The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385

by Chocolion, 齐佩甲

  There was more than one Modo Civilization spaceship that had arrived on this planet, but they had secretly turned the tracking team into their people, so they had all kinds of ways to remain undiscovered.

  The commander walked back and forth on the side nervously.

  “Have you locked onto the target?”

  The elder brother of the Soul Swap Twins’ hand was devoured by the mirror of the Soul Swapper. He casually stirred it and said, “Yes.”

  “Can you sway him out?” “Tsk, us brothers are just Grade C Supers. Aesop is a Grade B. The success rate of us swapping his soul out of his body isn’t one hundred percent.”

  “To be safe, use the second plan,” the commander said.

  “Okay.”

  The Soul Swap Twins focused their energy into the Soul Swapper. Black ripples appeared on its mirror sides as it was activated.

  At the same time, Aesop, who was far away at the port, suddenly opened his eyes, and his pupils shrunk abruptly to the size of a needle.

  He felt like countless voices had suddenly rushed into his brain and fused into a deafening noise that echoed in his mind. His head was hurting immensely.

  He wanted to raise his hand to hold his forehead, but he could not move his body at all.

  The aide-de-camp beside him saw that he was acting unnaturally and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Aesop’s expression changed several times. It became stiff for a moment but then returned to normal.

  He coughed, lowered his voice, and said, “Nothing, I’ve already completed the prophecy.” “What clues did you get?” Aesop’s eyes gleamed, and he said, “I’ve discovered the real destination of this Super Star Cluster Alliance. It’s a secret resources stronghold in a desolate universe belt. The coordinates are…”

  He gave the coordinates, and the aide-de-camp hastily wrote it down.

  “Hmm, this is enough information. Let’s return to the spaceship.”

  Then, Aesop turned around and left without waiting for his aide-de-camp to reply. The bodyguards beside quickly followed.

  On the other side, inside the temporary stronghold where the Soul Swap Twins were at, the commander asked, “Was it successful?” “Hmm.” The younger brother of the Soul Swap Twins replied with a husky voice, “We have swapped the many soldiers’ souls over. They’ve successfully become parasites in Aesop’s soul.” The main function of the Soul Swapper was to swap souls, but there was no such rule as one for one. Stuffing many souls into one body or just swapping the soul out of the body and turning the body into an empty shell, there were many possibilities.

  Unlike with Feidin and Chen Xing, it was a type of puppet manipulation using parasites. The souls of many soldiers and Aesop were fused together temporarily like puppet strings injected into Aesop’s soul. Aesop’s mind had become fuzzy, and he could no longer think normally. He felt that all his actions came from his heart and did not realize what was wrong with him at all… Putting it simply, it was similar to how someone might go crazy when drunk.

  “Aesop’s bodyguards won’t realize, right?” someone asked. The commander shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, the Soul Swapper’s powers are extremely stealthy. No one will be able to notice it other than Beyond Grade As who excel in the mind or soul related abilities, not even Calamity Grades… Of course, peak Beyond Grade As might notice something wrong too, but Black Star’s main body isn’t here, and he won’t monitor such a small matter with Lord’s Descent. So, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  After the commander said that, he clearly looked more relaxed. He turned to the Soul Swap Twins and said, “Your mission is complete. What comes next won’t involve you. Put down the Soul Swapper.”

  The Soul Swap Twins exchanged looks and laughed creepily at the same time.

  “Hehe, sure.”

  As soon as they said that, a change occurred!

  A black shockwave expanded. Other than the commander, all the soldiers’ eyes rolled and fell to the ground, not moving.

  The Soul Swapper had silently swapped everyone’s soul out!

  At the same time, the infant-sized younger brother opened his mouth and sucked one soul after another from the Soul Swapper, swallowing them.

  The commander instantly reacted to it. He was shocked and furious.

  He did not expect the Soul Swap Twins to dare to do this even when they were targeted by so many weapons. Had they really given up living?

