443 - 453

Chapter 443: A New Round Of Competition

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong studied Tee's earnest expression and mumbled, "Ok, sister Tee."

"Ha, excellent, Tong Tong. Now, I am going to show you our designated working area. We repair any damaged structures within this area." Tee was genuinely satisfied by Wang Tong's attitude.

"The exterior structure? I thought we are in charge of the machines?"

"You wish! Only the technologist and engineers are allowed to touch those. Stay away from them though; those nerds can make you fall asleep in seconds."

"We are in charge of district E. Hey, do you want to see space suits?" Tee said as she pulled a lever on the wall, causing a giant gate to crack open slowly, revealing an enormous storage area that was filled to the brim with METAL suits. These METAL were equipped with gravity modules, so the wearer could walk freely in space.

Over the last three hundred years, not only had the ground forces been getting increasingly reliant on METAL suits and soul energy, but also the space fighters. Although their METAL was much weaker than Einherjar's, it could ward off the harmful elements in the deadly space.

Every space METAL's boots were equipped with a gravity unit, which also served as a propelling unit powered by the wearer's GN force. Needless to say, such METAL suit was costly, and as a result, only level five or above fighters would be allowed to use them. Luckily, the nature of the fleet battle required only a handful of space fighters, since the Zergs were still struggling to overcome the defense of a battleship.

Each battleship was equipped with numerous artillery towers. Although these cannons were capable of auto-aiming, the fleet preferred some degree of manual control, since Zergs easily hacked auto-aiming. This was where Karl and Flash would shine, as they both had top notch micro control abilities.

Tee was busy with her own work after showing Wang Tong around. She left him with a pile of documents for him to research.

It was true that time could change anything, particularly people's heart. Just a few years ago, the Blade Warrior was still revered as the savior of the world. But now, everyone's attention was on Einherjar Wannabe.

After being cast aside by the public, the heir of the Blade Warrior ended up working as a handyman. However, he obeyed his order like a good soldier. Soon, Wang Tong was absorbed in the manuals that Tee had left for him, and before he knew it, he had finished his first shift.

Wang Tong turned off the data screen and went to the cafeteria.

By the time Wang Tong arrived at the cafeteria, it was already simmering with chattering. After their first day of work on the Ark, everyone was eager to share their experiences.

Wang Tong ordered a meal and sat down by an empty table. The table didn't remain empty for long, as his friends entered the dining room one after another. He quickly learned that Zhou Sisi was assigned to the commander's office. How exciting would that be? In addition to Zhou Sisi, Ma Xiaoru was also appointed to the top floor.

"Wang Tong, how's your work?"

"I did nothing. They gave me a bunch of manuals to read over. I think I should be a garage mechanic after I'm done here." Wang Tong pitied himself. The other's shiny new jobs didn't help lighten up his mood.

Everyone offered they consolation and tried to convince him that Samantha would not let him stay down there for too long.

Inside the cafeteria, students naturally formed four groups, each surrounding four young leaders: Wang Tong, Patroclus, Li Shiming, and Lie Jian, and kept their distances from each other.

Competition between the four groups was a real thing. So far, team Wang Tong had lost round one, since Wang Tong had been assigned to the least important post.

Wang Tong's situation didn't improve in the days that followed. He had been staring at the same manuals for five days, and didn't receive a single instruction. However, Wang Tong started to get used to the laidback lifestyle. He found plenty of time to focus on his cultivation and learn about ship designs.

During the night, Wang Tong would plunge into the space crystal and train with even greater efficiency. Although he was still far from making a breakthrough, it had improved his soul energy nonetheless.

Wang Tong quickly learned that the so-called happiness was a relative term. If he could feel content with whatever situation he was in, he would always be happy. Just like that old saying went, 'If God gave you a lemon, don't fancy the orange juice.'

Meanwhile, on earth, Old Fart was sipping on his orange juice while basking under the afternoon sun. "Haha! That little sh*t must be bored to death by now! It always puts a smile on my face."

"I have heard he is doing well. Aren't you afraid that he will lose steam?"

"Haha, whatever! He has grown up, and we can't control him anymore. I am only interested in when I can have a grandson in my arms."

"He will be in my arms first."

