battle Net a first-generation mecha? What was with this irregrly appearing first-gen mecha? "..." There was a collective silence for three seconds. @@novelbin@@ "Hey buddy, can you tell us how this mecha came to be?" No one responded. "Hey, don''t y dead; if you don''t speak, at least move and fight." That big white skeleton frame still stood tall, exuding a grandmaster''s aura. At that moment, the fatty saw the ID "Egg Lord" above it, feeling like a million hignd yaks trampled across his heart. Young Master Harry couldn''t see what was happening inside the skeleton frame''s cockpit. Mu Fan faced the mass of buttons in front of him, truly at a loss. Hearing themotion in the cockpit, he wore a helpless expression, but even if he wanted to exin, he didn''t know which button to press to connect to the voice. Today was truly an embarrassment, was his mecha''s first battle going to end by just standing there... Thebat screen disyed the beast-shaped mecha in front being blown up by two crossing firelines from behind. Then two earthy yellow enemy mechas emerged from behind, walking towards him with suspicion, presumably stunned by this bizarre mecha too. ************ PS: Thanks to reader Remnant¡ïSnowless for the reward of 588+100! ``` Chapter 24: The First Generation Machine of Body Coordination

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The First Generation Machine of Body Coordination

``` "Would you like to attempt body synchronization operation?" Mu Fan was ready to give up resistance, when suddenly he heard an electronic prompt sound in the cockpit. "Hmm?" "Would you like to attempt body synchronization operation?" The voice confirmed again, and Mu Fan was sure that he hadn''t misheard this time. However, why did it sound somewhat familiar, just like, just like the sound when entering a game. ck!! "ck Egg! Is that you!" Mu Fan''s eyes widened. He was certain that it was ck. Ever since he came in, he felt that this game was filled with weirdness. "Please call me Lord ck. Lord Egg is you." The white sphere codenamed "ck" floated next to Mu Fan, with two eyes appearing on it, smiling so much that they squinted, looking rather cheeky. It was the same sphere, but Mu Fan clearly felt that ck''s emotional simtion was almost real now. He could even hear that cheeky tone in its voice. "Stop talking nonsense, we''ll askter. What do we do now? I don''t want to die standing on my first battle." Mu Fan had many questions to ask, such as why his novice training camp didn''t teach about the Mecha Department. But now was clearly not the time for reminiscing. The two mechas opposite were getting closer, probably thinking he didn''t have any long-range weapons and intending to get closer to observe and then finish him. ck''s eyes squinted again, and this time a curve appeared on the white sphere, representing a mouth. It was clearlyughing. "Transformation begins," ck gently said the four words. The cockpitpressed further, the seat retracted, and Mu Fan went from sitting to standing. Several ck metallic tubes finger-width thick shot out from around the cockpit dancing around, their tips ended with thin needles as long as thumbs. "It might hurt a bit." ck flew around Mu Fan and cheekily said. "Stop the nonsense! I don''t want to die standing!" Mu Fan snorted heavily, his eyes starting to show a hint of red. ck''s eyes turned from one into O, "Synchronization begins! From now on, you are the mecha!" Mu Fan''s eyes showed a fierceness unlike before. "Hiss!" The ck tubes dancing around suddenly stopped, the needle tips aimed at the back of Mu Fan''s head, spine, waist, arms, thighs, and calves, then pierced in all at once. "Ah!" Mu Fan closed his eyes, and instantly his body felt as if a thousand catties were pressing down on him. His consciousness was no longer in the cockpit but spread out as if he were in the Chaotic Stone Zone. He couldn''t see himself being brought to the center of the cockpit by the ck tubes, then lifted entirely off the floor hanging inside the cockpit. @@novelbin@@ "The Fighter from the training camp has his own decision. Since there was no mecha training, let''s make up for it here. This time let you experience the body synchronization, to awaken yourbat instincts, Mu Fan!" ck quietly floated by, its eyes shrank into two small dots, staring at the dangling Mu Fan. "Don''t disappoint me. I will apany you to break out of Loga Star, to fight in this vast Gxy. Let you and I be engraved on the monumental history of humanity in this universe together!" Mu Fan didn''t know what ck had been doing during its disappearance, but ck''s emotional generation had far exceeded his imagination. As if hearing ck''s quiet words, the suspended Mu Fan''s right fist lifted and clenched tightly. 85% sensation simtion, Mu Fan was not Mu Fan, he was EH01, +1%, pain sensation locked at 100%¡ªafter body synchronization, any damage to the mecha would be converted entirely into pain synchronized to Mu Fan''s body. ... "Is that guy a novice?" "Should be, right?" The two dark yellow mechas carefully walking towards Mu Fanmunicated in the team channel. They hadn''t seen this mecha before. Having fought from Level 1 to Level 5 rooms and back to practice basics over two years, they had seen all sorts of mechas. Not seeing a Fantasy Mecha was fine, but the one in front was clearly a Realistic Mecha. Who was joking with this modified textbook old antique shape? Both chose raiders, mechas of the same era as raiders, but theirs removed rear and leg armor, reinforced long-range attacks, and improved agility ordingly. "Forget it, let''s take him out." The mech on the left suddenly felt uninterested. This mecha was obviously a novice. Even masters showing off had a limit¡ªstanding like this, who were they trying to scare? "Yeah, acting all mysterious." When the mech on the right replied, it pulled out a lightweight metal de and shed horizontally towards the waist of the white skeleton. Suddenly, they saw the mecha in front of them move. The three-fingered mechanical hand brought the arm up gently, then clenched. It was toote! The yer in the right mech''s cockpit smiled grimly, thinking the skeleton would get cut in half in a second. Unexpectedly, a new scene unfolded. The first-generation humanoid machine fell straight backward, with the raised right arm suddenly striking down to halt the mech''s descent momentum. The pilot couldn''t have expected a simple horizontal sh would elicit such a reaction from the opposing mecha. This guy was ying the fool! Hmph, kill! The right hand quickly tapped the console, while the left hand instantly switched control levers. The raider''s internal hydraulic bearings instantly bore the weight, forcibly altering the arm''s route, changing the mecha''s chopping action from a horizontal sh to an oblique chop. Simultaneously, the humanoid machine''s right arm punched the ground, and its alloy leg¡ªlike a skeletal leg¡ªkicked up, preemptively striking the raider''s sword-wielding right arm. "Beep, right arm damaged 15%, braking power reduced. Weapon unusable." The raider''s pilot sucked in a cold breath, realizing he was up against a master. This series of actions took ce in the blink of an eye, and the raider on the left was just beginning to react. ... Mu Fan''s awareness stabilized, and he felt dangering¡ªa metal de shing in his view. Instinctively, he made an evasive