by <unknown>
Ames slowly floated down to the ground, and her black hair cascaded down to her legs. She stepped onto the warm and bony ground surface with her bare feet and slowly walked toward Han Xiao, with her power blasting out at maximum. She then questioned threateningly, “What did that person look like‽”
The lower-ranked Dragon Guards were all knocked out by the force field’s collapse and were struggling to get back up on their feet even after they have recovered their senses. Han Xiao had to let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. Ames approached him with such a tremendous pressure around her that it was as if she could use the Conqueror’s Haki 1 . It was difficult to just open his mouth. “I don’t remember the details, but he looked like a poor person with messy hair, and he didn’t appear to be different from the average passerby… Oh, I remember. The most notable thing about him were his eyes. His pupils were sort of shining, like…”
He pretended to be unsure about it, as if the word was stuck on the tip of his tongue.
“His eyes are dark like the emptiness of space, while his pupils are like a bright star in the endless darkness, lighting up the whole universe despite its flickering light… Is that what you mean?” asked Ames.
“Yes… yes, yes. That’s it.” Han Xiao could finally let out a deep breath. Ames must have thought about the person that he wanted her to think about it. The situation was under control.
Ames seemed to dwell in her memories as she murmured to herself, “Why don’t you want to see me? Does our promise mean nothing? Didn’t you agree to find me again when I became a big name in space?”
The guard captain, Wilsander, was shocked. He had never seen this side of his boss. It was as if she had become an abandoned teenage girl in love, and he could hardly take it.
Ames was like a goddess in his heart. Strong, beautiful, and mysterious. He had been moved to his core the first time he saw her, and he had decided to give up on developing his own faction to instead work under her out of respect for her. He had stayed under her wing ever since, managing this chaotic dumpster day after day…
Yes, he was secretly in love with his boss. This was also his motivation for doing his work.
At this moment, Wilsander could not have been more jealous of those underlings who were blasted away by Ames’ sudden outburst. If he had been knocked out like them, he would not have had to witness this shocking scene.
“Who is that man that she’s speaking about? It can’t be her lover…” Wilsander felt bitter in his heart, but he also felt a strong sense of curiosity toward this mysterious person.
After Ames got back to her senses, she returned to her throne and stared at Han Xiao for a good while before saying slowly, “Since he has already chosen you to send the message. I will give you two options—disintegrate into dust or work for me.”
“I am more than willing to work under you,” said Han Xiao.
Becoming Ames’s employee was much better than getting a game-over on the spot. Ames’ past was full of mystery, but Han Xiao knew her secret. A powerful character like Ames had been a focus of the players’ attention in the past. The players were able to put together her story from various mission descriptions, and this information was then released onto the forums. Han Xiao basically knew more about her than she did herself, as he also knew about her future.
With the advantage of information, Han Xiao had finally chosen this plan to save himself and the others. The mysterious person that he had spoken of was a special person to Ames, and he held an important position in her heart. However, this person had gone missing a long time ago, and Ames had been constantly trying to hire mercenaries to look for him.
That person was someone with genuine foresight ability. Making himself the messenger for that person automatically made Ames think that Han Xiao was important to him, and his life would no longer be in any immediate danger.
Ames had also never told anyone about this, so she would never suspect that Han Xiao somehow knew about her past and was using it to his advantage. In her eyes, it was far more probable that Han Xiao was simply a random small-time mercenary that person had predicted would go there and so was used as the messenger.
Who knew that even someone as strong as Ames would not even suspect Han Xiao’s words?
Although the Great Mechanic Han did not like being a replacement, he would not let his pride get in the way of his survival. Whenever his strength was clearly not enough, he would not foolishly try to fight his opponent head on.
Even if he had once been someone who was worshipped by all, he would never let this restrict his actions. Han Xiao had only been able to escape from Germinal all those years ago because he was able to hold himself back. He had no problem of doing it again.
But of course, Ames was much better than Germinal. At least she was maintaining a neutral position, so Han Xiao would not be forced to burn any bridges with anyone. However, she was a million times more powerful than the Germinal Organization, and this meant that trying to escape from her clutches would be astronomically more difficult than getting out of the Germinal base. Even if Han Xiao tried all sorts of ways to make himself stronger, it would still undoubtedly be a long and arduous journey.
This was not an optimal scenario for him, but even he could not go against the universal law of the strong ruling over the weak.
Han Xiao sighed secretly.
He was afraid that for a good part of his future, he would have to tightly wear the label of the ‘Dragon Emperor’s Subordinate’ around his head. That label was to be both a protective charm and a new responsibility.
_____________
You have made contact with a new Faction!
Floating Dragon Island: Cold (0/300)
Chapter 373. Getting Employed (2) |
Ames seemed a bit lost and floated away after signaling for Wilsander to deal with the rest of the matters.
The mercenaries were shocked. Just what was happening? She was just about to kill everyone in the Black Star Mercenary Group a short while ago, yet now they had become her underlings? Were they really people in the same line of work?
