Sakura had not really paid much attention to Ai Yue's introduction at first. His claims were simply too exaggerated, and she assumed he was just boasting.
It was only after she actually experienced the effects of the equipment that she realized Ai Yue had still been understating things.
In the past, she had been an assassin hidden in the shadows, skilled at infiltration and surprise attacks, waiting for an enemy to let down their guard before seizing their opening and killing them in one strike.
But with Ai Yue's equipment, Sakura felt as though she had transformed into a berserker.
An opening? In front of this blade, it did not matter whether her opponent hid behind a shield or inside a metal-reinforced safe room. They were covered in openings all the same.
Sakura cleared out the entire Poison Pupa Unit from beginning to end, yet never encountered anything capable of blocking this blade.
The spacetime rift generator, meanwhile, allowed her to escape encirclement in all sorts of unimaginable ways. With these gloves, bullets seemed slower than butterflies in her eyes. Even the area damage of explosives such as grenades and rifle grenades could not catch up with her fleeing footsteps.
As for the shoes that allowed her to jump through the air, under Sakura's control, they could be triggered separately by her left and right feet, allowing her to perform a triple jump. Not only could she climb over a ten-meter-high wall in a single go and change direction twice in midair, she could even use them as surprise weapons, blasting enemies away.
Even the plainest and most unremarkable vest, which only possessed defensive functions, could block a shot from a large-caliber sniper rifle and reduce the resulting impact to a level a Fused Warrior could withstand. It even came with a self-repair function, so she never had to worry about gradually losing her defenses during consecutive battles.
With these pieces of equipment, Sakura had practically slaughtered her way through the entire Poison Pupa Unit alone with nothing but a knife. Very few of the weapons Vill-V had painstakingly prepared ever saw use, leaving her constantly complaining that she had not collected enough data and that she should never have brought Ai Yue in.
Vill-V's frustration reached its peak when she learned that Ai Yue had specifically instructed Sakura not to lend her the equipment for examination. In the end, she angrily ran back to the Spiral Workshop alone, without even meeting Dr. Mei.
After simply asking Sakura about her experience using the equipment, Ai Yue received nothing but positive feedback and nodded in satisfaction.
After that, however, Sakura unexpectedly showed a trace of hesitation. After struggling for a long while, she finally spoke. "Sorry. This request may be a little abrupt, but would Doctor Ai Yue be willing to part with that blade? I really like it!"
As she spoke, she bowed deeply and took a bank card from her pocket. "These are my savings from all these years. If possible, please allow me to buy it."
Sakura knew very well what a sufficiently excellent weapon meant to a warrior. What was more, she had personally experienced the blade's power. Although she had only used it for less than a week, she had already grown somewhat unable to part with it.
During this period, whenever she thought about being separated from the blade after the mission ended, Sakura even had trouble sleeping.
"I think you've misunderstood, Sakura." Ai Yue's expression became somewhat complicated at her reaction. "I never said I was going to take the equipment back, did I?"
Huh?
Sakura raised her head blankly, only to see Ai Yue already turning around to retrieve the equipment case. "Rose, have you finished collecting the data?"
"It was completed before three minutes and fourteen point six one seconds," Prometheus replied. "The database has been updated, and the equipment blueprints are being updated. Would you like to view them now?"
"Let's wait for now." Ai Yue waved his hand, then walked back and handed the equipment case to Sakura. "Keep using it. Don't feel burdened, and don't pay me. Equipment like this will be mass-produced and issued to Fused Warriors in the future."
There was no way he would ask for Sakura's hard-earned wages. Someone else was supposed to pay for these things.
Equipment like this... would be mass-produced?
Sakura instinctively hugged the case to her chest, the same blank expression still on her face.
"I thought weapons like these would be difficult to mass-produce." The young woman finally came back to reality and shook her head self-deprecatingly. "It seems I underestimated your abilities, Doctor Ai Yue."
The powerful weapons that made Vill-V envious were merely ordinary equipment that Ai Yue could mass-produce in no time. Although it would have been somewhat rude to Vill-V, Sakura still could not help imagining just how great the gap between Vill-V and Ai Yue truly was.
Even so, despite knowing the equipment would be mass-produced, Sakura silently engraved Ai Yue's goodwill toward her in her heart. The Moth to Fire had many members, but few people were willing to show kindness to someone like her.
If I ever get the chance, I must repay him properly.