"No way! You can have Wang Tong, but I want my grandson! Remember, he is the heir of the Templar's court!"

"Yea, yea, who cares about tampon-lars. He will inherit half of House Ma's assets as well."

"Haha, you old prick! Well, sounds like he will need to have more than one child."

"My poor daughter... But, it sounds like a plan!"

"Haha!"

A few more days passed by, and Wang Tong had already adapted to the new lifestyle, while everyone else was still obsessed with climbing the ranks.

Soon, Wang Tong realized a surprising benefit of reading manuals. Since he started reading, he found that he was no longer obsessed with fighting. As a result, it had become much easier for him to concentrate on his cultivation.

Wang Tong didn't disturb Mr. Wannabe either. He knew that the old ghost would come out to have some fresh air if he could. His silence meant his recovery was slow, so Wang Tong thought it was better to leave him alone.

On the weekend, Wang Tong wanted to spend some quality time with Ma Xiaoru, but the third wheel Li Ruoer made it impossible.

While Wang Tong was in the washroom, Ma Xiaoru sneaked in and explained the situation. It turned out that Li Ruoer was bombarded by Lie Jian and Porten's onslaught of unwanted attention, and sought refuge in her room.

Wang Tong groped Ma Xiaoru and pressed a dozen kisses on her body.

"Well. What about us? We can't let her stay here forever!"

"Pervert! Let me think about it. She had helped me a lot, so I can't just leave her alone."

"Why don't you tell her to choose one of them. She will have to get married one day anyway."

Chapter 444: It's A TRAP!

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"I wish it was that easy. Not everyone can be lucky like me, you know." Ma Xiaoru said, trying to coax Wang Tong into submission.

Ma Xiaoru's honey-coated words worked. Wang Tong heaved a sigh of resignation and then said, "Fine, fine. I will go somewhere else. See you later."

"Alright."

Being forced out of Ma Xiaoru's room, Wang Tong wandered around on the warship by himself. The Ark was on its way to Mars to receive the last batch of crew members into its rank. In addition, the Ark would replenish its supplies while it was processing the crew admissions. Although the Ark was a self-sustained city, it would not hurt to have a few extra supplies laying around.

Wang Tong's friends had all gone to the shopping district, but he never liked shopping. So, he lost interest in the streets very quickly and decided to head back to the training room.

One might think that only someone who hated himself, such as Wang Tong, would come to the training room on the weekend. But he found out that he was not alone; Patroclus was also there. They looked at each other for a brief second and smiled, but didn't exchange a word. However, the desire to spar danced in both of their eyes. Wang Tong also found Apache and Cao Yi in the training room, and he was not surprised at all. They were both assigned to the space METAL unit, the most awesome job of all, and even got to wear a space METAL once during their training.

Space METAL combat had a very high requirement, and even Apache and Cao Yi felt it was difficult to catch up.

"Wang Tong, don't run away. We need to spar together," Apache announced.

"No problem! I am so bored. A fight should lighten up my mood a little." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

"Perfect, see you later then."

"Boss, there're some young Templars here as well. Should we ask them to join us? They had been of great help lately." Cao Yi said.

The Templars had been assigned to the same squad as Apache and Cao Yi. Knowing their connection with the young master, the Templars had offered quite a lot of help to the two.

Wang Tong nodded. He had been avoiding the Templars because he still couldn't get used to their addressing him as the "Young Master". It gave him the jitters every time he heard it. Nevertheless, he conceded that he couldn't bury his head in the sand forever. The world is not going to change because he was not looking. After being detached from the recent developments for a while, Wang Tong had come to terms with the reality. If he couldn't deny his connection with the Blade Warrior, he might as well embrace it.

As Wang Tong entered the gravity simulation zone, he was greeted by the sweaty Templars. Respect rose inside him on seeing how disciplined the Templars were.

As soon as the four Templars saw Wang Tong at the threshold, they immediately stopped their training and bowed to Wang Tong.

"Greetings, Young Master."

The name made Wang Tong cringe again, but he held back the urge of turning his back and plastered a smile on his face, "Would you like to join me for some sparring?"

