Mysterious Space

"Eh?!"

Just as Starscream was about to completely read Sun Cheng's memory data, a will suddenly forced him out of his [Core]. He let out a soft exclamation, and when he looked at Sun Cheng dangling from his hand, his expression immediately turned strange.

"My lord... Lord Starscream!"

Having just regained control of his body and before he could even feel relieved, Sun Cheng suddenly felt the grip around his chassis tighten sharply. Seeing his body beginning to deform, he hurriedly cried out.

"Interesting!"

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Only then did Starscream seem to snap back to his senses. His expression kept shifting as he looked at Sun Cheng. After a long while, he gave Sun Cheng a meaningful glance and casually tossed him beside Barricade. "Take him to the [Supply Room] to replenish his energy. Once he's done, go meet up with Attack directly. I need that thing as soon as possible!"

"Yes, understood!"

Barricade had clearly noticed the subtle change in him, but he had known Starscream for far too long and knew better than to ask questions he shouldn't.

So although he was very curious about what Starscream had seen in Sun Cheng's memory chip, he ultimately did not ask. Once the order had been given, he directly picked up Sun Cheng, who lay on the ground unable to move, and headed for the [Supply Room].

Soon, Starscream was the only one left in the [Supply Room]. He stood there, scratching his chin as he stared irritably at the sets of bizarre data projected before him, muttering under his breath, "Unreadable? No way to even begin? Could these special characters I've never seen before be even older Elder Script? Frenzy was born in the Moon Base... Could he have done this?"

His voice grew quieter and quieter, while the impatience on his face deepened. After a long time, he finally cursed gloomily, "Damn The Fallen..."

"Have you recovered your memories?"

Barricade carried Sun Cheng toward the [Supply Room]. Not long after they had left the [Incubation Room], he could no longer hold back the question.

Sun Cheng was still trying to process the new memory data that had just surfaced in his mind. He paused at the question before replying, "Yes, Lord Barricade!"

He had indeed "recovered" his memories, yet he had unexpectedly not been influenced by Frenzy's consciousness. Even Sun Cheng himself found that strange.

What "Frenzy" represented was something Sun Cheng naturally understood after Starscream had completely undone the seal Soundwave had placed and he had fully received all of Frenzy's memories.

The [Cassette Corps] had first emerged thousands of years ago during the [Cybertron Civil War]. It had originally consisted of eight high-ranking Decepticons codenamed Scout Car, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, Ratbat, and Slaughter.

But Cybertron had still been at war at the time. The Decepticons and another kind of mechanical lifeform known as the "Autobots" had fought bitterly for control of the planet, so not long after the [Cassette Corps] was formed, they were sent to the battlefield.

Tasked with the most dangerous intelligence work, casualties among the [Cassette Corps] were naturally unavoidable. Scout Car and Slaughter were the first to die. Later, new members such as Thunder-Needle Bird, Brawl, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Ceratopsian, and Brute joined them, but most of them also failed to survive until the end of the civil war.

The [Cybertron Civil War] had only ended a little over a century ago. Unfortunately, Laserbeak and Frenzy, the Decepticons' two finest spies, had both died in the final battle while hunting down the Autobots' leader—Optimus Prime.

Although Sun Cheng had yet to fully digest Frenzy's memory data, he had already discovered many suspicious details within it.

The [Cassette Corps] did not seem to be as harmonious internally as he had imagined. Although their commander Soundwave was powerful, among his eight top generals, aside from Ravage, who was utterly loyal to Soundwave, not a single one was easy to deal with.

Laserbeak believed his espionage skills surpassed Soundwave's. He had always tried to gain Megatron's favor and replace Soundwave as the leader of the [Cassette Corps].

Buzzsaw was wild and unruly, and his passion for destruction was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Ratbat was a cold loner. His indifference toward everyone but himself made it impossible for him to be loyal to anyone.

As for Rumble, there was no need to say much. As a Decepticon warrior with immense destructive power, he had never once accepted Soundwave's authority after being assigned to the [Cassette Corps].

And the original Frenzy had also been an ambitious schemer. Through his careful efforts, he had made the somewhat dim-witted Rumble into both his friend and enforcer. From the memory data Sun Cheng had just received, the two had even confronted Soundwave head-on more than once.