“How come I didn’t know about anything you said?” Herlous said quietly. “You couldn’t have been lying, could you?
“You don’t know a lot more things,” replied Han Xiao with a calm expression. “She is someone at the top of the food chain. Do you think it would be that easy to trick her?”
“That makes sense.” Herlous took what Han Xiao said at face value. If Han Xiao could not even trick him, how could he trick the “Dragon Emperor” of the Shattered Star Ring?
Just as the guards were about to take away the other people from the three big Mercenary Groups, Goa shuffled close to Han Xiao and said, “We’re getting locked up, and you’re the only one who can move around freely. Now that you’ve become Ames’s underling, see if you can convince those people to let the Silvers go. You’re now the only one left who can complete the mission.”
Porter, Cerleni, and the others also all threw glances at Han Xiao as they were getting dragged off, telling him to improvise.
Those mercenaries had been rendered completely useless within an instant, and although they did not understand how Han Xiao suddenly became Ames’s subordinate, he was now their only hope.
The Silvers rescue’s all on you now, buddy!
Wilsander walked over and led the others out of the hall to go to another giant building.
“Don’t worry. Since Ames has already recruited you, we’re now colleagues. Ames treats all her subordinates decently, so you don’t have to worry. I’m now taking you to go see the Head Butler. She will assign you with your duties,” explained Wilsander passionately.
Han Xiao nodded. He was obviously familiar with the pros and cons of working under Ames. Most of her underlings were random fodder, and she only had three important subordinates. The first was the Head Butler, who was also her cousin. The second was Floating Dragon Island’s logistics manager and a skilled Mechanic. The last was Wilsander. Although he
seemed like quite a pushover right now, he had once been a big-name pirate who roamed the stars.
The three each took care of their own jobs and were Ames’s trusted people. Some called them the ‘Dragon Guard Trio’. Most of the players in the past who came to Floating Dragon Island received missions from these three.
Han Xiao went back and forth with Wilsander for a while to get close to him. He had a certain understanding of Wilsander and was able to quickly get on the latter’s good side.
After chatting for a while, Wilsander could not hold back his curiosity any longer and held Han Xiao’s shoulder as he asked, “Hey, Black Star. The person you were talking about earlier… What’s his relationship with Ames?”
“I’ve only met each of them once. How would I know?” Han Xiao’s eyebrows rose up as if they sensed something. “It seems like you have feelings for Ames…”
Wilsander did not become awkward at all upon hearing the remark and instead laughed aloud. “Haha. Although she has never answered my pursuits, my handsome appearance and bravery will surely be able to win her over sooner or later.
Handsome… Han Xiao carefully scanned the other person. If we go back the Demon Tribe’s standards, then maybe your looks would at least be considered to be normal.
In truth, that person was not Ames’ lover or anything of the sort. That person was her teacher. In the player’s eyes, that person was an extremely mysterious travelling merchant. Chance encounters with him could give them the opportunity to buy unique items off of him, and they might even be able to trigger some legendary questline. That person actually did not want to meet Ames, so Han Xiao was not really lying to her. He even let her know about this news earlier so that she did not have to continue waiting for him all that time.
Ames’ past was clouded in mystery, but it was not because she came from some extraordinary background. She had originally been a very normal girl. She had been abandoned by her family at a very young age and taken in by her teacher. She had then awakened her powers and built her foundations as an Esper under her teacher’s wing. These two went way back, and the teacher had left her with a promise before leaving for an unknown reason—to find her again once she had made her name known throughout space. However, after she had rose up to her current heights, her teacher was still no way to be seen, giving Han Xiao chance to pull the earlier trick.
They arrived at a tall building. It was the Administrative Center of Floating Dragon Island in name and was there for people to conduct their daily business. When the group arrived at the rooftop, they saw a large office with ten or so assistants working their *sses off inside. The Head Butler was giving out documents behind a table. Ames’ cousin had the appearance of an ordinary woman and was Ames close friend.
“Jenny, these are the new recruits. See if you got any jobs for them,” said Wilsander the moment that he walked into the room.
Head Butler Jenny did not even look up at and continued to deal with the documents. “Name, power.”
Her words came out so fast, as if she did not even have a second to spare.
“Black Star, Mechanic, grade B…” Han Xiao and the players each stated their basic information.
Right after they finished, Jenny said, “Black Star, go report to the Logistics Manager. They’re in need of a new skilled mechanic there. The others will all join the guards. Your information has already been registered. Uniforms and badges will be given to you in two days.”
The players had become part of the guards, while he became a logistics worker. His mechanic skills just so happened to be good enough for the manager. He did not mind this arrangement, and the officer feature of the faction interface could finally be put to good use now that he was splitting up with the players.
After they left the hall, Han Xiao said in a quiet voice, “Herlous, you will be the temporary leader of the other members. Protect them and make sure that they don’t cause any trouble.”
“I know.” Herlous nodded. “You be careful, too.”
