Apocalyptic Mechanist

At dawn, the armored jeep drove out of the shrub forest and sped away in a certain direction.

Only the settlement, reduced to scorched ruins and billowing smoke, remained not far behind.

Over an hour later.

Two white jeeps suddenly drove up from behind a distant hill near the settlement, and several figures cautiously crept to the top of the slope, looking toward the settlement.

These figures were clearly all human.

One of them took out binoculars and observed in secret.

"How's the defense situation?"

"Hope we're not too late. Xiao Xi shouldn't have been taken by those bastards yet!"

"..."

After they spoke, a long silence followed as the one holding the binoculars didn't reply, and they gradually grew anxious.

"What the hell is going on? Spit it out!"

"Did something happen to Xiao Xi?!"

That person shook his head blankly and handed over the binoculars.

"Are you sure the signal tracked here? Forget it, just see for yourselves."

Chapter 17: The Pan-Humans of the Prison Star

Grabbing the binoculars hastily, the two immediately looked toward the settlement.

The dust of the Gobi Desert formed a murky filter before the binoculars, the settlement's outline warping and twisting in the heat haze.

The binoculars trembled slightly in their hands.

"The Rosaka Settlement... is gone?" one murmured, his voice hoarse.

"How is that possible? This is the Blade Armor Gang's Old Capital outpost settlement. At least two Tier 1 Peak martial artists are usually stationed here!"

"Maybe it's just the outer perimeter that's damaged. Let's disguise ourselves and take a look. At least we need to confirm Xiao Xi's status."

The four-man team quickly reached a consensus, donned the loose robes they had prepared, and swiftly headed toward the settlement.

No obstruction, no questioning; the four made it into the settlement with extreme ease.

The four stood there, dazed.

Everywhere were collapsed shacks, charred jeep frames, melted metal dripping into stalactite-like solidified drips, a severed robotic arm stuck in an earthen wall, its fingers still frozen in the pose of pulling a trigger.

Rolling black smoke coiled upward like a giant serpent, and as far as the eye could see, craters and blast marks covered the ground. Dark green and pale yellow bloodstains stood out starkly in the scorched dust.

Corpses lay strewn across the field, but not a single intact body remained—some seemed cleaved into chunks by blades, others were just half-burnt, charred remains!

Carapace fragments and broken weapons were scattered everywhere.

It wasn't hard to tell this was a one-sided slaughter. The Rosaka Settlement had no power to fight back at all!

"Judging by the scene, it would take at least a Tier 2 Elite or a martial artist close to that level to destroy this place so cleanly."

Among the four, the one wearing ear muffs and carrying a sniper rifle spoke with a grave expression.

The burly man on the right side of the team narrowed his eyes: "Who is it? A Tier 2 Elite—there are barely a hundred on the entire Prison Star, mostly mid-to-high-ranking members of major gangs. Their combat methods should be easy to identify."

"I don't know. Maybe it's a hidden Tier 2 Elite martial artist from some gang?"

"What about Xiao Xi? Check if the signal has moved!" one urged.

"Linking to the signal now... found it. It's over there!"

Hearing this, the four immediately rushed toward the signal's direction, but their hearts all sank at the same time.

The worst-case scenario had come to pass. Xiao Xi's signal was still in the Rosaka Settlement...

Looking at the only intact red-roofed shack ahead, hope reignited in the four. They exchanged glances and quickly approached.

An empty iron cage stood beside the counter, and an unremarkable little hairpin lay inside it.

"..."

The four fell silent.

Good news: they didn't see Xiao Xi's corpse. She might have been taken as a trophy, meaning she was at least likely alive.

Bad news: the tracking signal was lost, and only the hairpin was left behind. The other party had clearly noticed something was off about it.

"What do we do?"

"...Go back. Try to get the instructor to contact Uncle Li. Tier 2 powerhouses usually settle in the Sin Capital. Xiao Xi was probably taken there."

"It's the only option."

Noon. The blazing sun hung high in the sky.

Scorching heat swept across the Gobi Desert. Even the most heat-tolerant insects were forced to hide underground during this time of day.

The ground trembled slightly as a jeep sped past.

Jiang Xiao looked quite relaxed.

He glanced at the young girl sleeping peacefully beside him and sighed inwardly.

As expected of the Black Mech Gang, which controlled most of the mechanical business on this prison star—this armored jeep had been comprehensively modified, balancing defense and power while also prioritizing comfort.

Heat insulation, temperature control, shock absorption—everything was included, and it even had an in-car screen, sound system, and a refrigerator!