Sakura soon left with gratitude in her heart. However, before Ai Yue could inspect the weapon blueprints updated by Prometheus, a new communication came through his phone.
"There's a result regarding Kalpas." Dr. Mei's voice came through the receiver. "However, there's a meeting you need to attend."
A Word on Going Premium
As the title says, this book will officially go premium at ten in the morning on the thirty-first.
Come to think of it, I'm also one of the infamous unknown serial dropouts on Ciwongmao. My editor told me to write something asking for votes and first-order subscriptions, but when I thought about all the people I had let down before, I suddenly felt a little embarrassed to ask.
When I was young and reckless, my head was full of water, and I wasted such good results. In the end, I wrote absolute garbage that even I could not bear to read. Now, the chance to restore my reputation is right in front of me. I have to consider whether this is the only chance I'll ever get... I forgot what comes next.
In any case, I know very well that regaining readers' trust will be difficult. Fortunately, I came prepared, and I have three reasons to persuade everyone.
The first is that this book is currently doing pretty well. According to my editor, as long as I can keep it steady without collapsing, I will not have to worry about starving. As a poor person, I clearly have no reason to abandon this money tree.
The second reason is that this book's structure is actually very simple: climb the tech tree, show off, build a harem, beat down the Herrschers one by one, and finally have everyone ascend together to become cosmic police officers. The timeline of the Pre-Civilization is also relatively clear. In other words, as long as I keep writing along this path, there is basically no risk of the story collapsing. Even if my personal ability really causes things to fall apart later on, I can still wrap it up quickly. At worst, I'll write until the Herrscher of the End and stop there. I won't have to worry about ruining my reputation at the end.
The third reason is... please take pity on me. I really need good first-order subscription numbers! I'm begging everyone!
Come to think of it, I have not asked for votes even once since starting this book. I still hope everyone can give it a few more votes next month and make the results look better. I'll work hard to update and repay everyone's support!
What Use Is a Home? A Home Gave It
There was no avoiding this after all.
After hanging up Dr. Mei's call, Ai Yue could not help sighing.
Kalpas's situation was indeed unusual. On top of that, when New Poison Pupa had first been established, every one of Dr. Mei's applications had been extremely sensitive, so Ai Yue was not surprised.
"Rose, I'm going out for a while. Be a little more restrained online." Before leaving, Ai Yue did not forget to remind Prometheus. "Oh, right. Starting today, monitor the entire internet. If you discover any unusual cases of unconsciousness, tell me."
"Understood." Prometheus did not even turn her head, looking exactly like a shut-in girl addicted to the internet. "Go on, Doctor Ai Yue."
My daughter has become disobedient. My heart hurts.
With a heavy heart, Ai Yue left the research institute. He then saw Sakura waiting for him outside.
"Dr. Mei said I was to take you to the meeting location." Seeing Ai Yue's gaze, Sakura explained proactively. "Come with me, Doctor Ai Yue."
"Just call me Ai Yue." Ai Yue walked beside her. "You called me by my name before. Why have you started using my title again recently?"
Sakura gave him a slightly awkward look. She could not bring herself to say, "Because I didn't know you were this impressive before."
To be honest, her initial impression of Ai Yue had merely been that he was "a genius young man capable of attracting Dr. Mei's attention." But no matter how extraordinary someone's talent was, it still took time to bear fruit. At least back then, Sakura could regard him as an equal.
Who could have known that after entering the Moth to Fire, this guy would grow as rapidly as if he had been fed fertilizer? His progress had changed with each passing day, and he had now become a major figure capable of standing alongside Dr. Mei and Vill-V.
That inevitably inspired a trace of awe in Sakura.
However, seeing that Ai Yue remained as calm and approachable as ever, the young woman relaxed as well. During their conversation, she returned to addressing him as she had at the beginning.
The meeting was being held in the Moth to Fire base's main complex, the same place where Ai Yue had initially undergone his review. The two of them arrived at a meeting room on the third floor, where Dr. Mei was already waiting.
Yet the enormous meeting room contained only Dr. Mei and Kevin, making it seem rather empty.
"When does the meeting start?" Ai Yue swept his gaze around the room. "Is it just the four of us?"
"Of course not." Dr. Mei sighed with a complicated expression. "Everyone is actually waiting for you. Sit down. We're about to begin."
Ai Yue found a random seat and sat down. Sakura stood behind him, serving as a bodyguard just like Kevin.