move, wanting to jump and kick the opponent''s chest hard. However, when he exerted force, he felt his body couldn''t keep up with his thoughts, realizing now he represented the mech. Is this what body-synchronized mech piloting is? This feeling was amazing, not having to deal with that abnormal console, though his body felt like a thousand catties burden, making even simple evasive actions heavy and slow. Mu Fan didn''t know ck''s red gaze shing over his suspended body. Is this mechbat? The feeling of dancing on the edge of life and death...so exhrating!!! With just a thought, Mu Fan adjusted based on his previous reaction, his left leg springing out¡ªif it hit, great; if not, he could use the inertia to roll sideways. He gambled right! Or rather, hisbat instinct gave him the most urate judgment. His right foot kicked away the metal de shed by the opponent''s right hand. In a near-perfect yet slightly clumsy twist, the white skeleton flipped 180 degrees, the right leg back, left leg kneeling on one knee, left arm drawing the samurai sword from his back using three fingers held reverse, the mech''s head raised gazing forward. The roles flipped! This amusing First Generation Machine now resembled a predator before pouncing, crouched, gathering strength! The two raiders took their positions seriously in the face of danger! ******** (ps: Thanks to book friend Ten Billion_Light Years for the 588 reward, and book friend Poetically Artistic, Ren Xiaowei for your generous reward!! Shopping really is tiring, came back to write until after nine o''clock, falling asleep instantly.) ``` Chapter 30 - 30 Venting

Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Venting

``` His body paused once more; Mu Fan felt as if his feet were glued to the ground. Each attempt to lift them required multiple times the effort. Yes, this was the sensation! The energy within his body burned fully. The massive amount of food he had consumed before now transformed into energy, released from the cells, and an endless stream of power surged from every part of his body. Creak! His bones made a clear sound when rubbing against each other as his muscles exerted force. Puff, puff, puff. The white rubber bullets sprayed from the Gravity Room at level 35. Mu Fan, moving like a leopard, found himself rapidly besieged by bullets from all sides, blocking any path to dodge. Ah ah~ ha~! Mu Fan''s hair whipped backward with the sheer speed of his movement, and sweat streamed into a fine line in the air. Mu Fan''s body turned into a gray shadow, squatting, jumping, and using the walls to elerate in reverse. From the right came the sound of something breaking through the air! Forcing his body to twist, his right hand shed like lightning, snatching the rubber bullet that had just passed over his brow. As his body descended, Mu Fan used both hands to push off again. His body, like apressed spring, tightly coiled, suddenly sprang out! His legs drew an arc in the air, stamping two rubber bullets against the wall, and he shed away once more! A gray lightning bolt darted rapidly within this confined space. "Pap pap!" Damn, two rubber bullets hit the wall and fell to the ground. Mu Fan missed two, but out of the twelve bullets shot at him, he managed to hit or grab nine. Since it was impossible to knock down all of them, he decided to up the ante and see how many he could evade. Mu Fan''s chest heaved rapidly. The explosive effort under high gravity felt like mes burning in his chest, and even the air he exhaled was scorching hot. A rose-red shed before his eyes. Level 38! 3.8 times gravity! Fifteen rubber bullets! The bullet speed increased by 15%pared to before! The white trajectories in the air interwove into a web! But at this moment, Mu Fan''s movements suddenly became agile! Attacking like a tiger, leaping like a leopard! Don''t let yourself get hit, don''t let yourself get hit. Mu Fan abandoned chasing the bullets. The intense consumption under such gravity allowed him to feel his stamina quickly depleting. Mu Fan began consciously conserving his energy, not attacking blindly, not brutishly aggressive. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. The chubby guy in the hall couldn''t hear the raindrop-like sound from the Gravity Room not far away, nor could he see Mu Fan moving like a phantom. Ha!!~ Hah! This time, fifteen bullets struck in a dense array. Seeing that he couldn''t evade with small movements, Mu Fanunched into the air, running ntwise along the wall from bottom to top. "Da da da da da da" rubber bullets rapidly collided against the wall behind him. All bullets missed, and with iparable leg strength and responsiveness, Mu Fan dodged this round of attack. Hu, huh!~ From the beginning of training until now, Mu Fan felt he had expended at least twice the stamina he normally would in two days. He needed to use greater force to drive his lungs to breathe, to use greater contractions to make his heart burst with powerful energy, to use stronger willpower to force himself to focus and sense each attack. The fifth round of attack, and all fifteen bullets missed again... Level 40! Mu Fan let out a low growl once more. This time he didn''t add three levels; level 40 marked the boundary between the hall and VIP. He felt he was nearing his limit, his body growing increasingly heavy. "Ah!" The increased gravity burdened his body again, making Mu Fan''s muscles firm up once more. But this time, the 17 bullets came faster, pitter-patter! Almost no intervals! Completely different from before, like a machine gun chambering rounds. In a slight pause, Mu Fan keenly sensed it. One second! Only a mere second between them. It didn''t even give you a chance to think. Several white lines interwove, locking down almost all of Mu Fan''s escape space. Mu Fan noticed that there were two spots, one on each side, to break out of the confinement. Left! Without hesitation, Mu Fan stepped and leaped, but this time he felt his muscles exerting their fullest, just a little more effort, just a little more. "Pa" a rubber bullet struck Mu Fan''s calf hard, instantly causing a red and swollen area. A single moment''s negligence disrupted his rhythm, followed by a barrage of bullets. Mu Fan rolled to protect his head. "Pipa pipa!" His back burned painfully, but Mu Fan was more concerned with the annoyance in his heart. He ultimately didn''t pass level 40. "Detected the yer being hit ten times, training stopped." With a vibration, the rapidly lighting up floor around him gradually slowed, and the bright white indoor light turned on. "Gravity starting to decrease, 40, 35, 30..." His body suddenly felt light, as if a huge stone on his chest had been removed. Mu Fan curled up on the ground, exhaling a deep breath. He felt a bit defeated; he still was only good enough to train in the hall! "Are you giving up already?" Suddenly, a cheeky voice echoed in the room. "ck Egg!" Mu Fan immediately responded. "Please call me Lord ck! You''re the Egg Lord! Stop calling me along with yourself." ck''s voice came again through the room''s speakers. Getting interrupted by ck like this, Mu Fan found his mood inexplicably improving. @@novelbin@@ Mu Fan stood up, "Tsk," his back twinging. This training room was really hardcore. The monitor inside the room focused on Mu Fan, and ck''sughter came through again, "Hahaha, Mu Fan, I already hacked into this