Having Herlous as the leader should decrease the chances of the players doing something stupid in his absence… However, aside from the few idiotic players, most of these pro players could handle themselves well enough. Although they were slightly shocked by the sudden turn of events, they trusted Han Xiao and would take things one step at a time.
“Haha. I will take care of your team. They will get to form a squad of their own.” Although Wilsander did not look the type, he was actually a very easygoing person. Han Xiao had also been able to get on his good side from their earlier conversation, and so he was willing to lend a hand to help.
…
Floating Dragon Island’s logistics work mainly included the repair and maintenance of the device that kept the floating island afloat. Han Xiao went alone to the logistics department and was met with a massive high-tech garage. This department had the lowest number of people compared to the other two on the island.
As Han Xiao stepped through the door, he saw a six-armed, human-sized, two-legged insect walk up to him. What was interesting was that this creature had a mechanic’s uniform on.
“You must be Black Star. Welcome. We’re currently very shorthanded right now, and it’s nice that we finally got a new mechanic.”
This arthropod was the Logistics Manager. Its species could only make clicking noises when they spoke, and the special communicator that he wore turned that voice into that of an old man’s. His translated name was Haier.
Haier was a very high-level mechanic who had been working for Ames for a long time.
Han Xiao had already met the three top dogs on the island within the short period of time since arriving on the island, and he could already tell how carefree Ames was with choosing her subordinates. The Head Butler was her cousin, Jenny; the Guard Captain Wilsander was of Demon Tribe and even used to be a pirate; the logistics manager was an arthropod.
“Our work includes maintaining the island’s boosters, anti-gravity device, life-sustaining device, and mineral collector. We also sometimes create and repair spaceships…”
Although Haier had a scary appearance, he was actually very kind and took Han Xiao on a short tour around the logistics department after his short explanation.
After learning about his work, Han Xiao was pleasantly surprised. Logistics work could actually be quite beneficial to him, and he did not even have to work that hard. With the interface, he could create a lot more blueprints from doing all the repairing and maintenance!
Moreover, the logistics department did not really set any strict rules or regulations on its employees, so many spent their free time working on their own machines. Although this was never explicitly stated, it seemed like they could also use the rare and unique materials on this island for themselves. Such as the Void Dragon’s skeletons…
After the standard introductory procedure, Han Xiao officially became one of them.
For the next few days, he followed Haier to familiarize himself with the work on the island. He was quickly accepted as another member in the department. The players were also faring quite well on their end. Most of the other Dragon Guards were normal people, and they did not dare cause trouble with the team of Supers led by Herlous. After being dispatched on and completing a few missions, they slowly transformed from random outsiders into the enforcers on the island.
…
In the slave market, Horlaide was very excited when he found that the Silvers had been captured. He had been trying to find a client for these past few days. Many buyers had secretly offered him their prices, but he was not happy with all of them and was still in the middle of the bargaining stage.
That day, Horlaide received a communication request from the base.
“Haha. You’re still alive.” Horlaide made fun of the caller.
“I almost died.” Peggy had a raspy voice. He had nearly kicked the bucket after getting beaten up badly by Han Xiao and barely made it out alive and back onto his ship. He wanted his money. “The Silvers have alread
y been handed to you. Where are you going to hand me my pay?”
“What pay?”
“What do you mean?” Peggy frowned. “Are you not planning on paying me?”
“No, no, no. You need to understand something. Your cargo was taken away by the mercenaries,” Horlaide slowly reasoned. “I had to work to get them back. Why would I pay you money?”
Peggy had an ugly face as he switched off the communicator. “Filthy merchant!”
The Silvers were a Super valuable cargo. He knew that he had no way of dealing with Horlaide. He was the one who had gotten beaten up and lost the cargo. Nothing could be done no matter how mad he got. A criminal lived by the code of the survival of the fittest, and even he could not do anything about Horlaide breaking their promise.
“That bunch of stupid mercenaries!” Compared to Horlaide, the mercenaries were the biggest reason that he had failed so badly. He hated them to his bones and gritted his teeth as he smashed apart the communicator with his palm.
Just as Peggy was getting angry all by himself, an ordinary-looking spaceship docked next to him.
“Ember, we’re here.”
Chapter 374. Your Friend DarkStar Is Now Online |
This spaceship had specially been dispatched for a mission by DarkStar, and it had been re-outfitted to look like a normal traveler ship. A group of people walked off the ship and stepped onto the Floating Dragon Island’s docks. The savage inhabitants of the island who were at the docks glared at these seemingly unsuspecting common travelers.
The DarkStar people kept their heads low and headed into town. After making several twists and turns in the streets, just as they were about to pass by the alleyway between two houses, a muscle man walked in front of them and blocked their path. A group of brutes also appeared from behind them, pincering them.
“This isn’t the kind of place that ordinary people should visit. I suggest you guys pay up for that advice…” The pirate who acted as the leader of the ambushers said this as he calmly pointed his gun at the newcomers’ leader.