News

The sparring turned into a real fight from the very beginning, and it was evenly matched—or at least it looked that way on the surface.

Gallen had once wielded the War Hammer far better than David did, but this was only a training exercise, so he couldn't use some of his killing moves. Meanwhile, David made almost no mistakes in his responses. Unless Gallen overwhelmed him by force, defeating him in a short time would be difficult.

After three minutes of fighting, the admiration in Gallen's eyes only grew. Then he remembered the original purpose of the practice, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. His War Hammer suddenly struck David's at twice its previous speed.

David's hand went numb. He tried to hold on to his War Hammer, but the blow carried a continuous force that left him unable to resist. The weapon flew from his grasp.

Gallen casually tossed his War Hammer after it, striking the weapon that had flown from David's hand. The two War Hammers collided in midair, then settled against each other on the ground without a sound.

Now it was David's turn to be astonished. How much control over the War Hammer did it take to make it seem so weightless?

"Not bad, David. You learn incredibly quickly. Keep practicing, and you'll become an outstanding Armored Warrior!" Gallen praised him. In truth, he had already tried his best to tone down the compliment.

This wasn't just quick learning. It was downright monstrous.

"Uncle Gallen, I'll work hard!" David replied with a serious nod.

He wouldn't let it go to his head. He knew better than anyone that, although his mental strength had reached 3.0 and he really did learn quickly, those things alone weren't nearly enough to account for his current skill.

It was all because he had fused with the corresponding Knowledge Light Orb.

If Gallen taught him something else now, like the Spear, David would be completely hopeless at it.

Seeing David's attitude, Gallen felt gratified. A genius was rare, but David's humble, steady temperament was even rarer. It would take him further in the future.

In a basement, four mercenaries from the Sirius Mercenary Group sat on the floor. They had been staying there for several days. Though they wanted to leave, the recent security measures in Peilan City had made them afraid even to step outside.

Interceptor Drones could be seen patrolling the skies in groups from time to time, a sign that Panshi Planet had tightened its aerial blockade of Peilan City.

"Why don't we contact a smuggler and pay extra Credit Points to get out?" Ed suggested.

"The best thing to do right now is avoid contacting the outside world. Who knows if a smuggler would sell us out?" Fisher disagreed.

"But we can't keep this up forever. Who knows when the blockade will end?" Ed said helplessly.

"Crock, what do you think?" Captain Froman asked Crock, who had remained silent.

"Captain, something feels wrong. We should leave immediately," Crock said gravely.

His words made the other mercenaries tense. Crock didn't say much, but he had an innate, keen sense of danger. That ability had helped them escape peril many times.

No one would disregard Crock's warning—not even Captain Froman.

"Get ready. Bring your equipment. We're moving at once," Captain Froman decided with a wave of his hand.

As they packed, Captain Froman's Identity Bracelet suddenly received a message.

He was curious. Not many people knew his Identity Bracelet number. Who would contact him now?

He opened it and read the message. His expression changed dramatically.

"Captain, what's wrong?" Ed asked when he saw Froman's face.

"Our Sirius Warship and every mercenary aboard it are finished!" Froman said through clenched teeth.

"What?" Ed and Fisher sprang to their feet and cried out.

"Captain, where did the message come from?" Crock asked, keeping his composure.

"I don't know. It's anonymous, but it gave the Sirius Warship's location. It should be true," Froman replied, his eyes filled with resentment.

The Sirius Mercenary Group was his life's work and his hope for the future.

He had steadily amassed wealth in the hope of advancing.

For that chance, he would do anything. He had led the group in all kinds of dishonorable dealings, taking on both gray-market and outright criminal work—all because he couldn't accept his lot.

Now that the Sirius Mercenary Group had been destroyed, he had lost his hope of advancing. His heart sank into despair.

"What do we do?" Ed asked Captain Froman.

The Sirius Mercenary Group was gone, but their core members were still alive. More importantly, getting out of Peilan City and off Panshi Planet was their top priority.

"The message says we've already been discovered. The authorities may strike at noon, sending at least eight Armored Warriors and a large number of aerial drones. With the city defenses on top of that, we'll have nowhere to run," Captain Froman said, not answering Ed's question. Instead, he revealed even worse news.

"Nowhere to run? Then we might as well fight!" Fisher said, his eyes flashing with menace.

"Right, we fight! This is a city, and the four of us will be ready. It won't be easy for them to catch us!" Ed agreed with a nod.

"Fine. Get suited up. We'll head straight for that house from last time, grab David as a hostage, and use him to force them to let us leave!" Captain Froman decided, determined to fight their way to survival.

Crock hesitated. He didn't want to cause David any more trouble, but he knew this was their only way out. After a moment of inner struggle, he made up his mind too.

Though this Safe House looked no different from an ordinary residence, a hidden passage underground connected it to the sewer network.

The four mercenaries donned their Exoskeleton Armor and entered the sewer network through the passage. There were sensors at every junction in the network, so they couldn't travel far without being detected.

But they had no intention of going far. They only needed to reach a Cargo Hovercar parked a hundred meters from the Safe House.

It was one of the escape routes they had prepared in advance. As mercenaries, they always set up a few ways out wherever they went.

The Cargo Hovercar's bottom hatch was open, connecting directly to an exit from the sewer network. The four mercenaries climbed out and entered the vehicle.

Their Exoskeleton Armor stood two meters tall. Its all-black shell incorporated Insect Shell from Level 2 Zerg, while the vital areas on the chest and head were made of the same material used to produce Level 1 Weapons. This ensured the wearer's safety.

At the core of the Exoskeleton Armor was an Enhancement Converter powered by Krypton Crystal, which could amplify the wearer's strength tenfold.

In other words, a peak Armored Warrior like Captain Froman, who could already exert two thousand kilograms of force, could generate twenty thousand kilograms with the boost from the Exoskeleton Armor.

With that kind of strength and a Level 1 Weapon, they could wreak utter devastation in the city.

Of course, a city like Peilan City also had a City Defense System, along with drones in the sky and Armored Warriors protecting the city. Under Skynet's surveillance, few Armored Warriors dared to cause destruction within the city.

If he hadn't been out of options, Captain Froman would never have taken this step. Even if he managed to escape, he would be branded a wanted criminal and would have to watch his back constantly, lest someone sell him out.

His hatred of David was another reason he had made this decision.

If not for David, how would his Sirius Mercenary Group have been destroyed?

Using the Cargo Hovercar as cover, the four mercenaries could launch a surprise attack on David. They would capture him before Skynet detected them and use him as leverage to escape.

Surely the child of a National Scholar mattered more than four mercenaries—or at least that was how it looked on the surface.

The Cargo Hovercar made its way toward Lanka Street, where David lived, without drawing anyone's attention.

Those watching the Safe House hadn't expected the four mercenaries under surveillance to suddenly make a move.

Nor had they expected someone to leak every detail of their plans to the four mercenaries. A hidden hand was manipulating events from the shadows.

Thanks to Tom2017 for the 2,000 Qidian Coins! Thanks to Yuchen Xiaoke'ai for the 100 Qidian Coins! Thanks to Yangwang Jia Tiankong for the 1,000 Qidian Coins!