The four Templars looked at each other in surprise. The grand master had ordered them to befriend Wang Tong, so they had been very frustrated by Wang Tong's constant cold shoulder, until now.

"That...That is awesome, dude!" Ye Kai beamed from side to side.

"Shush!" Zhang Buyu glared at Ye Kai for not addressing Wang Tong appropriately.

"That's fine, that's fine. Haha… I have encountered some problems in my cultivation, and hope that you guys could help me." Wang Tong announced.

"We are at your disposal, young master." Zhang Buyu nodded and said.

Wang Tong felt the jitters again, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded and cranked up the gravity intensity.

He had learned that not only did his body heal faster under greater gravity, but his mind also worked better.

Wang Tong usually kept the gravity setting at moderate, but today, he felt the urge to challenge himself. So, he cranked it up to as high as possible.

As Wang Tong entered deeper into the gravity simulation room, he met another familiar face in the 15g zone: Li Shiming.

The two exchanged a glance before Wang Tong plodded deeper into the 16g zone.

After Wang Tong had disappeared into the next chamber, Li Shiming cleared the sweat off his forehead and left the gravity room.

Porten looked at his watch from time to time. He connected the skynet and announced to the other end, "Let's start." An ugly grin found his face after he hung up. The gravity room was prone to mechanical failures, and it would be very unfortunate if someone happened to be inside the chamber when it failed.

Porten had been planning this assassination almost as soon as he boarded the Ark. He had been watching Wang Tong for a while even on Earth, so he was confident that Wang Tong would use the gravity chamber sooner or later.

Was it despicable? Yes. But, Porten believed that being despicable was one of humans' merits.

Porten approached the gravity chamber. As the mastermind behind the plan, he wanted to see how it was executed. Watching his plan unfold always put a smile on his face.

It didn't matter if he were the Dragon Warrior or the Blade Warrior. No one could withstand a stab in the back.

Sirens were suddenly set off inside the gravity rooms as the floor started to tremble. Porten was sitting quietly in a corner like a shadow, watching the chaos unfold. The destruction wouldn't hurt anyone in rooms of 15g or less, but it would be dangerous for anyone in rooms with greater gravity.

"ALARM—ALARM—ALARM—PLEASE EVACUATE THE GRAVITY ROOM IMMEDIATELY—ALARM—ALARM—ALARM"

Everyone stormed out of the training room, including Li Shiming. The maintenance crew had also arrived, and the preliminary diagnosis indicated that the gravity intensity inside the chambers was increasing exponentially. The crew tried to shut off the system, but to no avail.

Li Shiming watched the entrance to the training room quietly. There was still no sign of Wang Tong.

By the time Wang Tong realized that something was wrong, he was already trapped inside the chamber. He banged on the door and tried to pry it open, but failed.

Li Shiming scanned the crowd that made it out of the training room, and he found Porten's dark glinting eyes in a shadowy alcove set deeply in the wall.

Was that disappointment in Porten's eyes? Was he trying to kill Li Shiming as well?

Porten had imagined a world without the two most powerful young fighters. Things would become much more interesting for sure, he had thought. Although Li Shiming had gotten away from his deadly trap, killing Wang Tong would give him at least half the satisfaction.

Inside the gravity chamber, Wang Tong hammered at the door. He could feel the gravity around him increasing by the second.

Wang Tong had used every trick up his sleeve, GN force, mastery, and even Einherjar Lance, but the door wouldn't budge. In order to secure the chamber, its doors and walls were made out of special alloy and doubly fortified. Even the emergency exit malfunctioned and wouldn't open.

'Someone must have done this on purpose.' Wang Tong's mind raced. But, he quickly dropped the matter as his priority right then was to make it out alive.

The tech unit had learned of Wang Tong's situation via a CCTV camera. The profoundness of this incident suddenly came over the captain.

"I don't care what you do, do it now!"

"Captain, the central control system was hacked! We lost all control over it, even our overwrite rights."

"What about the emergency exit?"

"It's blocked, sir!"

Kaost knotted his face. Someone was trying to kill Wang Tong, which was clear as daylight.

"Shut off the power!" Kaost shouted.

"Sir! We can't. We lost access to its power supply as well."

Kaost's face blackened. He was caught off guard by how quickly the situation had escalated.

