At the emergency escape flight gate bridge, Frenzied Saber and a group of players stood idly by, bored out of their minds.
"The other groups are fighting, while we're just sitting around. Would you say we're just slacking off?" said the Fragrant Bear, one of the three pillars of the Fish-Fragrant Eggplant, a cute boy.
"Our mission is also important, to control the escape route..." Frenzied Saber paused, then said dejectedly, "But we've really been slacking off."
Sun Eggplant stroked his stubble. "We haven't really gotten to know each other yet. You're the biggest dark horse in this league, the Huaxia's Number One Pugilist Mechanic, tsk tsk, quite a prestigious title."
Frenzied Saber, embarrassed, said modestly, "Don't flatter me, I was just lucky."
Elite clubs like to work with promising players; achievements earn respect from peers, and they won't ignore Frenzied Saber just because he's a newcomer. The group got along quite well.
After a few rounds of mutual flattery, Fish and Dragon Dance in Beijing, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked, "Any interest in signing Fish-Fragrant Eggplant?"
Frenzied Saber hurriedly waved his hand, "I really like Fish-Fragrant Eggplant, but Jiangcheng has been good to me and is planning to build a new team around me."
Fish and Dragon Dance in Beijing gave an "oh" and remained silent.
After chatting for a while, footsteps came from the distance of the bridge. Frenzied Saber and the others stopped talking, looked in the direction of the sound, and became wary.
Reldon appeared, frowned at the group of players, and asked, "You're not scavengers, who are you?"
"And who are you?" Frenzied Saber retorted.
Reldon didn't answer the question. He could tell from the player's attire that they weren't scavengers, and he was somewhat surprised, wondering if they were friend or foe, and why they were guarding the escape pod.
"You... are passengers?" Reldon's eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked.
"Uh, sort of."
"You're trying to escape too?" Reldon pointed to the dozen or so aircraft and said in a deep voice, "If you're willing to pay, I can protect you on the way."
Even in his desperate escape, Reldon was still thinking about making a quick buck.
"We're not running for our lives, Black... cough cough, someone told us to hold this place. They're fighting off the scavengers on the ship. The situation is good, why should we run?"
"Are there still people resisting?" Reldon's eyes gleamed with interest as he asked, "How many of you are there?"
"Thirty or forty, I guess."
Reldon's mind started racing. While he was fleeing, he thought that the control room would surely fall without his protection. However, he could still hear faint sounds of fighting along the way. Now he finally understood that there was another group of people resisting.
This group seems quite capable. Judging from the situation, they've held the control room, so I don't need to escape.
"Going back now will still be helpful, and I can earn the captain's reward."
Reldon's mind raced; he abandoned his plan to escape. His thoughts shifted quickly, and he said in a deep voice, "I am a mercenary, codenamed Green Knight. Where are your companions fighting? I can help you."
Frenzied Saber and the others exchanged glances and pointed out that a group of players were engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy at the place where the scavengers boarded the ship, trying to cut off the enemy's retreat.
Having obtained the information he wanted, Reldon turned and left, charging back to fight.
With a final, short scream, only Snake Braid remained standing in the passage, teetering on the verge of collapse, covered in wounds, panting heavily, like a wild beast at its last gasp.
Kerlodd fought alongside the players, clearing out all the scavenger minions. Snake Braid, seeing the situation was dire, tried to break through the encirclement, but Han Xiao, unhindered, made him understand why the flowers were so red.
In a head-on confrontation, Han Xiao Quan overwhelmed Snake Braid, hanging him up and beating him mercilessly until Snake Braid's health was on the verge of death, his arm gripping the warhammer trembling with exhaustion.
"Still trying to struggle?" Han Xiao's voice came through the mecha's mask, Sonic Attack Sphere swirling behind him. "If you keep fighting, you're dead. A leader of scavengers like you usually carries a bounty on your head. Put down your weapons, and I'll let you go to jail unharmed. Otherwise, it's pointless to lose any parts of your body."
Han Xiao was quite curious about the scavengers' motives for capturing Kerlodd. Although the Goddora people had a high status in the Colton Star Cluster, they weren't as valuable as a spaceship. These scavengers must have an employer behind them with ulterior motives. Han Xiao wanted to keep one alive to ask for the specific details.