Ever since the old Poison Pupa had been destroyed and New Poison Pupa established, she no longer needed to hide in the shadows and turn her blade against her own people.
Being able to live beneath the sunlight like this felt wonderful.
As Ai Yue sat down, Kevin switched off most of the lights in the meeting room. Soon, several projectors installed in the ceiling reacted together. Their lenses rotated, projecting corresponding figures into several seats at the opposite end of the conference table.
Although they looked like people, the projections had clearly been processed. Apart from their general outlines, nothing could be seen clearly. Ai Yue did not even need to wait for them to speak to know that their voices had been altered as well.
These people really are displaying the words "afraid of death" to the fullest.
"Dr. Mei, and Doctor Ai Yue, whom I'm meeting for the first time, greetings." Five projections appeared across from them. The first to speak was the person in the center, who seemed to hold the highest position. "Regarding your request to release the prisoner Kalpas, who is being held at The Deepest Place, I believe there are still many details that require discussion."
Just as Ai Yue had expected, the person's voice had been specially processed, making it impossible to determine their gender or vocal characteristics.
Ai Yue blinked, then took a pair of glasses from his clothes and put them on. They appeared ordinary, but concealed a special design with a microcrystal display sandwiched between double lenses. Combined with the miniature chips integrated into the frame and temples, they could be used as a specialized computer.
Of course, for Ai Yue, he only needed to connect the glasses to Prometheus to directly borrow the power of the supercomputer and artificial intelligence.
"First, Kalpas is not a prisoner. Because of the danger he displayed during his evaluation, you sent him to The Deepest Place under the excuse that he 'required long-term observation.'" Dr. Mei had clearly anticipated this. She immediately countered, "After all this time, I believe Kalpas's performance in The Deepest Place has already proven himself. Furthermore, we can now use Aponia's 'Discipline' to impose a degree of restraint on him, so that is not a valid reason for you to block this application."
"Kalpas's performance in The Deepest Place has indeed been very quiet, but that only proves that he possesses an extremely high intelligence. I believe he is using this behavior to lull us into complacency while waiting for a chance to be released." Another projection spoke. "As for the 'Discipline' you mentioned, setting aside whether its effect is truly as powerful as the report claims, even if it is, how can you guarantee that Aponia will not show leniency toward Kalpas, who also comes from the Twilight Street sanatorium?"
The two sides quickly engaged in fierce verbal combat. Ai Yue, however, had no chance to speak at all. He could only sit to the side and wonder what purpose his presence served.
Soon, however, he understood why he had been brought here.
"It seems our differences are quite serious, and more detailed discussion is necessary." After ignoring Ai Yue for a long time, the projection across from them shifted its attention to him. "What is your opinion, Doctor Ai Yue? I heard that releasing Kalpas was actually your idea, correct?"
"That's right. So what?" Ai Yue leaned back in his chair. "Could the identity of the person who submitted the report affect your attitude?"
"You jest. We all approach every report with an impartial and rigorous attitude." The other party gave a vague laugh, but it sounded more like a distorted shriek. "I'm simply curious about your purpose. If you are merely seeking a powerful subordinate, perhaps we could offer you better candidates?"
As expected.
Ai Yue knew very well why he had been required to attend. He had chosen to stand with Dr. Mei before, causing the people above to take notice of him. This meeting was probably also a way of sending him a certain message.
So what if you control a secret unit and have expanded your influence? If they want to target you, it's still as easy as turning their hand.
"No need. Not everyone can earn my trust." Ai Yue shook his head, a mocking smile appearing on his face. "We've said enough. Everyone must be tired of this. Let me use a simple method to resolve this meaningless dispute."
"Please, go ahead."
Although the other party continued using polite language, their tone was frivolous and casual. They clearly did not believe Ai Yue could solve a problem even Dr. Mei had been unable to resolve.
"The patent application for the Honkai Energy Absorber still hasn't been approved, has it?" Ai Yue asked casually. "I can sign a statement transferring the patent to you in exchange for you reconsidering this report. What do you think?"
The meeting room suddenly fell silent. The several projections across from them fluctuated to varying degrees, clearly weighing something.
But it was obvious that such an unbalanced offer required little consideration from these people.
"It seems Doctor Ai Yue truly places great importance on this bond between fellow countrymen. In that case, we should not hesitate any longer." After a moment, the leading projection spoke gently. "What about this statement?"
Hearing the obvious eagerness in the other party's voice, Ai Yue could not help laughing. "You draft it, and I'll sign it. No problem, right?"