To be honest, after learning that the alien group that had charged at the industrial square box was a Black Mech Gang squad, Jiang Xiao wasn't surprised at all.

Currently, they were the only ones on the prison star who could make use of an industrial square box.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiao looked at the research slot.

[Research Slot (1/1): Private Electromagnetic X-21 Type, Research Progress: 7.88% (Estimated 15 days)]

This was the item Jiang Xiao had determined, after testing, to have the best cost-effectiveness for research. Whether it was the Source Energy Battle Blades or that Mechanical Body, both required over two months of research time—far too long.

Of course, the sniper rifle consumed for research wasn't the one he used; it was a trophy found in a Black Mech Gang convoy from the Rosaka Settlement.

He had removed its barrel to replace the old sniper's barrel, then thrown it into the research slot as material.

The Private Electromagnetic X-series sniper rifle was quite famous across the stars. After all, as the standard-issue equipment of the Star Alliance Security Department, its performance and technology naturally had standout features.

One had to know that the targets the Star Alliance Security Department dealt with were at least entry-level martial artists, so their equipment requirements were certainly not low.

Even though the X-21 had been retired for 190 years, its performance still surpassed most active-duty sniper rifles of primary civilizations, and the technology it contained was far from simple!

If he could fully grasp its technology, he would gain a deep understanding of all electromagnetic-launch-type individual weapons.

Upgrading and enhancing his own X-21 would then be a no-brainer, since he didn't need to consider cost or mass production.

"Hmm..."

Just then, a sound came from the passenger seat.

"Finally awake? We're almost at the alien settlement you mentioned. Remember what to do next?"

Looking at the slightly dazed young girl, Jiang Xiao asked with a smile.

The journey had been quite smooth—from dawn until now, they hadn't encountered any danger or obstacles. Instead, they had seen many magnificent sights: giant strange rocks, rift valley landscapes, mirages...

If not for the weapon at hand, he might have thought he'd been transported to some Western-style planet again.

Jiang Xiao wasn't wearing his goggles now, and his dark brown eyes held a smile as he watched the dazed young girl.

An unfamiliar face, a familiar voice.

Stunned for a few seconds, the young girl snapped out of her post-sleep confusion and quickly recognized him, her face turning bright red.

Why does she blush every time she speaks? Jiang Xiao felt helpless.

"B... Big brother?"

"That sounds too weird. My name is Jiang Xiao. Pick either Brother Jiang or Brother Xiao."

The girl's face reddened even more, and she hesitated before speaking. "Xiao... Brother Xiao."

Remembering that her mother had said she should respond when someone introduced themselves, she spoke softly.

"Mu Yunxi... That's my name."

Jiang Xiao, acting familiar, said, "Alright, Xiao Xi. So, do you know how to find the Starfire Camp?"

Thankfully, she was just shy, not socially anxious—otherwise, communication would have been even more exhausting.

Xiao Xi nodded lightly. "I know. There's a bar run by some uncles in that medium-sized settlement. We just need to get there."

A bar run by Pan-Humans?

Wouldn't gangs like the Viper Gang come to trash the place every few days?

Jiang Xiao had a deep understanding of just how irreconcilable the Pan-Humans and the Viper Clan were. If the Viper Clan had the upper hand, they would spare no effort in suppressing the Pan-Humans.

He hoped there wouldn't be any more trouble. A medium-sized settlement was usually guarded by a Tier 2 Regular Martial Artist. If a fight broke out, he alone wouldn't have an easy time.

A medium-sized settlement typically had a permanent population of over a thousand, so its firepower was not to be underestimated.

In the passenger seat, Xiao Xi secretly glanced at Jiang Xiao from the corner of her eye.

Jiang Xiao's features weren't bad to begin with—not exactly handsome, but a well-defined, pleasant-looking face. After his evolution into a primary Starfield Human, his appearance could even be called good-looking.

What Jiang Xiao didn't know, however, was that on the same evolutionary path, an upper-level member of the same race would naturally attract lower-level members on a genetic and life-information level.

In layman's terms, it made it easier to gain the favor and trust of lower-level kin.

Jiang Xiao naturally noticed Xiao Xi's glances but just assumed it was a young girl's curiosity about a strong person, so he didn't pay it any mind.

About three-quarters of an hour later, a stone wall stretching for hundreds of meters came into view.

Xiao Xi said happily, "We're here. That's it."

Jiang Xiao nodded slightly.

Looking at the settlement, much larger than the Rosaka Settlement, relevant information surfaced in his mind.

'Blackstone Settlement, no gang affiliation, built by wilderness wanderers, the largest supply point within a hundred kilometers.'