Martial Arts Hall''s system. There was no video recording of the recent training. Besides, I forgot to tell you earlier, normally there wouldn''t be rubber bullet training before level 40. The 40-80 levels in the VIP room offer rubber bullet training." Pausing, ck continued with a happy tone, "So don''t get discouraged, young man!" If now ck was this Gravity Room, Mu Fan believed he''d have taken it apart. ck''s cheekyughter continued for a while, then his voice sounded again, "Mu Fan, did you notice any difort in your body under the high gravity?" "No." Mu Fan seemed to understand what ck meant. "How does it feel? Describe it in detail; I need the information to make my judgment," ck continued. "Though the body feels heavy, it doesn''t feel different from usual when evading, right?" "During level 32, did you experience any brain hypoxia or ck vision?" ck suddenly asked a question. "No." Mu Fan thought about it, saying confidently. "Your bloodline, um, currently it''s inferred that you possess ancestral genes. One of your parents must be from a high-gravity, with special gic factors in their blood. ording to the reverse calction of the bloodline gene decay form, your ancestor''s living ce should have gravity greater than 3.47 times the standard, not within the current Loga Star, or even within the surroundings ten light-years in range. Further calctions require you to expand the intersterwork for me to synchronize data, so strive hard, young man." "I''ll continue exploring the Network. This world is quite fascinating. Remember to hide my carrier properly when you return, as you might need it for future use. I''ll contact you if needed." After finishing his words, ck''s voice disappeared. "By the way, I left a backdoor in this house''s permissions. Whenever you enter, rubber bullet mode will automatically activate." Five secondster, words suddenly appeared on the wall. Mu Fan was speechless. Was this a free-range approach? Though it was worry-free to not have to manage him, there should be a way to contact, right? What to do if I want to find him? Ever since entering thework, ck''s character has been increasingly unreliable. Mu Fan felt he needed to adapt to ck''s unreliable and elusive nature. It felt pleasant to move around a bit. Time was almost up; it was probably time to go out and wait for the chubby guy. Mu Fan stretchedzily. Tsk, it hurt. ****** PS: Special thanks to book friend "Yesterday''s Beauty" for the generous reward! ``` Chapter 38: Return of the First Generation Machine Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Return of the First Generation Machine Editor: Noodletown Trantions (Today¡¯s second update! Please bookmark and rmend!) Mu Fan knew nothing about all this! Because Fatty came; Young Master Harry was in a bit of a hurry on his way here today. Actually, he mainly woke upte. He heard amotion not far when entering the hall, but it was normal for such a busy martial arts hall, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention and went upstairs directly. He didn¡¯t know when Mu Fan would actually go; he had to persuade him again. So, there was a moment when Fatty pushed the door open and saw Mu Fan on the training chair looking at him, big eyes meeting small eyes, a scene so simr to when they first met. ¡°You, still haven¡¯t gone?¡± Fatty nced around furtively, asking in surprise and doubt. Mu Fan sat there straight, his upper body so tense it was almost bent, his face grimacing with his teeth bared, which gave Fatty a fright. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t right; logically, Mu Fan should either be in one of the individual training rooms in the training field or wearing a lightputer helmet. What¡¯s this act about? Fat Brother hadn¡¯t done anything guilty of conscience. Fatty carefully reviewed his schedule for the past few days; nothing wrong there. ¡°Ahem, ahem,¡± Fatty faked a cough, his fist covering his mouth in a gesture. ¡°Well, Mu Fan, what are you doing? Are you waiting for me?¡± Already in an imaginary state, Fatty asked dryly. Mu Fan¡¯s face suddenly twitched, ¡°Hiss, it hurts a lot!¡± Fatty¡¯s heart clenched, had the kid taken the wrong medicine? What¡¯s with such a weird tone? Suddenly, themunicator at the room door rang, ¡°Beeper, sparring partner Mu Fan, please answer immediately.¡± ¡°Sparring partner Mu Fan, please answer immediately.¡± The call repeated continuously, obviously an internal line. ¡°I am Mu Fan.¡± Fatty watched as Mu Fan, without hesitation, answered it, tightening his heart. Was he going to Wen Zheming? Fatty frowned, about to explode, but the next words he heard left him dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m Chanison, hahaha, well done, kid. I¡¯ll give you an extra 2000 star coins as a bonus today; Young Master Wen was in a great mood and already left. He even left some money for Mankun and Jeff; this is simply a miracle! Jeff isn¡¯t disabled and can still continue fighting, and Mankun can do logistics in the future. They really benefited from your welfare, kid; you really have guts, able to withstand Young Master Wen! From now on, you¡¯re our Star Fall Martial Arts Hall¡¯s golden sparring partner. Hahaha¡­ By the way, do you know what happened on Young Master Wen¡¯s side in detail?¡± The moment Chanison¡¯s loudugh came through themunicator, it was clear he was in an exceptionally good mood, a string of wordsing out, leaving Mu Fan and Fatty frozen, staring at the wall. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Fatty timidly started to speak. ¡°What, what?! I asked what happened on Young Master Wen¡¯s side?¡± Chanison wasn¡¯t happy hearing a few words interrupting him but forgave it seeing that Mu Fan was a hero today. ¡°I¡¯m Harry Fowen, Manager Chanison!¡± Not letting Fatty speak, Fatty got angry, especially since it was in front of Mu Fan, making Fat Brother lose face! ¡°Uh, hello, Young Master Harry. Sorry, I just didn¡¯t know you were here.¡± The tone in themunicator froze, a 180-degree change, naturally filled with ttery. ¡°Hmm.¡± Fatty nodded satisfied, ¡°Mu Fan is my sparring partner; I¡¯m not here, so is it you?¡± The sentence pushed Manager Charney back; after asking some dry pleasantries, they hung up themunication. Then they saw Fatty¡¯s shining eyes looking at him; Mu Fan scratched his nose and awkwardly said, ¡°Well, the issue on Young Master Wen¡¯s side is resolved.¡± Fatty stood dazed for three seconds, then directly lunged at Mu Fan¡¯s thigh, ¡°Thigh, ah! Let me hug it!¡± ¡°Scram!¡± Mu Fan shoved Fatty¡¯s big face forcefully, pushing him back. ¡°Your hand?¡± ¡°Injured; that Young Master Wen¡¯s explosive force is very strong, but it¡¯s okay, looks worse than it is.¡± Ultimately, considering Mu Fan¡¯s current condition, Fatty forcibly dragged Mu Fan into the PO Battle Net, with a very valid reason, to let the arm muscles rx first. ¡­ Both online! Lemon Balloon ¨C Location: VIP Room CC1029, Battle Hall 171. Egg Lord ¨C Location: New Recruit Training Base 341. Lemon Balloon: ¡°Mu Fan, why did you go back to the new recruit training base?¡± Egg Lord: ¡°Well, I need to practice mecha again. You go ahead and y.¡± Lemon Balloon: ¡°How can that be okay? If you hang around there every day, how can we team up?¡± Egg Lord: ¡°Give me five days.