You actually accepted a mission that requires you to face two Grade A enemies? Have you seen how powerful Calamity Grade Supers are‽
Don’t drag me down if you want to die!
The war between DarkStar and Godora was known to everyone in the Shattered Star Ring, but the majority of the mercenaries kept their distance from the battle and were not willing to get involved.
“Our mission isn’t to fight the enemy, but there will be some risks,” Han Xiao said in a deep voice. “If any of you aren’t willing to accept the mission, you may leave now. For those who stay behind, after this mission is over, I will sign a cooperation contract with all of you to enjoy my resources.”
As everyone heard that, many of them fell into a dilemma. If they could cooperate with Black Star, they would have the chance to get better employers. It was like starting a company. Them running around to find odd jobs definitely could not be compared to working together with a large organization and easily enjoying jobs.
Many mercenaries did not dare take the risk and took their leave. The crowd began to thin, and Han Xiao did not stop them.
Only a hundred odd people were left behind. They were the mercenaries who were willing to take the risk.
Phillip read out their information, and Han Xiao viewed it once.
“Three mercenary groups, seventeen lone mercenaries. There are four Grade B Supers and the rest are Grade Cs. This is better than my expectations.” Han Xiao nodded. Because of the limited time, he did not dare wait too long, and it was not too bad for him to hire this bunch of mercenaries.
Han Xiao got the mercenaries to rest and reorganize themselves as Nagakin walked over.
“What are you planning to do?” Nagakin asked. The day before, he had just met Han Xiao, and meeting him again that day, he felt a little embarrassed. As a Calamity Grade Super, he actually had to rely on a bunch of mercenaries. This was truly an embarrassing mark on his record.
However, he quickly shook away such useless emotions and focused on the mission at hand. While he did not understand Black Star much, it did not stop him from treating Han Xiao as an ally.
“We aren’t the most anxious ones now; DarkStar are,” Han Xiao mused. “With Anur and Ember’s ambush failing, they know that Godora will definitely send out fresh reinforcements. Thus, they will try to capture Alvin as quickly as possible, so we have to try and interrupt their search.
“Alvin’s main body has remained in hiding, and he didn’t dare to reveal himself. Thus, it wasn’t possible to take him away from Noriosse. Furthermore, there may be many DarkStar battleships hiding in Noriosse’s vicinity to block all routes out.”
Based on the present circumstances, they had to first contact Alvin before they could formulate a plan. Nagakin took out his encoded communicator.
“Nagakin? Weren’t you defeated?” Alvin’s voice sounded from the communicator, but there was no image displayed. In order to prevent anyone from finding his location, Alvin did not turn on his image display.
“Your intel was wrong, and DarkStar sent out two Calamity Grade Supers. I survived and found some helpers. We will help you escape from DarkStar’s pursuit, and new reinforcements are on the way. As long as we can stall for enough time, DarkStar will have no choice but to retreat. You will be safer if you accept our protection. Where are you hiding?”
“I do not need your protection; my main body is extremely safe. You have already lost once, and if it wasn’t for my cautiousness, I would have been caught. I would rather believe in myself. I have three doppelgangers in DarkStar’s hands, and they aren’t able to return to my main body. I have to suffer the pain from their torture every day, and only a single doppelganger of mine is able to move about freely. If you really want to help me, protect my doppelganger. He is still being followed by the enemy…”
Alvin hung up, and Nagakin frowned, feeling pretty helpless. If he could not protect the main body, whether or not the main body was found would be up to the heavens’ will.
Han Xiao smiled and said, “DarkStar obtained three doppelgangers, and the doppelgangers will die if they are too far away from the main body. As long as split the main body up in three different directions, it will be easy for them to pinpoint the region that the main body is in. With some simple calculations, they will then be able to determine the center of the region. Thus, Alvin will not foolishly stay in one place.”
“There is one more thing,” Nagakin said with concern. “For us to recruit mercenaries openly, DarkStar will probably receive news about it, and they won’t sit still without doing anything.”
“Hmm, I have a guess as to what they will do. It seems like we will have to take some risks.”
Han Xiao stroked his chin and decided to mess up this storm midway. Apart from the plentiful reward, this was also a good way for him to contact the upper echelons of Godora. He was pretty tanky, and he would be able to exchange a few blows with Grade A Supers. Retreating with his life definitely would not be a problem, and he did not have to be as cautious as before. With the advantage of understanding his enemy, there was no need for him to be anxious. If his opponent was Ember, he felt that he would be able to last a long time.
…
Because of the destruction caused by the battle between the Grade A Supers, DarkStar decided to change to a new secret base to discuss their next move. Anur felt that it was a waste that they had not been able to kill Nagakin, and he knew that Nagakin would have called for more reinforcements. Thus, they needed to seize every second.
At that moment, the troops on the outside was spying on Alvin’s final doppelganger. Without daring to delay any further, Anur sent out all of his men, preparing to capture the final doppelganger.
However, before they could, the DarkStar troops received new intel. Nagakin had found some helpers—the Black Star Mercenary Group.
