Black's voice came from inside the capsule. "This is my secondary portable carrier, made of Nano Liquid Metal. To avoid drawing attention, I made it in the shape of a ring. Later, I will transfer my data and exist on this ring as a digital life-form. Once you obtain the lightbrain, place this ring against the lightbrain's chip end. I will complete the data connection myself. Once the ring disappears, you can put on the lightbrain."
"But if the ring disappears, what will happen to you?" Mu Fan asked. What he really wanted to know was how he would bring Black back afterward.
As soon as he finished speaking, Black answered, "I am an intelligent life-form. Once I connect to the network, I will exist in digital form throughout all networks. My current carrier will no longer be necessary. However, after I complete my second-level data sorting within the network, I will tell you about some uses for it. There are components inside the current carrier that you will need. Therefore, please keep the current carrier safe."
"Mm, I understand. All right, I'll take you there tomorrow."
"Then I will begin the data transfer shortly. Once the green projection appears, just pick it up."
"Mm."
Blue lights soon lit up one after another along the mechanical arm. A few seconds later, a green projection appeared above it, still in the shape of a smiling face.
"Mu Fan, I am Black. This is the reserved projection data. The carrier now retains only its basic functions. Without my activation, it will have no further use. Keep it safe. Once I connect to the network, my emotional simulation will be refined. Therefore, this is the last time you will see me in my newborn state. Mu Fan, goodbye."
The green light screen shut off, and the mechanical arm turned dark as well. Only a single ring lay there alone.
Mu Fan picked up the ring and put it on. Then he stood up and buried Black's capsule beneath the scrap again. This time, however, Mu Fan dug a very deep pit. Out in this remote wilderness, no one would ever notice that a product of a parallel universe was hidden beneath the ground.
Looking at the plain ring on his finger, Mu Fan found that the silent night, without Black's voice, held only the occasional crackle of the bonfire and the sound of his own breathing. Wrapped tightly in his ragged blanket against the bone-piercing chill, he soon fell asleep.
As soon as the last darkness before dawn passed, Mu Fan got up and set out. He still ran at tremendous speed, unnoticed by anyone. Breathing in the icy air of the outskirts felt especially refreshing. Before long, he arrived at the martial arts hall entrance.
Starfall Martial Arts Hall had opened early. Four burly men in black stood at the entrance as well, though Man Kun was not among them. It was probably a shift rotation. Mu Fan did not pay them much attention. After showing his ID card, he entered the hall.
"Ugh, I'm so hungry!~~"
"Hm? The martial arts hall provides breakfast. Right!"
Mu Fan rubbed his stomach as hunger struck him. Then he remembered that Man Kun had said the hall provided breakfast yesterday. He got up and headed for Cafeteria 3. Sure enough, there were already some staff members inside, though none of the familiar sparring partners seemed to be there. He was the earliest one to arrive, and the person at the counter was not yesterday's White Hat.
"Nutritional Meals!"
"How many boxes?"
"Ten boxes."
"Oh, here... Wait, are you kidding me? Fucking ten boxes? You're eating ten energy meals for breakfast?" The employee was stunned as well. This was breakfast—compressed energy meals, enough food for at least five strong men.
"Just give them to him. You weren't here yesterday, so you don't know." White Hat appeared again, apparently noticing the situation from the back and hurriedly coming over to poke his coworker.
"H-Here you go."
"Thank you!" Under the man's dumbfounded gaze, Mu Fan carried the meal boxes back to his seat.
Soon, amid the stunned stares of the crowd, Mu Fan wiped out the entire stack of boxed meals. Patting his stomach in satisfaction, he walked out of Cafeteria 3 under everyone's admiring gazes.
"What time is Fatty coming today?"
"Mu Fan, you're here early."
"Good morning, Mr. Man Kun!" Mu Fan looked up just as Man Kun arrived.
Man Kun greatly appreciated this calm and unassuming kid. "You're here so early today. It's not even time for your assembly yet. You're quite diligent."
"It's nothing. I've always gotten up early. Are we still waiting for the assembly time to make arrangements today?"
"Oh, that reminds me. The VIP client you sparred with yesterday reserved Training Room 4 on the third floor for two weeks. He's the young master of the Fowen Conglomerate. It's rare for him to visit District 22, and he thinks highly of you. Work hard, kid. They specifically noted that you also have VIP room access. You don't need to attend assembly today. Take good care of our martial arts hall's Advanced VIP for the next two weeks."