¡± While sending the voice message, Mu Fan gritted his teeth, needing to start from mecha basic knowledge. Now, without even knowing the theory, ck had disabled coordinatedbat, so he couldn¡¯t drive at all! He had to call ck. Lemon Balloon: ¡°So boring, fine, wasn¡¯t expecting your mecha skills to be anything grand anyway; you¡¯re more suited for the fighting zone.¡± Fatty finally let Mu Fan off. Mu Fan stood before the familiar metal revolving gate, the system prompt sounded simultaneously. ¡°Hello, recruit ¡®Egg Lord¡¯; this is your training site at Base 341.¡± ¡°Please choose a training program, one, single soldierbat training, two, mecha driving training.¡± ¡°Mecha driving training.¡± As night fell, stars adorned the curtain; this time, what Mu Fan tread on wasn¡¯t synthetic materials but a t earthen ground, the soil prevalent on the, even the 85% simtion allowing Mu Fan to distinctly feel the iing breeze. ¡°Bang,¡± ¡°Bang,¡± ¡°Bang.¡± Suddenly, the sound of strong lights turning on echoed from both sides and extended forward, the activation hum of electric currents incessant. @@novelbin@@ Initially squinting against the strong light before reopening his eyes, Mu Fan saw a vast, empty base surrounded by walls, and appearing at the edge of his view was the very white skeletal frame he had once used¡ªthe first-generation human-shaped general-purpose heavy machine EH01! Mu Fan could never forget turning into this mecha to fight fiercely against those two raiders, nor could he forget being ultimately shot till the cockpit exploded. Although this white skeletal mecha was bulky, simplistic, and outdated, none of that hindered it from being Mu Fan¡¯s first mecha joy in life! When the icy steel transferred its heat through his palm to his brain, once again feeling his first mecha, Mu Fan¡¯s excitement was beyond words. ¡°Snap!¡± Suddenly the sound of a shutter clicked. Mu Fan jumped away vigntly, on guard. ¡°Hahaha, Mu Fan, I¡¯ve left a backdoor in the mechabat training tutorial; once you enter, you¡¯ll trigger my program, and I was lucky enough to witness your pervy moment touching the mecha just now.¡± Suddenly a silver sphere flew out, cheerfully circling Mu Fan. ck! Mu Fan almost felt helpless! Unwavering in its presence, often disappearing when needed and showing up when not, this pesky Smart Brain, after having a body in PO, became even more reckless. ¡°Finally choosing mechabat, let me teach you this time then; mecha is your weak spot now, go to the fighting trainingter.¡± Mu Fan could imagine ck¡¯s animated expression, but looking, he saw only a smiling, floating ball. ¡°Now, enter the cockpit!¡± Mu Fan stood for a moment, no response, then scratched his head looking at ck, ¡°How to get in?¡± ¡°Uh oh, forgot to introduce this; this mecha, being quite old, uses a traditional mechanical entry, so¡­ climb up from the back leg. Your flexible movement shouldn¡¯t have a problem.¡± ck¡¯s electronic voice didn¡¯t carry a hint of shameless realization. Mu Fan: ¡°¡­¡± Under the light-illuminated night sky, a youthy like a snail on a giant six-meter skeletal frame¡¯s back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me how to open the door!¡± The boy¡¯s shout echoing across the base. ********* PS: Thanks to the book friends ¡°Residual¡ïSnow No Trace¡± and ¡°Round Face Hong¡± for the 588 rewards! Thanks to the book friends ¡°Poetic and Artistic, Ren Xiaowei¡± and ¡°Yesterday¡¯s Beauty¡± for their generous rewards! CREATORS¡¯ THOUGHTS NoodleTown From 15 Feb 2020, Coins spent on books that aren¡¯t selected will be refunded within 30 days. However, Fast Passes will not be refunded. The selected book will have a mark on the corner of the book cover in 30 days to indicate continuation. Thank you for your understanding. Chapter 41 - 41 A conspiracy against Harry? Chapter 41: Chapter 41 A conspiracy against Harry? Editor: Noodletown Trantions Mu Fan¡¯s heart tightened, a chubby guy? Martial Arts Hall? Then there¡¯s only one, Harry! How did this get involved with Harry? Up there¡­ ? Mu Fan heard the footsteps of the two people getting farther away. He leaned back, poked out half of his head, saw two figures in the distance, and quickly withdrew his gaze. Lightly jumping down without making a sound, Mu Fan stood by the wall and then returned to the street he had just walked past, half of his body sticking out, catching a glimpse of two backs, one tall, one short. Mu Fan made a judgment. He didn¡¯t continue to follow; those two were very alert, and it would be easier to be discovered once out of the city. No, this matter needed to be discussed with the chubby guy. Thinking of the future, Mu Fan turned around and randomly bought a Miluo for 3 Star Coins from the fruit shop behind him. He ate it while leisurely strolling back; every move he made now had to blend naturally. ¡°Wow, this Miluo is so tasty!¡± He casually bought a plump Miluo as a cover, and he didn¡¯t expect it to be sweet and juicy with just one bite! Mu Fan squinted his eyes in satisfaction. Holding the Miluo, chomping away, Mu Fan again appeared in the shop assistant¡¯s line of sight. This time, Mu Fan smiled slightly at the assistant¡¯s reluctantly polite face, made his request, and was directly taken by the boss to the bag counter area. The currently best outdoor backpack sold in the city, with 1000D nylon exterior and 900D waterproof Oxford cloth for the body-touching parts. The shop owner patted his chest, iming it was the best material backpack on Loga Star. Mu Fan directly ignored the owner¡¯s spittle, caressed the backpack with excellent texture, and finally gritted his teeth, taking out hisst possession¡ª1000 Star Coins in front of the boss¡¯s exaggerated expression. Spending 1000 Star Coins on a bag, Mu Fan had never thought of it before. He looked down, reluctantly slung the bag over his shoulder, and checked the time before leaving. Roll call was due; the chubby guy should have returned by now. On his way back, Mu Fan bought anotherrge Miluo, so when the chubby guy returned to the training room, he saw Mu Fan enjoying the Miluo. The chubby guy felt something was amiss, seeing Mu Fan seriously consuming the oversized Miluo seemed just odd! ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Mu Fan considered this a greeting. At this moment, the chubby guy walked overpelled by some force, ¡°Is it tasty? If it is, give me a bite.¡± Ah, Mu Fan was a bit stunned. ¡°Oops, no worries. I¡¯m just used to it.¡± The chubby guy suddenly blushed, embarrassed by his own actions! Seeing the chubby guy¡¯s shy nces, Mu Fan generously gave him a piece. After the two of them polished off the Miluo, Mu Fan wiped his mouth and very seriously asked the chubby guy, ¡°Harry, have you offended anyone recently?¡± The chubby guy wiped his mouth, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡± So Mu Fan told the chubby guy what he had just seen. The chubby guy was surprised and puzzled, thinking for a while, then confidently said, ¡°I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t offended anyone. I usually don¡¯t interact much with people, spending most of my time on PO Battle Net. I¡¯ve only recently started going to the Martial Arts Hall. You should know.¡± Mu Fan asked, ¡°Did you go out the city¡¯s East Gate in the afternoon?¡± The chubby guy nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Mu Fan tapped his finger on the wooden seat, suddenly speaking, ¡°Those two went out the East Gate and bought sleeping bags, obviously nning to stay overnight outdoors. The time and ce they mentioned match your current situation.