“Nagakin still isn’t giving up, and he thinks that he can face the two of us alone?” Anur’s expression was dark, and he revealed a sneer. “Since he isn’t willing to hide obediently, we will use the opportunity to kill him.”
He had originally thought that Nagakin would not dare reveal himself again after being ambushed by the two of them. Now that he had a chance to kill Nagakin, Anur was naturally overjoyed.
In truth, in Han Xiao’s previous life, when Nagakin was ambushed, he did not suffer any severe injuries as well. However, he refused to give up on the mission, and even without any reinforcements, he had faced the two DarkStar Supers alone, eventually being crippled. At the same time, the Calamity Grade Super who participated in this battle was not Ember. In Han Xiao’s previous life, Ember had not been forced to enter seclusion, so he had entered the Calamity Grade far later.
A large reason was because Han Xiao had caused the butterfly effect… or perhaps it was because Han Xiao served as a great motivator for Ember.
“So what if he’s found a bunch of mercenaries? What can they do? They are no more than a bunch of weaklings.” Anur was completely unconcerned. Only an elite army like Blades or Sky Ring was worth his attention.
Ember’s gaze turned cold.
“Black Star again… I have given him a chance already.”
Ember no longer placed Han Xiao in his sights, but since Black Star wanted to interfere with his mission, he had to wipe out all obstructions.
With the threat of Floating Dragon, Ember had not decided if he wanted to get rid of Black Star. However, he had to wipe out all of his companions at the very least and let Black Star know the price of provoking DarkStar.
While Black Star had some talent to be immune toward his abilities, Black Star’s companions were not immune. Ember could still remember that he had managed to rip off the arm of one of Han Xiao’s subordinates previously.
If you want to interfere in matters that you shouldn’t, you will also place your life at risk.
Anur looked at the intel. “None of these mercenaries can be kept. I don’t want any accidents to happen.”
“You can take pe
ople to catch the doppelganger; I alone will be sufficient to get rid of the mercenaries.” Ember stood up. “With my abilities, I will crush them all in less than a minute. I will meet up with you after taking care of this matter.”
Chapter 485 - The Gangster Mechanic
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ta, ta, ta!
Alvin escaped hurriedly. He was the final doppelganger left on the surface, and DarkStar’s pursuing forces followed behind him like parasites. The one chasing after him was a Grade B Super called Sherman, the vice-captain of Forsyth’s squad.
He had already noticed that DarkStar was getting ready to take action and had informed Nagakin and the others to request reinforcements. However, reinforcements still had not arrived, so Alvin was getting anxious.
Bang!
A thick light cannon pierced through the walls and smashed into Alvin’s body. A magical shield appeared with ripples on it and blocked the damage before exploding in the next instant. Alvin was sent flying by the shockwave and rolled a couple of meters out.
Not too far away from him, a short dwarf-like man walked over wearing a pair of targeting goggles. He was dressed in a gray mechanical suit and held onto a gigantic cannon almost the size of his body. The design of the cannon was complicated with an extremely thick barrel. Apart from the main cannon, there were a couple of subsidiary cannons, and it was obvious that this was a multipurpose firearm.
This person was Sherman. It is said that he had the bloodline of the dwarfs and was a Cannon Master.
“I only have three protective talismans left, and I wouldn’t be able to escape far. If the reinforcements do not arrive, I will be finished for sure. Those from DarkStar definitely won’t show any mercy to me…” Alvin’s face turned solemn; he knew that things were bad.
Sherman remained expressionless, and he pointed his cannon at Alvin, who was trying to crawl back up. “Don’t move. Unless you find your legs too long.”
Before he could even finish his sentence, the sound of something descending from above could be heard. Looking up, he saw someone weaving through the gaps of the buildings nimbly, dressed in a mechanical suit that looked like the armor of a knight. The white cape on his shoulders fluttered in the wind, and he approached Sherman at high speed. With a Battleship Slicing Blade that was a couple of meters long, it could only be Herlous.
Without saying a single word, Sherman raised his cannon and fired.
Boom boom boom!
Wave after wave of large light balls assaulted him. Herlous’ eyes were extremely sharp, and he cleaved apart the ball of lights before they could even reach him.
Weaving through the balls of exploding cannon fire, Herlous cleaved his blade down at Sherman’s head right before he reached the ground. However, Sherman had already foreseen this attack and avoided it.
Boom!
This attack landed on the ground, and a long ditch was created with silvery flames spewing out like lava. The cracks on the ground then extended out a few dozen meters.
“Reinforcements?” Sherman was sent flying by the shockwave of the attack and was half kneeling on the ground. Licking his lips, he could taste the slight metallic taste of blood, and his killing intent burst out.
At that moment, all of the hired mercenaries also appeared and surrounded Alvin to protect him. Alvin could finally heave a sigh of relief.
Reinforcements are finally here.
Over a hundred mercenaries glared at him fiercely, but Sherman was not anxious in the slightest. He pointed his finger at Herlous, who caused him to suffer a small loss, and pointed his finger at his head like a gun before ‘firing’. He obviously meant that he had his eyes on Herlous.