In the entire [Cassette Corps], only the later-revived Slaughter and Ravage could truly be used by Soundwave. The former was simple-minded and did not have so many thoughts; strictly speaking, Ravage was the only one genuinely loyal to Soundwave.

For such an oddball team to have achieved such distinguished military feats, Sun Cheng could not help laughing bitterly. He had to admit that Soundwave absolutely had reason to stab his own people in the back.

That also made it unsurprising why, after the war, Soundwave had acted against Frenzy when reviving him.

That "Lord Barricade" made Barricade's steps stall for a moment. After a while, Sun Cheng heard him laugh. "Not bad. Looks like you've made your decision. So? Have you considered being like me and pledging loyalty to Lord Starscream?"

If Barricade had said that before his memories returned, Sun Cheng might have believed him.

But the moment he heard those words now, Sun Cheng spat contemptuously in his heart.

From the memories he had newly acquired, he already knew Barricade's origins.

This guy had come from the Decepticons' mortal enemies—the Autobots. Having always worshipped strength above all else, he had defected to the Decepticons as early as the [Cybertron Civil War].

Normally, for a turncoat like him who betrayed his own side, even the Decepticon Corps, whose ranks were filled with all sorts of strange characters, would not truly place much trust in him.

Yet despite his seemingly violent temper, he had always skillfully moved between the various factions within the Decepticons.

It was said that he had once served Shockwave, flattered Onslaught, obeyed Megatron's orders, and never spoken ill of Starscream.

One had to know that during Megatron's rule over the Decepticon Corps, the repeatedly rebellious Starscream had practically been a target Megatron set up himself. The many cliques within the Corps would take any chance to insult him or stab him in the back. It was simply part of daily life among the Decepticons.

It was easy to imagine how credible it was for someone who had run to Starscream's side the moment Megatron disappeared to claim loyalty to someone.

Sun Cheng suspected even Barricade himself did not believe those words.

Still, despite his contempt, Sun Cheng did not reveal it on his face. He even agreed readily. "As long as you and Lord Starscream don't find me unworthy!"

Sun Cheng's immediate declaration apparently satisfied Barricade. After quickly bringing him to the [Supply Room], Barricade personally summoned a spider-type Decepticon equipped with a [Medical Module] and gave it some instructions before preparing to leave.

Before leaving, he did not forget to remind him again, "Once you've replenished your energy, come find me in the [Incubation Room]. Lord Starscream may already be losing patience. We need to complete the task he assigned us as soon as possible!"

"I understand, my lord!"

The moment Barricade left, Sun Cheng was immediately carried by the spider-type Decepticon responsible for watching over the [Incubation Room] to a strange machine. It ordered, "Expose your [Core]!"

Sun Cheng nodded. He knew this was indeed a necessary step in replenishing energy, so he directly exposed his [Core].

The next moment, the spider-type Decepticon casually tapped the machine, and a wall of light immediately projected itself before him.

After the Decepticon quickly entered some data on the light screen, Sun Cheng soon saw more than a dozen transparent tubes, like plant tendrils, emerge from the machine.

Before long, the tubes attached themselves to his [Core]. Streams of aqua-blue liquid continuously flowed through them into his [Core], while tiny lightning-like energy fluctuations began dancing across his body.

"Di... Energy source detected... Absorption function activated..."

The instant the energy entered his body, Sun Cheng felt as though he had been parched by a long drought and finally received sweet rain. A pleasure and satisfaction rising from the depths of his soul made him greedily devour the endless stream of energy flooding into him.

"Hmm?"

The spider-like Decepticon glanced at the light screen before him in confusion. "Five hundred energy points still aren't enough? Why is it consuming so much?"

Without hesitation, he added another five hundred energy points for Sun Cheng.

After all, someone personally sent over by Barricade, with Starscream even mentioned, had to possess a status far beyond that of a low-ranking medical Decepticon like him.

What he did not know was that this action had greatly helped Sun Cheng. As abundant energy continued pouring into his [Core], Sun Cheng unexpectedly sensed a faint, elusive pull coming from some unknown corner of his body.

Curious, he immediately extended his consciousness toward the source of that pull. Very soon, he felt as though a terrifying vortex had appeared there. Before he could react, his consciousness was sucked into the aqua-blue spherical space that had troubled him for days.