¡± The chubby guy got a bit anxious, ¡°Fat Brother hasn¡¯t messed with anyone. Who¡¯s targeting me like this!¡± Mu Fan calmed the chubby guy with a look that belied his age¡¯s calmness, staring straight, ¡°Harry, tomorrow afternoon, I¡¯ll go with you. I noticed something important; they mentioned robbing you as just a side thing, implying there¡¯s something more crucial. ¡°Mu Fan, it¡¯s too dangerous. I should call someone,¡± the chubby guy was a bit scared, having realized he was being watched; without Mu Fan, he might not havee back. Mu Fan patted the chubby guy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Harry, trust me! Didn¡¯t Ie through with Young Master Wen?¡± ¡°Mu Fan!¡± Young Master Harry sincerely felt Mu Fan¡¯s friendship, his eyes a bit moist. Mu Fan patted the chubby guy¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°When we leave tomorrow afternoon, I¡¯ll ride along.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The chubby guy didn¡¯t waste words. Mu Fan quickly entered professional trainer mode, first arranging two sessions for the chubby guy in the afternoon. The first was endurance training, setting the treadmill to 10,000 meters, throwing the boo-hooing chubby guy onto it. Mu Fan entered a meditative state, which was rare for someone who hunted alone for years, as this was not thinking for himself. ¡°Hmm¡­ currently, the situation is like this. Those two¡­ have been tracking the chubby guy, no, tracking wealthy people! Then noticing the chubby guy, meaning they often operate within the city, familiar with the vicinity. nning so meticulously for the first time, Mu Fan felt overwhelmed. Going straight at it would be better, but the implied meaning in their words made him sure it wasn¡¯t simple. Ugh, headache! The chubby guy wailed, ¡°Mu Fan, my lungs hurt!¡± Mu Fan scratched his face, brain automatically blocking all of the chubby guy¡¯s noises, forcing himself to keep thinking. ¡°Tracking wealthy people¡¯s routes¡­ and mission? The task was to track wealthy people¡¯s routes, indicating the arrangement above was just for those two, showing¡­¡± The chubby guy was nearly carried away by the treadmill, a belt tied around his waist by Mu Fan preventing a potential mishap, he ran with tears and snot, ¡°Mu Fan, can¡¯t you see me? Why aren¡¯t you paying attention? Fat Brother can¡¯t take it¡­¡± Wait, pay attention! Mu Fan suddenly felt something click in his mind. ¡°It indicates the higher-ups aren¡¯t paying much attention here! But there¡¯s still monitoring going on, only those two, so they act privately, as the shorter one said¡­ fat sheep!¡± Mu Fan suddenly pped the chubby guy on the butt, stopping his wails and prompting him to run like the wind. ¡°Tie the events together, it¡¯s¡­ the higher-ups focus on many wealthy locations, District 22 being just one¡­ Robbing the chubby guy is irrelevant. So¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone powerful or high up watching many wealthy people, nning something seemingly big and dangerous, including the hapless chubby guy in advance.¡± ¡°What needs to be done tomorrow is¡­ save the chubby guy, then follow the trail to uncover the mastermind, and once again¡­ save the chubby guy.¡± That¡¯s it! Mu Fan rubbed his chin; he felt through this thinking process, a line in his mind linked fragmented information, his mind cleared, a wonderful feeling. ¡°I quit!¡± The chubby guy¡¯s voice was pathetically desperate. ¡°Oh.¡± Mu Fan pped his hand on the stop button, ¡°You should have said so earlier.¡± The chubby guy crumpled on the treadmill like a nket. ¡°Wheeze¡­ wheeze¡­ I, I¡­ don¡¯t want to talk.¡± The chubby guy weakly pointed at Mu Fan, his hand trembling. ¡°So you me me?¡± Mu Fan, initially delighted at solving the issue, heard the chubby guy¡¯s words and frowned. ¡°You¡­ damn¡­ it¡­¡± the chubby guy¡¯sst words trailed off like a whisper. @@novelbin@@ ********* PS: Thanks to the reader ¡°Dare to Make All Saints Bow¡± for the 588 reward! Thanks to the reader ¡°Poetry and Painting, Ren Xiaowei¡± for the generous tip! Thanks to the reader ¡°Dust and Sea of Sands¡± for the constant silent likes! Chapter 63 - 63 Tracking Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Tracking Editor: Noodletown Trantions When there was a purpose to do something, the night was the best concealment. It was the same for these people as it was for Mu Fan. The people withdrawing from the hall in shifts and batches had done it wlessly, if not for ck¡¯s 360-degree monitoring that noticed that unconscious left-handed movement. It could actually synchronize with reality! The strange martial arts skill learned from the Fighter Master naturally appeared just as his thoughts shed. It was no different from in Battle Net, and that sense of realism far surpassed the effects in the virtual world. What kind of existence was the Fighter Master!? The wind generated by the air currents, the scent drifting with the air, the calm and serene feeling of stepping on the ground, and the unexinable freedom beneath the night sky¡ªMu Fan¡¯s understanding of this martial arts skill deepened in an instant. Calling it a martial arts skill was somewhat inurate; it was more like a cultivation technique that transcended a single martial art. Mu Fan felt his mental stateprehensively enhanced. His night vision was unaffected, and the extending sensory perception gave him a feeling of being the overlord of the night. Just as he shed past two trees, elerating across a bush, and in less than half a second between the head-turning intervals of two security personnel, this ck shadow breached their guard zone, passed only by the natural sound of the wind howling, stirring the leaves. These people didn¡¯t notice at all that a ck shadow was swiftly passing through the estate. After all, it was just a dinner party; what could be so peculiar? Mu Fan, however, was reminded by ck to avoid all possibilities of being discovered; he couldn¡¯t tell where there were his allies or other forces¡¯ informants. @@novelbin@@ Whenever he ran in the dark, Mu Fan always felt especiallyfortable. This was the environment in which he grew up; it was the hunting activity he did every day to survive. If one looked down from high above, they would see a strangely chaotic ck line spreading outwards from the estate, with the tip being Mu Fan, almost ghost-like and nearly silent. A patch of dark clouds covered the light refracted by the satellite, and ck suddenly reminded him in his ear, ¡°This is the third line of defense, with nine surveince cameras nearby rotating in a pattern; I¡¯ve made slight adjustments, creating a one-second blind spot. Now, follow my instructions!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Without opening his mouth, his nasal sound directly reached the earpiece, the shushing wind noise covering everything. ¡°Run at full speed, five steps!¡± ¡°Leap!¡± Mu Fan suddenly jumped, cing absolute trust in ck. As his body arched over the gap between two bushes, Mu Fan caught a glimpse of a rather inconspicuous green dot hidden on the other side of the grass, with a faint lighting through a gap. ¡°Within half a second, moveterally to the right front of that wutong tree! A slight noise can be made!