The next moment, the members of DarkStar arrived as well. They did not lose in numbers at all and had even more elites. Anur walked out from the crowd and said with a deep voice, “Godoran, don’t hide in a corner. You cannot escape from my senses.”
Hearing that, Nagakin walked out, and the two powerhouses glared at each other in a faceoff. Nagakin’s expression was solemn as he asked, “Where’s the other one?”
Anur did not reply, and his gaze swept past the mercenaries. Counting the number of mercenaries present, he began to frown. Almost all of the hired mercenaries were there, and the enemy’s camp should be empty. He knew that Ember would definitely return empty handed. However, that did not matter; Ember would not need much time to return, and they would be able to form a pincer attack to cut off all paths of retreat.
Since they were enemies, neither party spoke about their plans. Glaring at each other without a word, the situation was extremely tense.
With a single command, the killing began.
The battle had erupted!
Siii…
Anur’s body swelled up, and he turned into a strange looking creature in the blink of an eye. His body was four to five meters tall with an inverted triangle as the head. His body was that of a streamlined beast with thick skin and small little holes all over. Those holes were the key to controlling the wind pressure. A long tail trailed behind the body, and his limbs turned into powerful claws. Eight strange, dog-ear-like bones could be seen on his back with its appearance looking a little like a pair of winds. However, it was a special organ like a tube for it to shoot out air. It extended out from Anur’s ribs and allowed the high-pressure gas to cycle between the inside of his body and the atmosphere on the outside. It also ensured a balance of pressure on the inside and outside of the body to protect the body under high speed.
This was what Anur looked like after its transformation. His nickname was Wind Demon, and he had the special ability to control the flow of air.
Bang!
Anur’s eight tubes spat out high-pressure gas, and he sped up rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he covered the distance of a few hundred meters and clashed together with Nagakin.
With him as the center, to his left and right were formless wind pressure cannons. The usually gentle air had been transformed into a powerful shockwave and decimated everything in its way.
Boom!
Wherever the wind pressure cannon passed by, the ground would crack, and the windows on the buildings to the side would be shattered. Everyone present felt that it was becoming difficult to breathe as though they were in the middle of a storm.
Nagakin broke through the wind barrier, and his fist smashed squarely onto Anur’s body. His golden flames clashed straight on with the formless wind pressure, and both of them were sent flying in two different directions. Wherever they landed, a gray cloud of dust would be kicked up, and a circular crater would form.
By the time he raised his head again, Anur’s figure had already disappeared, and only the violent winds were left behind. Nagakin had witnessed this ability before. The little holes on Anur’s body would control the air surrounding him to coat his entire body like a shield. He would then use some unknown method to absorb the light rays and make sure that his body was no longer reflecting any light. As such, Anur’s body could no longer be seen.
The two Calamity Grade Supers had to restrain each other. If not, the others fighting by the side would be in danger. Just a single Anur forced Nagakin to use all of his strength. If there was another Calamity Grade Super, he would be dead for sure.
Black Star said that the enemy will probably split up their forces. One of the Calamity Grade Supers will probably charge into our base alone. Black Star chose to stay behind to restrain the enemy. Only if we can hold down that Calamity Grade Super will we have a chance to save Alvin.
However, he is only a Grade B Super, and the Calamity Grade is too dangerous to him. Can he really do it?
Nagakin was worried.
…
At the same time, Ember walked into the mercenaries’ base and was already prepared to unleash a massacre. However, the place was covered in darkness, and there was not a single person inside.
“Everyone abandoned the base and took action with the Godoran? It seems like this was a wa
sted trip. I’d better regroup with Anur.”
Ember was expressionless. Just when he was about to turn around and leave, the lights lit up in the base.
“Don’t go. I have been waiting for a long time.”
Ember’s eyes narrowed.
I know this voice.
He looked up and looked at the camera in the corner.
“Black Star?”
“Ember—this is the nickname that DarkStar gave you, but you do not have a real name. When you were very little, you were accepted by DarkStar. They were interested in your talent, and they treated you like a weapon, forcing you through endless strict training. You are not a Godoran, but you were brainwashed with a hatred that does not belong to you. DarkStar groomed your loyalty, but you are no more than a useful tool in their eyes. Your beliefs are completely meaningless because those aren’t your true thoughts.”
Han Xiao narrated slowly. Because of the information from his previous life, he understood Ember’s life story. While he had killed many and was extremely hateful, he was also extremely pitiful.
If he had not been groomed by DarkStar from a young age but led a normal life, he would not have been the infamous Ember. He might have had his own name and would not have given his all only to be treated like a weapon and tool.
Ember clenched his fists tightly before releasing them slowly. He did not have any intention to argue with Han Xiao. “All of the other mercenaries have left? Why are you the only one left behind?”
“To wait for you of course.”
Ka-cha.
A metal door opened, and Han Xiao walked out with his gaze clashing with Ember.
Sparks flew.
DarkStar had sent out two Calamity Grade Supers, and Han Xiao had guessed that they would try to fully utilize their advantage by sending one of them out alone. On a strategic level, this will allow them to be more agile. Thankfully, he had guessed correctly, and there was indeed a Calamity Grade Super who worked alone with his strength.
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