Chapter 445: Smoke Screen

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Move away please!" Patroclus waded through the crowd of people in front of the training room, trying to get closer.

When he was close enough, Patroclus pressed one palm on the wall as the Deva Lance appeared out of nowhere. The lance sent a wave of energy against the wall, causing the latter to tremble.

Gathering more strength, Patroclus struck the wall again.

The gravity inside the chamber had risen to 20g. Wang Tong couldn't move even a finger, and he felt that even breathing had become an onerous chore.

Wang Tong had started the tactics to help sustain his life. However, the pain was unbearable. He felt as if his body were going to explode from the inside. The GN force was losing its effectiveness, and Wang Tong finally called upon his soul essence as a faint glow started to surround him, illuminating the entire chamber.

Outside the chamber, the energy at the tip of the Deva lance had made it scintillating.

Einherjar's Attack!

"KOM!"

The wall finally gave in, releasing a violent wave of energy through its opening. Luckily, the crowd had been dispersed, so no one was hurt. Without any hesitation, Patroclus plunged into the hole in the wall.

Wang Tong was successfully rescued, but this incident had raised many questions. Captain had called on an investigation committee to delve deeper into the cause of this incident. It was an audacious move under the nose of an iron-fist Captain.

Porten had watched the entire ordeal from start to finish. He, too, was surprised by how quickly the situation had spiraled out of control. He had planned to keep Wang Tong inside the chamber for no more than ten minutes. However, many elements of the plan were out of his reach for good reasons. Having more control over the event meant Porten had to get his hands dirty, and that was a risk he could not afford to take. If Porten didn't set the trap, who did then? This was a question that even Porten didn't have answers for, and he preferred not to ask too many questions.

The failure of his assassination forced him to re-evaluate Wang Tong's power. He was taken aback by how resilient Wang Tong was. Even a 20g environment was not enough to kill him.

'Damn that Patroclus!' Porten cursed in his mind. He found it hard pressed to understand why the Ivantian Prince had decided to save Wang Tong. Wang Tong's death meant one less roadblock for the rise of Ivantians, didn't it?

So, there went Wang Tong's first weekend, sent right back to the hospital.

When Wang Tong opened his eyes for the first time since the incident, he saw the faces of Ma Xiaoru and his friends. Tear streaks had left marks on Ma Xiaoru's cheeks. Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, "I am fine guys, I'm fine. I told you I've got the plot armor, didn't I?"

"Idiot! You almost died if not for Patroclus..." Tears poured out of Ma Xaoru's red eyes. She could barely finish a sentence.

"I will let the others know that you are awake." Zhou Sisi rubbed her tears away and started off.

…

In the days that followed, residents of the Ark had seen a drastic increase in the presence of security forces. Kaost had felt the pressure from all sides, demanding an explanation. The Templars were riled up by the incident and had submitted in their protest.

The Investigation was quick as the evidence was plenty. However, it would be difficult to find the culprit among the thousands of residents aboard the ship. That was not even Kaost's worse nightmare. As the investigation progressed, they found Patroclus' hair and fingerprints scattered around the blockade of the emergency exit. The investigation had thus quickly arrived at a dead end.

Although Patroclus was the main suspect, he was the one that had saved the victim. The two sides of the evidence seemed to contradict each other. But, even if it were Patroclus, what could Kaost do about it? He was not just a no-account. The consequences of his incarceration would be palpable across the confederation. As Kaost mulled over his next move, he found the odds were tallied against the Ivantian prince as he also had the motive, an act of revenge for his defeat at the tournament.

Some other opinions had guessed that it was someone else trying to frame Patroclus. Although they didn't say the name out loud, Kaost knew they were referring to Li Shiming. He was seen around the crime scene right before the incident took place.

Kaost heaved a sigh. The feud between the great houses was tearing the humans apart, and that was why he loathed them. He had hoped that his recent authority being reinstated would deter them from making troubles on the ship, but it seemed that it didn't work at all.

Whoever the culprit was, he or she was a smart one. Kaost was forced to shelve the investigation after seeing that it was going nowhere.

After having received Kaost's decision, Samantha stormed into the captain's office.

"Captain, you need to give an answer to everyone!"