¡± Raising his eyelids, he roughly calcted the distance to be between nine to ten meters, bit down hard, and stomped his right leg fiercely on the ground, springing like a spring towards the left onto a tree trunk as wide as a hug, his legspressed to the extreme. Crack! The trunk appeared with a few cracks, yet Mu Fan turned into a ck shadow skimming over this distance. ¡°Rest for five seconds. Nextes the estate¡¯s fourth defensive line. The group in the surveince has alreadypletely evacuated from the estate; a gathering was detected three kilometers to the southeast, where a Style Bar is located. Within 60 minutes, 13 people from the estate have entered there.¡± ck¡¯s unlimited visual range sketched a silhouette in Mu Fan¡¯s mind. ¡°Advance! The forest below is in the surveince blind spot with a depth of 30 meters; traps might be possible, cross on your own! Further ahead, a patrol team will pass in six seconds, be careful,¡± ck gave a reminder in the area without surveince. ¡°Hmm.¡± Here, he felt more confident. As he spun rapidly, he shed out from behind the tree, then elerated his stride, feeling a hint of threat beneath the seemingly dark forest with the extended perception aided by Dark Breath. A deep red tint shed across his eyes, a blood-colored vision! His night vision was extremely enhanced, an ability ck waspletely unaware of. ck could only judge the anomalies on Mu Fan based on external manifestations, unable to know the specific abilities this brought. The night faded in his eyes, revealing a thick umtion of fallen leaves beneath that forest. No, throughout this estate, only this exterior side of the forest had thick fallen leaves along the traversal path. Uncleaned for years? Impossible. The mental reinforcement from Dark Breath allowed Mu Fan to swiftly recall almost overlooked details in rapid thought. Tombstone rise? Bulges? One, three, six¡­ There¡¯s a situation at the base of the trees! His eyes shifted slightly, and Mu Fan¡¯s mouth curled up. Then run along the trees! Ha! With three steps counted as one, Mu Fan leapt forward energetically, his legs gathered strength, then ejected like a cannonball straight towards a rtively sturdy old tree on the outskirts. Alternating footsteps, his hands skillfully grip the protruding or hidden branches, appearing in the canopy within seconds. With his right hand gripping a thick branch, Mu Fan half-kneeled in the branches, scanning beneath with his eyes, discovering densely packed, menacingly spiked, khaki-colored matte metal objects. How could there be so many leaves? They were clearly mixed with unknown weapons in the dense foliage! If there were scanning imagery, ck could clearly tell Mu Fan these were Federation standard weapons, poison thorn ejection mines, capable of piercing 20mm thick steel tes upon explosion. Indeed, it was a grand family, with defensive measures interlinked. Once amidst the tree canopy, the vague sense of threat became clearer and amplified, yet instinct told him it was safe. Poison thorn ejection mines possessed a tracking ejection feature with a five-meter radius, while Mu Fan¡¯s position was seven meters above the ground! His innate intuition perfectly avoided this terrifying minefield. Light and agile as a mountain monkey, Mu Fan¡¯s figure leaped rapidly along the trees, his form flickering in the night perfectly hidden without a trace of discord, the intertwining branches and leaves of the canopy still swaying naturally with the breeze. With the blood-colored vision added to Dark Breath, Mu Fan¡¯s instinctive forest survival skills were exponentially enhanced. Here, it was his home turf. ck was faithfully counting in his ear, ¡°3 seconds, 4 seconds, 5 seconds¡­¡± Thest tree, step on it and just go over. ¡°6 seconds!¡± As Mu Fan¡¯s legs had already gathered strength post-leap, upon ck¡¯s words, Mu Fanpletely vanished behind thest tree. ¡°Zone D reached, confirmed safe.¡± A group of armed personnel arrived beside the forest in a single-soldier vehicle, their searchlights habitually scanning up and down, left and right. ¡°Captain, someone being here would be strange, dying not knowing how.¡± ¡°Less nonsense, we earn our keep. Let¡¯s go!¡± The convoy disappeared into the night, driving along the mountain road. Mu Fan hung on the tree with one arm, his entire body pressed tightly against the trunk, his right hand wing into a four-finger-wide hollow, silently suspended there. Confirming no sound came from around, Mu Fan exerted strength in his single arm, swung down from six or seven meters high, leapt across the mountain road, and gentlynded, plunging into the thick grass. ¡°Perfect!¡± ck rarely praised him. The squad¡¯s recording device didn¡¯t capture a trace of Mu Fan¡¯s figure just now. Mu Fan¡¯s jaws moved slightly, ¡°After all, it¡¯s the host!¡± ¡°Pretend I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± ck was choked by Mu Fan. After a full three seconds, ck resumed speaking morosely, ¡°Already left the estate; the security standards at the little fatty¡¯s home are high, ranking secondpared to any ce in this town.¡± ¡°What¡¯s first?¡± ¡°A military base!¡± Mu Fan rolled his eyes and replied with a teeth-clenching inquiry, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Run at full speed! More than fifteen people are already there! And several potential human flows approaching in the surveince have suddenly disappeared.¡± ck¡¯s voice suddenly quickened. Lord ck anticipated a variable in time. ¡°Okay!¡± With several rapid rises and falls, Mu Fan¡¯s figure vanished, leaving only the dense sea of grass swaying gently on the low slope. ********* PS: Thanks to the book friends ¡°Purple as Dream¡± and ¡°Poetic Mood, Ren Xiaowei¡± for the reward of 100 coins! Thanks to the book friend ¡°Yesterday¡¯s Beauty¡± for the reward of 10 coins! Chapter 69 - 69 Omen Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Omen Editor: Noodletown Trantions June 2nd, the morning was as usual. Sparse pedestrians began to appear on the streets. As the mostfortable and pleasant district on Loga Star, it attracted numerous tourists from other districts every day. However, to their disappointment, most of the areas with an excellent ecological environment were not open to the public. Those were the exclusive territories of the nobility, so tourists from the outer districts could only walk and y in the open areas of the city, and themercial streets were gradually bing busier. In the living room, a vintage-style clock showed the time was 8:00. It was the first time Mu Fan had slept until 8:00, and he walked out of the bedroom feeling refreshed. After knocking on the door for five minutes without any response from the fat guy, Mu Fan decided to give up. Whatever, let him stay here today. ¡°ck, any updates?¡± After washing up, Mu Fan put on his headset and asked. ck¡¯s voice promptly sounded, ¡°At 6:00, the governmentwork suddenly changed its encryption method. It¡¯s clearly indicating that something¡¯s about to happen today. Is this a challenge to me?¡± The voice carried frustration, having held back for two hours, finally able to vent. ¡°Can you decrypt it?¡± Mu Fan didn¡¯t bother wasting words with ck; he couldn¡¯t follow the chatter-filled mind of ck, or else he¡¯d be led astray for sure. ¡°I can! But there¡¯s no abnormal data flow yet. Even in the monitored District 2, there¡¯s nothing unusual. It¡¯s strange.