At dawn, the armored jeep sped out of the shrubland and rapidly disappeared into the distance.
All that remained was the nearby settlement, completely reduced to scorched-earth ruins, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.
More than an hour later.
Two white jeeps suddenly drove out from behind a hillside in the distance. Several figures cautiously crept to the hilltop and looked toward the settlement.
The figures were clearly all human.
One of them took out a pair of binoculars and began observing in secret.
"How are the defenses?"
"I hope we're not too late. Xiao Xi should still be there, and those bastards shouldn't have taken her away yet!"
"..."
After the others finished speaking, the person holding the binoculars remained silent for a long time. Panic gradually spread among them.
"What happened? Hurry up and tell us!"
"Did something happen to Xiao Xi?!"
The person shook his head in a daze and handed over the binoculars.
"Are you sure the signal led us here? Forget it. See for yourselves."
Chapter 17: Pan-Humans of Prison Star
The two hurriedly took the binoculars and immediately looked toward the settlement.
The desert's dust formed a murky filter before the lenses, while the settlement's outline twisted and warped in the heat haze.
The binoculars trembled slightly in their hands.
"Rosaka Settlement... is gone?" one of them muttered, his voice dry and hoarse.
"How is that possible? This was the Blade Armor Gang's forward settlement near the Old Capital. There were usually at least two Tier 1 Peak Martial Artists stationed here!"
"Perhaps only the outskirts of the settlement were damaged. Let's disguise ourselves and take a look. At the very least, we need to confirm Xiao Xi's condition."
The four-person team quickly reached a consensus. They put on the wide robes they had prepared in advance and rapidly headed toward the settlement.
There was no obstruction and no questioning. The four entered the settlement with remarkable ease.
The four of them looked dazed.
Collapsed shacks were everywhere. Molten metal dripped from the charred frames of jeeps, solidifying into stalactite-like clumps. A severed mechanical arm was embedded in an earthen wall, its fingertips still frozen in the act of pulling a trigger.
Billowing black smoke twisted upward like giant serpents. As far as the eye could see, craters and traces of explosions covered the ground, while dark green and pale yellow blood stood out starkly against the scorched dust.
Corpses littered the ground, yet not a single one remained intact. Some seemed to have been hacked into pieces by sharp blades, while others had been reduced to only half a charred corpse!
Fragments of carapaces and broken weapons were scattered everywhere.
It was not hard to tell that this had been a one-sided massacre. Rosaka Settlement had not possessed the slightest power to fight back!
"Judging by the traces left behind, it would have taken a Tier 2 Elite Martial Artist, or someone close to that level, to destroy this place so cleanly."
The man wearing earmuffs and carrying a sniper rifle looked grim.
The burly man on the right narrowed his eyes. "Who was it? There are fewer than a hundred Tier 2 Elite Martial Artists on the entire Prison Star. Most of them are upper- or middle-ranking members of the major gangs. Their combat methods should be well known."
"I don't know. Perhaps some gang has a hidden Tier 2 Elite Martial Artist?"
"What about Xiao Xi? Quickly check whether the signal has moved!" one of them said urgently.
"I'm linking to the signal... Found it. It's over there!"
At those words, the four immediately rushed toward the signal's location, but their hearts sank at the same time.
The situation they had feared most had come to pass. Xiao Xi's signal was still in Rosaka Settlement...
Seeing the only intact red-roofed shack ahead, the four rekindled their hope. They exchanged a glance and quickly approached.
An empty iron cage stood beside the counter. A plain-looking little hair clip lay inside it.
"..."
The four fell silent.
The good news was that they had not seen Xiao Xi's corpse. Perhaps she had been taken away as spoils of war. At least, there was a high chance she was still alive.
The bad news was that the tracking signal had been cut off, and only the hair clip remained. Clearly, the other party had noticed that something was wrong with it.
"What do we do?"
"...Let's go back. We'll find a way to have the instructor contact Uncle Li. Tier 2 powerhouses usually settle in Sin Capital. Xiao Xi may have been taken there."
"That's our only option."
At noon, the blazing sun hung high overhead.
Scorching heat swept across the Gobi Desert. Even the most heat-resistant insects could only hide underground during this time.
The ground trembled faintly as a jeep sped past.
Jiang Xiao looked quite relaxed.
He glanced at the little girl sleeping peacefully beside him and sighed inwardly.
As expected of the Black Mech Gang, which controlled most of the mechanical trade on Prison Star. This armored jeep had been comprehensively modified. It possessed ample defense and power while also taking comfort into account.
Insulation, temperature control, shock absorption, and other systems were all present. It even came equipped with an interior screen, speakers, and a refrigerator!
To be honest, Jiang Xiao had not been surprised at all when he learned that the alien group that had gone after the Industrial Square Box had been a Black Mech Gang squad.