"Hehe, grab a seat and let me tell you my reasons," Kaost said as he smiled at Samantha.

"Captain, everyone knows that it was a failed homicide attempt. You can't just ignore it!" Samantha let a few words out of her clenched jaws.

"Hehe...yeah... Well, grab a seat, please. I am aware of how serious it is, but what do you think I should do? Throw Patroclus behind bars? What if he was framed? "

"That doesn't mean that you should halt the investigation. Wang Tong is my subordinate and also my student. I won't close the case without an answer."

"Hehe, there is no need to be so riled up. I am deeply sorry for what had happened to Wang Tong, but only unity will bring strength. But, since you insist, I will reconsider my decision and leave the case open. I want you to be in charge of the investigation, but just keep it to yourself, OK? As for Wang Tong, I think it is appropriate to offer him some compensation. How about you see to that? Just don't let me see him in my combat units." Kaost said.

"Why?"

"Do I need to explain myself to you, the first mate?"

Silence fell into the room, and Samantha knew that it was time for her to make a compromise.

After leaving the captain's office, Samantha removed the angry mask she had worn while negotiating with the captain. She had been angry for the first couple of days after the incident, but not anymore. She had adopted the angry face only to help her negotiate, and it worked. She had gotten what she wanted, although it came with a caveat that Wang Tong was not allowed to join the combat force.

Sometimes, it was better to be a no-account than a hero, especially when the hero was still a fledgling.

The support of the Templars might seem like a blessing, but in Wang Tong's case, it was a curse, since most establishments would now see him as a threat.

Although Samantha was the first mate, she needed to obey the order of the Captain. Therefore, she couldn't assign Wang Tong to a combat team even if she wanted to. She was aware of how difficult the investigation would be; not the investigation itself, but what would happen after it was done. In some aspects, Kaost had tossed the hot mess to her, but Samantha was not afraid.

"Wang Tong!"

Wang Tong heard a familiar voice, and it immediately brought a smile to his face.

"Zhang Jin? What brought you here?"

Zhang Jin set a bouquet on the night table and sat on the bed next to him. "You look healthy!"

"Haha, yeah, apparently so! But, the doctor had banned me from using my GN force for a month! Bah!"

"Haha, well, maybe you deserve it. I am here to let you know that Patroclus was not behind this."

"Never thought so, haha... Tell him that I will bring him a twelve pack when I can walk."

"Haha, will do."

Chapter 446: Weekly Report

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Zhang Jin proceeded to put more good words for Patroclus into Wang Tong's ears. She liked both of the boys, and didn't want to see them become enemies. Although the competition was inevitable between the two, she wished it was a healthy one, like that between Li Feng and Rilangalos.

"I will investigate into this and give you an answer."

"Hehe, doesn't matter. I doubt they would do it again anyway." Wang Tong cracked a nonchalant smile.

Ever since the incident, Zhang Buyu and his fellow Templars guarded Wang Tong round the clock. Their primary duty on this ship was to make sure Wang Tong's safety; it was a direct order from the grand master.

Zhang Jin knew that Wang Tong was still weak, and therefore, didn't stay for too long.

The Ark soon lifted its anchor off the Martian shore and set off deeper into space. The promise of an exciting voyage gripped everyone's attention. As a result, a few weeks after the incident, no one talked about it any longer, as if it had never happened.

Samantha had suggested Wang Tong to work in her office. Although it was not in a combat unit, he finally could be away from the squalid maintenance room. However, Wang Tong had refused the generous offer.

The reason for Wang Tong's refusal was two folds: first, he didn't want to distract Samantha, and second, he wanted to lure the culprit out of hiding. Having the first mate around him would make it impossible for the culprit to act again.

"Wang Tong, why don't you take a rest? " Tee said like an older sister.

"I'm fine."

"You know, we were told to look after you from the higher-ups. I mean...really high up."

"Tzs...I'm not a china doll. I have finished reading all the manuals. Am I going to join the team this afternoon?"

"Sure. We'd prefer you to just read manual since you are pretty useless anyway." Tee said with a broad smile on her face.

Wang Tong nodded. He knew it was impossible for him to blend in, since he carried too much dead weight with him, such as his many titles.