¡± ck spected in a tone full of doubt, ¡°Unless there¡¯s one possibility, which is that all activities have avoided surveince.¡± ¡°What about now?¡± Noticing a note beside the wardrobe informing him of clothing avable for guests to temporarily change into, he became interested, as he couldn¡¯t wear the inconvenient dress uniform anymore today. Mu Fan opened the wardrobe, choosing a set of the most casual linen clothing. The loose feel struck him at first nce, and the coarse but defined texture feltfortable in his palms. ¡°I suggest you move towards the northwest district soon. Right now, I can¡¯t give a definite time either. Just stay near there today, and it¡¯s good for quick emergency measures if anything happens,¡± ck referred to the emergency measures of taking over RX-16. ¡°Got it.¡± Mu Fan put on the loose linen outfit, stretching his limbs, feeling quitefortable. After leaving a message for the fat guy via Sky Communication, he stepped out of the door. This outfit, obviously prepared for guests to stroll within the vi, was dered by Mu Fan to soon be hisbat uniform. Huh? Mu Fan made direct eye contact with Gaoling Sen and his daughter, surrounded by a group of armed guards not far away. ¡°Good morning!¡± Mu Fan waved cheerfully in that direction, but, of course, he was waving at Shelly, continuing to ignore the mustached man. Gaoling Sen gave him a profoundly deep look, saying nothing, then pulled away a reluctant wave-greeting Shelly, leaving the guest room area with their group. Mu Fan shrugged and, guided by a servant, went to have breakfast. Clearly, he sensed the tense atmosphere within the vi today. Although the staff continued to work diligently as always, it was hard to see family members dressed in casual attire along the way. It seemed Wayne¡¯s ban from yesterday had been thoroughly enforced. For the first time, outside the Martial Arts Hall, Mu Fan revealed his voracious appetite. Upon smelling the enticing aroma, he first tried to control himself and ate two bites, then sumbed and began to wolf down the food. The chef making meatball pizzas at the buffet breakfast area was already numb, having made twenty pizzas in fifteen minutes¡­ all of which disappeared into the young man¡¯s stomach in the blink of an eye, with no further response except for a loud burp at the end. Half an hourter, after Mu Fan finished drinking a basin of health porridge, the staff had no choice but to report it up. They hadn¡¯t seen anyone like this in all their years of service. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the outfit he wore was indeed a special supply for the vi¡¯s guests, they might have called the Guard long ago. Just as Mu Fan continued to indulge, he suddenly heard a familiar and surprised voice, ¡°Young Master Mu Fan?¡± With his high-cheeked face looking up, Uncle Wu! Making a challenging greeting, Mu Fan finally managed to wash down the food with two sses of water. ¡°Hello, Uncle Wu! I arrived yesterday but didn¡¯t get to see you.¡± Finally able to speak normally. ¡°So it was Young Master Mu Fan. No wonder the servants reported a distinguished guest,¡± Uncle Wu replied with augh. ¡°Just as well, the Master had just instructed me to find you in the guest room area. Now I can tell you, the Master has already ordered a lockdown of the vi, but Young Master Mu Fan can move freely. Here is your pass.¡± With that, Uncle Wu handed over a badge shaped like a scale, about three fingers in size and exquisitely crafted. Mu Fan took it and nodded, ¡°Understood. Thank you, Uncle Wu. I¡¯ve left a message, but please also inform Harry for me that I¡¯ll go for a walk today, and don¡¯t forget what I said yesterday.¡± Uncle Wu responded, ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. The Master has other matters.¡± With that, he turned and left. Mu Fan nodded and immediately returned to devouring food. After another half hour, the satisfied Mu Fan walked out of the dining room under the admiring gazes of all in the vi. @@novelbin@@ It was now past nine o¡¯clock. After a nce at his Sky Communication, he still hadn¡¯t received a reply from the fat guy, so Mu Fan decided to head towards the northwest area. As Mu Fan strolled leisurely through the crisscrossing streets, a wave appeared on Loga Star¡¯s administrativework. Data emerged from the central database and scattered silently across several public interfaces after a few transfers, like a stone sinking into the sea. ck, closely monitoring thework, hurriedly decrypted it, finding it to be normal public information, a government directive aiming to promote tourism and cultural development. There were no anomalies in the logic set by the tracking program, so ck received no alert from this spot. Frequently, one could see people dressed in various styles holding cameras and gs, lingering in the streets and alleys. It must be said that the scenery here was indeed beautiful, with even a central forest park within the district,plemented by well-maintained greenery throughout the area. Indeed, even in the most barren ces, paradise can exist. Meanwhile, personnel at the urban traffic monitoring bureau in District 2 scanned the several synchronous disy screens in the room. The function here was to monitor various intersections and crowded spots. A man in a police uniform chewed gum and switched screens back and forth with interest, looking to spot any prettydies. Routine work, but without it, life would be too dull. Beside him, a person wearing a police cap also leaned over to stare at the screen. After a while, he shook his head in disappointment, saying, ¡°A lot of tourists recently, but the quality is declining.¡± Right. Chewing gum, he quickly switched the videos on the screen but found no attractive women, as many tourist spots were filled with big guys. Muttering, ¡°A bunch of big guys taking pictures, they should just stay away.¡± The person with the police cap clicked his fingers continuously, checking the recent data on the flow of people,ining, ¡°There are indeed a lot of people, even more than yesterday.¡± ¡°Let me check those park areas, maybe there are some jogging girls,¡± upon hearing this, the person with the police cap immediately checked. ¡°Again with a bunch of tourists, so uncultured! Littering everywhere, even over there, throwing it!¡± Behind them, a recorder shed a green light. From the ck¡¯s sea of data on the Network, a recording analysis transmitted a report, triggered by several keywords set in its rm system. ¡°Today, yesterday, more, bunch, throw¡±¡­ ********* PS: Thank you, readers ¡°°ÔÕ¼Ò»¸öËý¡± and ¡°Ê«Çé»­ÒâؼRen Xiaowei,¡± for the 100-coin rewards! Chapter 72 - 72 Loga Falls (Part 1) Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Loga Falls (Part 1) Editor: Noodletown Trantions Gunshots rang out, but they did not attract the attention of the group of Star Thieves. The blood-red hue in Mu Fan¡¯s eyes gradually faded as he stood silently in the alley, with three bodies stacked at his feet. He had no idea that the brutal move that emerged in his mind could unleash such a bloody killing blow. What exactly was that martial arts skill that surfaced in his mind? Clearly, he had entered the Dark Breath state; why did he suddenly lose control in an instant? However, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to ponder and investigate further. Mu Fan lowered his head and began searching; he needed a cold weapon. ¡°Beep beep,¡± the Sky Communication in Mu Fan¡¯s pocket vibrated. When he opened it, it was a voice message from Fatty: ¡°Mu Fan, be careful! You must stay alive, you must stay alive!