  However, at this time, a powerful energy erupted from the Soul Swap Twins. Feeling this energy level, the commander’s expression changed drastically.

  “Grade B? We ran a check on you right before we departed. Aren’t you guys Grade C?”

  The older brother of the Soul Swap Twins laughed out loud. “Hehehe, people grow!”

  The two of them had always been acting weak, making the Modo Civilization think they were Grade C Supers. The method they used was not just simply hiding their real strength but a hidden ability they had never told anyone about-their energy could move freely between the two of them without any restrictions. This was related to the mutation these two brothers went through.

  If they focused most of their energy on one of them, he would temporarily become a Grade B. If they spread it evenly, they would be able to fool the Super Grade Detection Devices of the Modo Civilization. The two of them had been planning their escape for many years, deliberately controlling their growth speed to stay at this level, all for an opportunity like today.

  The Soul Swap Twins laughed creepily and said with a confident tone, “Think about it, we’re now Grade B Supers. These cannons won’t be able to kill us instantly. The Black Star Army’s men have yet to go far. If a battle breaks out here, it will definitely attract their attention. So, think thoroughly about whether you want to attack us because your plan is at risk of being exposed!”

  The commander was startled. He quickly yelled at his comrade who was controlling the cannons, “Wait, don’t fire.”

  “That’s right. Play nice, and your plan will be able to continue.”

  The Soul Swap Twins snickered. They chose to do this now exactly because of this reason.

  The commander suppressed his rage and questioned, “What do you want?”

  “Simple, Modo have been using us as tools for many years. We’ve contributed enough, and now is the time we take back our freedom… Hehe, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, we just want to escape. We didn’t sabotage the plan with Aesop. Take this as the last mission we’ll ever execute for Modo. We don’t owe you anything anymore.

  “As for this treasure, it naturally belongs to us, so we’ll be taking it away. Anyway, no one but us can use it.”

  The Soul Swap Twins sneered. The shadow shrouding their body devoured the Soul Swapper and absorbed it into them.

  Then, the two of them stepped back to the wall, activated their ability, turned into two piles of ink-like shadows, and disappeared. The commander was furious beyond imagination, but he still did not dare do anything

  He was not only worried about alarming the Black Star Army, which was not far away, but also because he was not confident enough to stop the Grade B Soul Swap Twins. He had no choice but to watch the two of them leave with the Soul Swapper.

  It was dead silent in the room. The only sound was his heavy gasps for air.

  “Quickly report this to the upper echelons. We’ve lost control of the Soul Swap Twins. They’ve escaped!”

  Chapter 1159 - Destiny’s Child’s Prophecy

  “The Soul Swap Twins escaped!”

  Lagos was shocked to receive the notice from the army emissary and looked worried. However, he was not worried about this but its influence on their plan against Black Star.

  “Are you able to capture the Soul Swap Twins?”

  The military emissary shook his head and said, “The Shattered Star Ring isn’t our territory. The Black Star Army and the local civilizations’ surveillance network is all over it. We can’t carry out a large operation. The t
arget can use the Soul Swapper and swap bodies. It’s too difficult to find them, so we most likely won’t be able to capture them.”

  “The plan…”

  “Don’t worry. The plan continues.” The military emissary smiled. Seeing this, Lagos looked confused. Why don’t the upper echelons look worried at all about losing a special Universal Treasure?

  “You don’t seem worried…”

  The military emissary shook his hand. “Don’t worry, there’s no need to send people after them. They’ll return on their own.”

  “You’re saying…” Lagos had a rough guess.

  The military emissary changed into a serious expression and said, “This information isn’t really that confidential. The upper echelons have told me to tell you not to worry about the Soul Swap Twins and continue carrying out the plan as usual. The person in charge of the Marwell project got a Beyond Grade A Mage to secretly plant a mental trap in them long ago and built a hidden sub-personality that’s completely loyal to the Modo Civilization. Once triggered, the sub-personality will take over, and they will obediently return themselves.”