Clang!
The Snake Braid released its grip, the warhammer fell to the ground, and he lost his balance and fell to the ground, panting heavily, his expression resentful, but his actions already indicated that he had compromised.
Although Snake Braid is belligerent and impulsive, he's not brainless. He'd rather live in prison than die a violent death.
The group locked up the Snake Braid to ensure he couldn't resist. Even sitting down, the Snake Braid's upper body was over two meters tall. Seeing this enormous size, an idea involuntarily surfaced in Han Xiao's mind.
"This guy is a hybrid of a rock giant and a human. With such a huge size difference, whether the rock giant is his father or mother, he seems terrifying..."
Han Xiao quickly slammed on the brakes to avoid thinking about some terrifying images.
This is such a free-spirited attitude... It's not just true love that transcends gender, it's practically race-free!
Hmm... well, mating doesn't necessarily mean true love...
We can't afford to mess with them.
Han Xiao quickly composed himself, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts, and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, what organization are you employed by, and why are you capturing the Goddora people?"
Snake Braid snorted angrily, "Don't even think about telling me that not betraying our employers' information is our professional code!"
Han Xiao sneered and threatened, "I can keep you alive for the bounty, but I don't necessarily need to keep you whole. Hurry up and give me some information, or I'll make sure you have less."
My employer is DarkStar.
The Snake Braid slithered away incredibly fast.
Han Xiao curled his lip.
A scavenger talking to me about ethics? Seriously!
Kerlodd's expression changed drastically, "DarkStar?!"
His mention of it reminded Han Xiao that DarkStar and Goddora were mortal enemies.
Snake Braid explained the whole story.
"DarkStar has been secretly acquiring pure-blooded Goddora, seemingly for some kind of blood sacrifice, and they're offering very high prices. My people discovered this Goddora. You understand how rare it is for a pure-blooded Goddora to travel in a poorly defended, low-level tour group. This was a money-making opportunity, so we contacted DarkStar, they agreed on a price, and hired us to capture the Goddora... That's how it is."
Pure-blooded Goddora people hold a high status; their investigators on missions have their own spaceships and almost never travel with low-level tour groups. This time, they were unlucky enough to be discovered by the scavengers, and coupled with the covert hiring by DarkStar, this led to the attack. Han Xiao felt both amused and exasperated; the enemy's target was indeed not them, these "natives," and he had simply become an innocent bystander.
Because low-level tour groups are weak, scavengers dare to take action. Han Xiao wanted to join a high-level tour group, but Kerlodd, that poor bastard, only had so little money.
With money, you can do whatever you want; without money, you can only be pathetic.
"Ultimately, it's all because you're poor," Han Xiao complained.
Kerlodd was filled with grief and indignation. Damn it, the very people who robbed him looked down on him for being poor! Is there no justice in this world?!
Although he wasn't the target, he still encountered danger because of it. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, "DarkStar... this force is also related to the Mutation Disaster. I didn't expect to make contact so soon. I'll have to deal with them sooner or later."
With the crisis in the control room resolved, Han Xiao asked the player next to him, "Players communicate via a control panel, ignoring distance and obstacles. I'm using this method to monitor the progress of other player teams. The Short Horn Star is about to enter the warning zone, and the scavengers on board are rushing to their own ships to escape. The players cutting off the scavengers' retreat are from the Temple and the Dynasty, and they are engaged in fierce fighting at the enemy's boarding location."
Among the scavengers who remained behind was the leader of another gang, whose strength was similar to that of Snake Braid, making him a mini-boss. The Temple and the Dynasty had a tough time fighting him.
Han Xiao decided to go and provide support. At that moment, the captain approached and said gratefully, "That's great! The control room is safe! Thanks to you, as long as you stay here, this ship is safe..."
Han Xiao interrupted him, saying, "My companions are stopping the enemy from escaping. I'm going to provide support. This Goddora man will stay behind with these people to protect the control room."
"You're not staying?!" The captain exclaimed in surprise, his face full of reluctance. He muttered, "Don't worry about those escaped scavengers, as long as we're safe..."
The captain felt very insecure. He didn't care whether the scavengers ran away or not; he only wanted Han Xiao to stay and protect him, only then would he feel safe.