At present, they were the only ones on Prison Star capable of making use of the Industrial Square Box.
At that thought, Jiang Xiao looked toward the Research Slot.
Research Slot (1/1): Private Electromagnetic X-21 Model, Research Progress: 7.88% (Estimated time required: fifteen days)
After testing, Jiang Xiao had concluded that this was the most cost-effective item to research. Both the Source Energy Battle Blades and that Mechanical Body would take more than two months to research, which was simply too long.
Of course, the sniper rifle being consumed in the research was not the one he used. It was a spoils-of-war weapon he had found among a Black Mech Gang convoy in Rosaka Settlement.
He dismantled its barrel, replaced the barrel of his old sniper rifle, and then tossed the rest into the Research Slot as research material.
The Private Electromagnetic X-series sniper rifle was quite famous throughout the stars. After all, as the basic standard-issue equipment of the Interstellar Alliance Security Department, it naturally possessed impressive performance and technology.
One had to understand that the targets handled by the Star Alliance Security Department were at least Martial Artists who had entered the ranks. Their requirements for equipment were certainly not low.
Even though the X-21 had been retired for 190 years, its performance was still far superior to the active sniper rifles of most Primary Civilizations. The technology it contained was far more complicated than that of an ordinary sniper rifle!
Once he fully understood its technology, he would gain an in-depth understanding of all electromagnetic-launch individual weapons.
By then, upgrading the X-21 in his hands would naturally be easy. After all, he did not need to consider cost or mass production.
"Hmm..."
Just then, a sound came from the passenger seat.
"You're finally awake? We're almost at the alien settlement you mentioned. Do you still remember what you need to do next?"
Looking at the somewhat groggy little girl, Jiang Xiao asked with a smile.
The journey had been remarkably smooth. From dawn until now, they had encountered no danger or obstruction. Instead, they had seen plenty of magnificent sights—enormous strange rocks, rift-valley terrain, mirages...
If not for the weapons at hand, he might have thought he had crossed over to another Western-style planet.
Jiang Xiao was not wearing his goggles at the moment. His dark brown eyes held a hint of amusement as he watched the dazed little girl.
An unfamiliar appearance, but a familiar voice.
After staring blankly for several seconds, the little girl recovered from her post-sleep confusion and quickly recognized him. Her little face flushed red.
Why does she blush every time she speaks? Jiang Xiao thought helplessly.
"B-Big Brother?"
"That sounds too strange. My name is Jiang Xiao. You can call me Jiang, Brother Jiang, or whatever you like."
The little girl's face grew even redder. After hesitating, she said, "Brother... Brother Jiang."
Remembering that her mother had said she should respond when others introduced themselves, she spoke softly.
"Mu Yunxi... that's my name."
Jiang Xiao acted as if they were already familiar. "All right, Xiao Xi. So, do you know how to find Starfire Camp?"
Fortunately, she was merely shy and not socially anxious. Otherwise, communicating with her would have been much more exhausting.
Xiao Xi nodded lightly. "I do. There's a bar run by some uncles in that medium-sized settlement. We just need to go there."
A bar run by Pan-Humans?
Won't the likes of the Viper Gang smash the place every few days?
Jiang Xiao understood all too well how irreconcilable Pan-Humans and the Viper Clan were. With the Viper Clan holding the advantage, they would certainly spare no effort to suppress the Pan-Humans.
Hopefully nothing else goes wrong. Medium-sized settlements are usually guarded by Tier 2 Regular Martial Artists. If a fight breaks out, it'll be difficult for me to come out ahead alone.
Medium-sized settlements generally had resident populations of over a thousand. Their firepower was not to be underestimated.
In the passenger seat, Xiao Xi secretly watched Jiang Xiao from the corner of her eye.
Jiang Xiao's features were already decent. He was not exactly handsome, but his face was well-defined and pleasing to look at. After evolving along the Primary Starfield Human path, his appearance could be considered quite attractive.
What Jiang Xiao did not know was that along the same evolutionary path, higher-ranking members of a species generally held an attraction for lower-ranking members on the level of genes and biological information.
Put simply, it was easier for them to gain the lower-ranking members' favor and trust.
Jiang Xiao naturally noticed Xiao Xi's scrutiny, but he merely took it as a little girl's curiosity toward a strong person and paid it no mind.
About three quarters of an hour later, a stone wall stretching several hundred meters appeared within sight.
Xiao Xi was delighted. "We're here. That's the place."
Jiang Xiao nodded slightly.
As he looked toward the cluster of buildings far larger than Rosaka Settlement, relevant information surfaced in his mind.
Blackstone Settlement. No gang affiliation. Built by wilderness wanderers. The largest supply hub within a hundred-odd kilometers.
Before you continue