While Wang Tong continued his slow recovery, Li Shiming and Patroclus had started to make a name for themselves. Maybe Kaost had tried to pick on them; he had been giving them more and more difficult missions. However, they completed each of those missions with greater success than the last. As a result, they had very quickly gained the respect of their supervisors.

Although Lie Jian had completed difficult challenges with equal success, his typical Martian attitude had hindered his rise in status.

Ever since the Ark left the last civilized world, Mars, the captain's room had quieted down significantly, as there were no more phone calls nor press releases. The real objective of the expedition remained unknown to most people.

"Captain, this is the report for this week." Hill set the report on the table. Hill had been Kaost's personal assistant for decades, and was the old captain's most trusted adviser.

"What is your take on these little brats?"

"Patroclus is perfect in technical terms, but lacks passion. Li Shiming is a cunning fellow, typical great house heir. Lie Jian is...well... He is a martian through and through, so you know what to expect. Ma Xiaoru doesn't seem to be interested in anything except her boyfriend. She is unlikely to be a problem in the future. I still can't get a number on Li Ruoer and Zhang Jin." Hill said.

"What about Wang Tong?"

"Problematic...to say the least."

"Go on. I'm listening." Kaost said as he puffed a cloud of smoke.

"He lacks the most crucial character of a strong leader, being able to blend in. So far, he still does his own things by himself and keeps a distance from the other co-workers."

Although Wang Tong was one of the well-known characters on the ship, he had much less support than the great house's princes and princesses.

Wang Tong had gained the title of young master solely because of his connection with the grand master of the Templars. If a new grand master was elected, his claim could be revoked at any time. As for his association with House Ma, it was as fragile and fickle as teenage lover's infatuations.

"Good, very good!" Kaost nodded at Hill. "I feel like you want to say something?"

"Captain, I think it's time to call back agent Tee. She would be more useful in the combat unit."

"Haha. I know you miss her a lot." Kaost jested.

Hill blushed and rose up to the comment. "That is not why…"

"I know you like her. But, I need her to keep an eye out for me. Don't worry; she will be back soon. Make sure she knows how you feel about her, OK? She is not going to fall in love with you if you don't make a move first!"

"Yes... Yes, Captain!" Hill blurted, still blushing.

Kaost heaved a sigh and waved at Hill to dismiss him. He was a good soldier and an even better strategist. However, he knew nothing about women.

Kaost turned his leather chair around to face the window. Captain of the Noah's Ark? Bah! What a hot mess it was!

…

"Who did this?" Tee shouted out.

Wang Tong stepped into the storage room where he heard the commotion, and he found out that two space METAL were damaged beyond repair. He cast a look at Tee's face and thought that fire was going to spit out from both of those holes.

"Tee, umm...It's us... We had been sparing and got a little bit too carried away."

"You two again? How many times have I told you? How many!"

The smile on the two space fighter's faces evaporated as they lowered their head to avoid eye contact with Tee.

"Wow... They just going to stand there? I thought those two were top space fighters." Wang Tong mumbled a question to one of his co-workers.

"You have no idea...You need to be careful around her." The co-worker was a small engineer with eyeglasses.

"Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem. My name is Zuoyan by the way."

Chapter 447: X-Ray Vision

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Miss Tee, we are sorry. Just take the cost out of our salaries." Tang Hu, culprit number one, spoke under his breath.

"Oh really? You already owe me two months of your salaries!"

"Oh... Are you sure?" The reality struck culprit number two, named Luo Sen.

After a while, Tee's ire finally subsided, but the damage to the suits was so severe that she might as well order new ones. The fighters were instructed to use training suits while practicing, but this rule was universally ignored, as the space fighters complained that the training suits could not compare with the real thing. Both fighters were fire team leaders, and they had failed to control their power due to a minor slip up.

"Zuoyan, get me a new kernel module. These two jerks...!" Tee complained. The kernel modules were the most expensive parts on the space suits.

As a logistics expert, she was aware of the importance of saving parts. However, she was also a fighter, so she forgave the fighters' mistakes.

It was better to have damaged equipment than damaged bodies.

"Wang Tong, look!" Zuoyan nudged him.