  “I see…” Lagos nodded subconsciously. He then frowned and wondered, “But if that’s the case, why not take over the Soul Swap Twins’ consciousness completely? Why take the risk?”

  The military emissary did not mind and continued explaining. “Controlling the Soul Swap Twins is very easy. No matter how special they are, they’re just low level Supers. Do you really think that there have never been such experiments even though the Marwell project has been going on for so many years? We’ve basically tried everything you can think

  of.

  “However, the results proved that the Soul Swap Twins can only use the Soul Swapper when they have complete self-control and clear consciousnesses. Other than that, any attempt to control the Soul Swapper through controlling the Soul Swap Twins won’t work. Even after just the simplest brainwash, the Soul Swapper won’t recognize the two of them as qualified users. Therefore, we can only do it this way.”

  “Why is that the case?” Lagos wondered. “Hell if I know. It’s as if the Soul Swapper has chosen the Soul Swap Twins. It’s probably related to the mysteries of the soul. It’s all very non-scientific really. And that’s the reason we consider the Soul Swapper a Space Wonder. If we could figure out how it works, there would be no Soul Swap Twins…” The military emissary snorted. “Though strange, the two of them are very weak and are no threat. They’re only feared because they can use the power of the Soul Swapper. It’s like a child holding a gun.”

  “Understood.” Lagos nodded.

  “Hmm, good that you know. Anyway, you don’t have to be concerned about the Soul Swap Twins. Just be worried about Black Star.”

  Then, the military emissary cut off the communication, and the screen turned black.

  Lagos turned off the virtual screen, exhaled, and smiled with relief.

  Although there was a tiny hiccup, to him, the plan targeted at Black Star being carried out smoothly was the most important.

  At a certain desolate universe belt in the Shattered Star Ring, a secret resources stronghold of the Modo Civilization was being attacked by the Black Star Army’s armed fleet.

  The images of this battle were transmitted into the main control room in the Thousand Lights Star System’s base. Aesop and a group of officers were remotely monitoring the battle.

  Not long after, the battle ended. The Black Star Army fleet had annihilated all enemies and was picking up the loot.

  “Great! We’ve destroyed another secret stronghold of the Modo Civilization!” Nero was watching the battle with a smile. “This is all thanks to His Excellency Aesop’s accurate prophecy, which helped us find the enemy base.”

  With their boss leading the praise, the officers present all expressed how impressed and appreciative they were of Aesop.

  “No big deal.” Aesop was not in the best mood and just waved slightly. “Haha, a great job is a great job. Don’t have to be so humble. I’ll have some people take you back so that you can have a proper rest,” Nero said with a smile.

  “No need, I’m planning on taking a walk outside. I won’t be going back to the headquarters for the time being.” Aesop shook his head.

  Nero was surprised. “How long do you plan to stay outside then?”

  “About a month.”

  “So long?” Nero hesitated a moment. “I suggest you come back as early as possible. There might be new missions…”

  “What’s with all the bullsh*t? I don’t even have the right to take a walk outside anymore? Am I just a tool now?” “Er, that’s not what I meant.”

  Aesop narrowed his eyes and coldly said, “Also, take these troops and bodyguards away. I don’t like to be disturbed when taking a walk.”

  “This…” Nero looked troubled. “I can’t just remove them for no reason. What if an accident happens?”

  Bang!

  Aesop slammed the table and yelled, “What, you think I need your protection? Or are these people here to surveil me? I’m telling you right now, remove these people, or I’ll go back to Floating Dragon immediately! Is it your place to control me? Do you have any idea what my relationship with Black Star is?”

  Nero’s expression froze, and he was rather unhappy inside.

  This old man is usually easy to talk to. What’s wrong with him today? Did he swallow a bomb, or is it that time of the month?

  However, unhappiness aside, Nero did not dare talk back to Aesop. After all, Aesop was there to help and represented Floating Dragon. Plus, Aesop was his senior and the Dragon Emperor’s foster father, as well as his godfather’s good friend.