At that moment, six lines of characters appeared on his lenses.
The first five lines were different IP addresses. The final line contained only three simple words—
"Target locked."
The Deepest Place Is Great Again
With Ai Yue's sudden and enormous concession, the meeting that should have dragged on for a long time without result ended abruptly.
However, this outcome clearly did not satisfy everyone. In fact, apart from the five projected representatives who had benefited the most, Ai Yue was probably the only one who could still smile.
Even Sakura, who knew little about such matters, realized that Ai Yue had given up something important when she saw Dr. Mei's visibly cold expression.
"You were too hasty, Ai Yue." Only after the five projections disappeared did Dr. Mei sigh. "Kalpas's matter would have passed after a few more rounds of negotiation. By making it so easy for them to force you to give way, you'll only invite more targeting in the future."
As the saying went, the kind-hearted were bullied. Now that Ai Yue had discarded a patent capable of bringing enormous wealth over such a minor provocation, he had become someone the upper ranks believed they could manipulate at will.
The future? It's not as if these people have much future left.
"We'll talk about that later." Ai Yue naturally could not reveal his dark plans at this time, so he merely smiled before changing the subject. "Dr. Mei, are all those people members of the Opposition Faction?"
He did not really need to ask. Ai Yue could already sense that something was wrong. If Dr. Mei's plans had been suppressed by the Opposition Faction before New Poison Pupa was established, that would have been understandable. But if the suppression had not eased after its establishment and had instead intensified, would that not mean New Poison Pupa had been established for nothing?
"Ah, this is also because I thought too simply." Dr. Mei looked somewhat awkward as she spoke. "In reality, those five people each come from a different faction. Together, those five factions represent the will of two-thirds of the countries and powerful figures in the world."
Ai Yue nodded. So the people at today's meeting had not all been from the Opposition Faction. No wonder they had been so difficult to deal with.
"They joined forces to pressure me, which was also a warning, but I didn't expect them to target Kalpas's matter." Dr. Mei sighed. "Sorry. This time, I dragged you into it."
"It doesn't matter." Ai Yue waved his hand, not taking the matter to heart. "But according to this kind of unspoken rule, since they made things difficult for you this time, the plan you mentioned earlier should proceed more smoothly now, right?"
"Yes. I also submitted the Divine Keys Project. I originally thought they would use that report to attack me..." Dr. Mei paused thoughtfully halfway through. "No. Perhaps the person they are truly interested in is you?"
"I can't help it. Maybe I'm too outstanding, so I stand out." Ai Yue shrugged. "Let's not talk about that. With this document, we can bring Kalpas out, right?"
"Yes." Dr. Mei nodded. "Are you in a hurry? I can arrange the journey now. By the time you return, New Poison Pupa's procedures will also be ready."
"There's no need to hurry that." Ai Yue looked in another direction. "Before that, I'll take him home for a look."
The Deepest Place was a facility located on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Although it was nominally some kind of containment center, the Moth to Fire internally preferred to call it a prison, and treated it as one. Everyone sent there had committed crimes for one reason or another, or had become feared by the world for some reason.
They should have been sentenced to death, but the current civilization needed such combat power as a necessary trump card. Thus, this dark and profound prison had been built to contain them.
Now, Ai Yue was sitting aboard a plane bound for The Deepest Place.
"Come to think of it, you may not know this, but planes couldn't land there in the past." The pilot was unexpectedly talkative, perhaps because almost no one usually rode his aircraft, which flew along only one fixed route. "To prevent anyone from The Deepest Place from escaping by hijacking a plane, both cargo and passengers had to jump from midair with parachutes!"
"There was such a thing?" Ai Yue responded cooperatively. "What did they do when they came back?"
"Uh, generally speaking, no one could come back from The Deepest Place," the pilot said. "But things seem to have improved recently. I heard it was because of the lady who arrived some time ago. She changed The Deepest Place entirely."
"Is that so?" Ai Yue smiled. "Then she must have had a tough time."
"Exactly. The Deepest Place is full of vicious criminals, while that lady looked completely incapable of fighting. I was very worried at first!" The pilot sighed. "It wasn't until I saw her fly straight down without a parachute that I realized my worry had been unnecessary."
Before Ai Yue could respond, the pilot spoke again. "Sir, we've arrived. It's right ahead!"
Ai Yue looked out the window. In his field of vision, an island was gradually growing larger.
Before you continue