¡± The voice was hurried, and faintly, the panicked voices of others could be heard. Got it! Mu Fan flicked his fingers, and a well-crafted ck de Dagger appeared in the palm of his hand. The cold metallic blood groove and the faintbat scars on the back tooth de revealed it had seen blood before! Weighing it in his hand, Mu Fan nodded slightly. It was far superior to his own dagger, which he then gripped firmly. He had no understanding of firearms; in this perilous world, this dagger he found was the most handy weapon for him. His head tilted as he faintly heard voicesing from outside the alley, less than thirty meters away. Mu Fan whispered, ¡°ck!¡± ¡°Mu Fan, the military hasn¡¯t taken action yet. This indicates that someone high-ranking in the military is involved. The military warehouse is disconnected from thework; I can¡¯t determine the situation there!¡± ck appeared, bringing Mu Fan bad news. He had indeed been too conceited, Mu Fan realized, and saw the real gap between himself and these Star Thieves who had made a notorious reputation in the nearby Star Sea. His previous thoughts now seemed utterly naive. ¡°Any other suggestions?¡± Mu Fan was now back in the Dark Breath state and asked calmly. He had to do the most valuable things in the crunch time avable. @@novelbin@@ ¡°None.¡± ck reluctantly admitted, but neither Mu Fan nor it had expected the Star Thieves to be so tightly linked with the government and military. Even advanced AI couldn¡¯t fathom theplexities of human minds. ¡°Route!¡± Mu Fan spat out two words, as blood from his left arm dripped onto the ground, forming a pool. ¡°Straight-line distance is 2.09KM. You need to cross two streets and pass through four alert zones. Right now, I still have some surveince from elevated points, but it won¡¯tst long. They¡¯re intentionally destroying all surveince. So, starting now, there¡¯s only ten minutes!¡± ck quickly responded to Mu Fan, as at this moment, the host had the highest priority. ¡°Head west first out of the alley, then go left for six hundred meters, and turn right. I can¡¯t see the surveince; it depends on you. Notify me when you get there. Stay cautious.¡± ck felt its own powerlessness for the first time, a sense of frustration emerging. Reversing the grip on his dagger, Mu Fan sprang and leapt onto a wall, his tone calm, ¡°ck, it¡¯s always been with your help. I won¡¯t die, don¡¯t worry.¡± It was up to him now! ¡­ The government of No.1 City Zone on Loga Star was inplete chaos. The Councilman was in his residence, furiously smashing his beloved teapot into shards. ¡°A bunch of useless fools! A bunch of idiots! Don¡¯t let me find out who it is, don¡¯t let me find out who it is! Quick, activate emergencymunication, hurry!!¡± After receiving the advance notification, No.1 City Zone suffered attacks several times more severe than those in No.2 City Zone. With massive plumes of smoke rising, Loga Star¡¯s administrativendmark, a monument of the Guards tens of meters high and weighing thousands of tons, crumbled to pieces. The farthest fragment flew over a hundred meters, embedding itself in the side of a skyscraper covered in ss curtain walls! The Twin Bridge across the Liuou River was blown apart, and countless people in floating cars plunged into the deep, rushing waters before they had time to react. Almost all streets erupted with violent explosions, peeling back ayer of the whole city¡¯s surface! And the Councilman was forced to stay confined in his residence, which had activated the highest level of protection. Thework waspletely cut off! Communication was entirely disrupted! Now it was like a headless fly crashing everywhere, like a blind person trapped in here. He had no idea what was happening in the outside world, he could not get in touch with the military. Where was the actual military power in his hands?! Why hadn¡¯t a single soldier shown up by now?! Even an idiot could see something was wrong with the military, and his government, who had infiltrated it, and to such an extent! On a mountain ridge outside the city zone, a middle-aged man in a khakibat uniform stood on a rock, looking towards the city zone. As he set down his binocrs, the smirk on his face twisted the engraved pattern into something exceptionally terrifying¡ªa broken axe with a huge scorpion perched on it! Broken Axe Star Thief Group! Poison Scorpion! The number one leader of the Broken Axe Star Thief Group, who had remained unseen, was now openly visible on the outskirts of Loga Star¡¯s Administrative District. He had just finished savoring the horrific explosions inside the city zone. With each rising mushroom cloud, the smile on his face widened. ¡°What a grand fireworks disy. People of Loga Star, are you prepared for our arrival? Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha-ha-ha¡­ hahaha!¡± The progressively manicughter unnerved the Star Thieves standing nearby. No one dared to discuss the mercurial moods of their leader, or they might find themselves being brutally dispatched under the guise of practice. ¡°Leader, the deputy leader sent word that governmentmunication blocking can onlyst half an hour. After half an hour, the government will activate backup channels. Also, the military has already deployed the alert Mecha Guard,¡± a Star Thief came forward to report with bowed head. Poison Scorpion did not turn, but closed his eyes, his stubbled chin rxing with the smile, ¡°Half an hour is enough. Watch as we set off a grand disy of fireworks here. Mecha? Haha, deploy the Escort Ship first, and let those who defected go first. Show me their sincerity.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The Star Thief immediately went back to issue orders. In the No.1 and No.2 City Zones of Loga Star, the panicked crowds discovered with horror that several ck dots broke through the clouds above and gradually erged in view, descending over the two cities. Multiple interster destroyers, Near-Earth Guard Ships, and an interster cruiser fully d in ck with a covering of the broken axe emblem! This was¡ªthe main fleet of the Broken Axe Star Thief Group! People on the ground plunged into extreme chaos and panic. Where were the military? What happened to the military¡¯s anti-air firepower? Many questioned. Suddenly, people noticed that the ship-mounted orbital muzzles on these ships began glowing orange, gathering energy, ¡°Boom!¡± Several blinding beams ripped through the sky, striking the ground directly. With just one strike, 6 out of 19 military garrisons in No.1 and No.2 City Zones were destroyed! No one knew that the furiousmanders of the remaining 13 sites simultaneously screamed in anger, wondering why the radar showed nothing, why all six garrisons were anti-air firepower points! There was a traitor within the military! Communication would still take a while to restore, but dy could not be afforded, the mecha army was dispatched! Meanwhile, with a specific pattern of medium wave sweeping across the surface, many people in No.1 and No.2 City Zones found new orders appearing on a specialmunicator: Mechabat begins, after identifying allies, attack indiscriminately. *********** PS: Thanks to the reader ¡°Yesterday¡¯s Beauty¡± for the 10-coin reward!