  Aesop did not want to return to the headquarters, and it was not like he could force him or kidnap him. Otherwise, even if his godfather might not blame him, Aunt Ames would not be happy about it for sure.

  Nero barely forced out a smile and said, “Since you like to be alone, I won’t have the guards follow you.”

  “That’s better.”

  Aesop turned, glanced at the officers around, and said casually, “You all heard that?”

  While the two of them argued, the people in the room all stopped what they were doing and stood in place, frozen. Hearing what Aesop said, they could only nod. “Good, that’s all. I’ll go back to my room,” Aesop said monotonously. He turned around and left with hands behind his back.

  Watching Aesop disappear from their sights, dissatisfaction showed on many people’s faces. “Who does this old man think he is? So arrogant,” a Calamity Grade bodyguard said with a frown. “As if I’d be willing to protect him if not for the army’s order.” “Exactly, this old man is in over his head.” Another person was rather unhappy too.

  “Alright, alright, that’s enough. He’s my senior no matter what. Maybe he’s just not in a good mood today. Let’s not force him if he’s not willing to do so.” Nero frowned slightly. He said a few words and hung up the communication.

  To be frank, he had been a little tempted to report this to Han Xiao. However, Aesop had just made a big contribution, so if he reported him just because his attitude toward him was a little off, it would be too petty of him, like a kid crying to his father when just slightly unhappy. His godfather hoped he could be independent, and him doing that might disappoint his godfather. “I’m not angry… I’m not angry…”

  Inside the headquarters office, Nero softly murmured to himself. Then, he started to really feel his emotions gradually calming down, as if he was meditating. He had a subtle feeling that he seemed to have learned some kind of special trick to keep himself calm.

  “Godfather! Godfather!”

  More than a half month later, Han Xiao, who was in the Flickering World’s Black Star Palace, received a communication request from Nero. He was startled by Nero’s loud voice right after he picked it up.

  “Calm down, what’s wrong?” Han Xiao moved the communicator a little further away and picked his ear with his pinky finger.

  “Aesop i
s missing!” Nero’s tone was anxious.

  Han Xiao’s movements paused for a second. He frowned and said, “What do you mean by missing?”

  “It means he’s missing! We have no idea where he’s gone, and we can’t find him.”

  “Didn’t you send people to follow him? How did he go missing?” Han Xiao asked.

  “I…” Nero explained what had happened with a regretful tone. Aesop had shown displeasure toward the bodyguards, so the bodyguards did not follow Aesop closely around so that Aesop would not be disturbed. However, when they were resting on a city planet, the bodyguards discovered that Aesop had gone missing. “Also, they’ve discovered a video message Aesop left inside his room.”

  “What did that old man say?”

  “He said it was a message for you, telling you to remember your promise from not long ago.” Nero played the video of Aesop saying that.

  Having figured out the whole picture, Han Xiao caressed his chin and wondered.

  About a month ago when he chatted with Aesop, Aesop had mentioned that he planned to leave the Shattered Star Ring and continue travelling, and he had come to an unspoken agreement with Han Xiao. This was the first possible reason for Aesop going missing that popped up in Han Xiao’s mind.

  However, with some thought, Han Xiao felt something was not right.

  That’s weird. The old man clearly said he’d only leave after the Super Star Cluster Alliance issues are over and he’s done helping me with it. By leaving now, it means he didn’t keep the promise. Was he just unable to endure it any longer?

  Han Xiao was wondering but it did not show on his face. He nodded at Nero and said, “Got it, I’ll deal with this matter. You can put it aside.”

  “I… sigh, alright then.” Nero wanted to explain himself but gave up after pausing. He sighed and hung up the communication. Han Xiao stood up from his chair, softly tapped the table twice, and suddenly pulled Phillip out.

  “Master, hum… What is it?”

  “Bring up the records of Aesop’s whereabouts in the last month.”