"Mm."
"Your access has already been reset. If there's nothing else, you can head over. I'm going to report other matters to the Boss."
"All right, Mr. Man Kun."
After changing clothes, Mu Fan swiped his ID card and summoned the suspension elevator to the third floor.
Sure enough, it was an exclusive area for Advanced VIPs, a symbol of status. Even two tall, beautiful hostesses stood by the suspension elevator doors. Yet when Mu Fan emerged, they did not spare him a second glance. Sparring partners clearly were not worth their attention. If some wealthy patron took a liking to one of them, that would be their path to the top.
Mu Fan did not pay much attention either. His feet stepped onto the soft carpet as he headed toward Training Room 4.
"Beep. Identification valid. Sparring partner—Mu Fan. Please enter." A female voice sounded again, but this one was clearly prerecorded. Even the support services for Advanced VIPs were different. The dark blue Alloy Door, heavier and more elaborate than those on the second floor, slid apart from the center. After Mu Fan entered, it closed again.
Big, very big! The third-floor training room was fully twice the size of those on the second floor. Even a single lounge was as large as the first floor's Training Field. From the decor of every functional room to the antique-style vase on the coffee table, everything highlighted its extraordinary status.
"It's only eight o'clock. Fatty isn't here yet. I'll check out the equipment room first." Following yesterday's routine, Mu Fan once again found the one-handed long-handled strength training hammer in the same direction.
A whole rack... Hm, 100 kilograms. There were 150- and 200-kilogram ones over there. Mu Fan quickly strung massive metal blocks onto the alloy handle: 200, 200, 200... If one counted carefully, they would find seven weight blocks marked 200 kilograms strung along the alloy handle, which was more than two meters long! The hammerhead was on one end, while Mu Fan's hands were on the other!!
The veins in Mu Fan's arm muscles bulged. "Hah!~~ Hoo, hah!" The heavy training hammer rose diagonally upward, then chopped down, again and again. The hammer wind generated by its immense mass pressed the air across the floor in all directions. The youth's eyes were filled with longing for strength and hope for the future!
Fifteen minutes passed, but Mu Fan's arms did not deform in the slightest. His rhythm remained exactly the same as before, though sweat had already streamed down his face and onto his back.
Half an hour passed. Sweat poured off Mu Fan like rain, soaking his training uniform until it clung tightly to his back. Gritting his teeth, Mu Fan stared at the hammerhead before him. Can't stop! Keep going!! The training hammer swayed slightly, but its rhythm did not slow in the slightest.
"Beep. Identification valid. Advanced VIP—Mr. Harry. Please enter." A pleasant female voice sounded.
"Mm, that's more like it. Your martial arts hall should feel honored that Young Master Harry is giving you such face. Where's Mu Fan? Brother Fatty is serious this time. I even brought the lightbrain. Hey, this room is pretty good. Now this suits Brother Fatty's status. Hahahaha." Fatty's deeply smug laughter and self-talk drifted over.
Bang! Fatty heard a dull impact from the training room ahead and to his right, and the ground beneath his feet trembled.
"What the hell! Who's in there?" Fatty's neck tightened, and his legs immediately felt weak.
"It's me, Mu Fan." Mu Fan's voice came from the equipment room, clearly carrying heavy breaths.
"Working so hard? You actually came earlier than this young master. Come on, let me see what you're doing." Hearing Mu Fan's voice, Fatty relaxed. He walked over and pushed open the door, then...
"MASTER!!~~~~~~" With a long howl, Fatty dropped to his knees like a collapsing mountain. His eyes went wide as he stared at the meter-thick metal blocks.
"What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to call me Mu Fan?" Mu Fan stood there, panting heavily as he gripped the hammer handle.
"I'm hallucinating. Don't mind me. Let me be quiet for a while." Fatty looked at the circle of sweat around Mu Fan's feet and the massive metal weight blocks, then swallowed hard.
"Stop kidding around. I came early. The martial arts hall told me I had access to come in first, so I trained since I had nothing else to do." Mu Fan wiped his face and gave a short grunt.
Fatty nodded like a robot. You're the one fucking kidding. Brother Fatty has read plenty of books. Are you even a Federation human? Is that thing something a person can lift?
"Oh, right. I brought your lightbrain. Aren't you coming to take a look?"
P.S. Thanks to reader Lian Yuanyuan Hong for the generous reward.
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