Wang Tong was amazed by Tee's repairing techniques. She wielded different tools at the same time using her soul energy. Not only was she deathly precise, but also made repairing a one-person job.

In a blink, the set of the space suit that had been damaged beyond repair had been given a new life. Every soldier was responsible for the maintenance of their space suits, and they would have to compensate for any unnecessary damages. Tang Hu and Luo Sen had broken their suits so many times that if they really had to pay up, they would become penniless.

Wang Tong watched Tee's every movement with great interest. Although he had remembered the repairing procedure by rot, he had never seen such a repair being implemented. Tee would never give him a shot at this. Without any practice, Wang Tong would only end up wasting expensive parts.

Engineers surrounded Tee and watched her work with envy, since neither of them had training in soul energy like her. In addition to her repairing skills, Wang Tong was also impressed by her web-like soul energy. Not only was it unique, but could also be deadly when used during a fight.

"Done!" Tee extended her hand. The two culprits picked up the cue and handed her a small towel to wipe off the sweat.

"Ah... Thank you! One more thing though...Our boss wanted us to ask you if you have time tonight for a movie?" Luo Sen said.

Tee wiped the sweat off and didn't spare him a glance, "Movie? I will pass. I have training this evening."

"Resting is half the training, isn't it? Come on, Tee." Tang Hu said in a servile voice.

"F*ck off! You two owe me so much money and still won't stop bothering me! If Hill wants me to watch a movie with him, why wouldn't he come to ask me himself?" Fire burst out of Tee's mouth. The two space fighter turned on their heels and ran for their lives while they still had the chance.

Tee turned around and startled her co-workers. She gave them a gleeful smile and said, "If these two ever come close to the storage room again, come report to me immediately please."

"Yes...Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you! Alright, let's examine the rest of the suits. Be careful and be thorough, please. The condition of these suits is a matter of life and death."

As a soldier, Tee knew the paramount need to have a functioning suit while risking her life out there in space. Whenever the fighters finished a mission, all suits had to undergo a thorough check.

Suddenly, the storage gate opened, and a large truck drove in. On it was a pile of broken suits that had seen much better days.

Tee's brow furrowed as soon as she saw the truckload of sorrow.

"Whose METAL are these? How many Zergs have they killed?"

"Unit three, eight, and nine."

Tee shook her head and said, "That's not our area. Send them back."

A plump middle age engineer stumbled out of the passenger seat and hurried to Tee. "My apologies, Tee. We are unable to fix any of these. We thought it would be waste, so we brought them here for you to rescue them."

"Ah, Lao Jiu, you again. Are your teams at each other again?"

"Tell me about it. Sigh... I have already handed in my relocation application. I can't do it anymore! Especially in unit three… They drained by operation budget almost overnight, and no one listens to me!"

"Didn't captain just approve a thirty percent budget increase for your unit?" As soon as Tee saw that it was Lao Jiu, she knew she had to help him. She had only two troublemakers, Tang Hu and Luo Sen, but Lao Jiu had an army of them to deal with.

"Thirty percent...sigh... Not even three hundred percent will be enough for those idiots. Can you take a look at these ones, please? I will really appreciate it." Lao Jiu's face crumbled as he begged Tee for help.

"I have just finished dealing with Tang Hu and Luo Sen. I can fix at most three more suits. You will have to wait for the rest."

"Thank you! Thank YOU! You are my savior!"

"Don't thank me yet. Do me a favor, and don't recommend me as your replacement if your application is approved."

Tee glanced over the bucket full of broken pieces and picked one up.

"This is done for. Bunch of idiots." Tee mumbled under her breath and threw the piece on the ground.

"Tee, can I try? "Wang Tong picked it up and asked.

"Help yourself." Tee waved an approval.

Such repair would be hugely taxing on soul energy. Tee's repair talent was largely thanks to her fine and strand-like soul energy.

Wang Tong at tugged Zuoyan and asked, "Can you help me? I don't think I can handle it myself."

Wang Tong let Zuoyan hold a broken armor piece in front of him while he started to channel out his soul energy. Slowly, the hidden patterns of wiring inside of the METAL suit started to surface.

During the past few days, Wang Tong had buried himself in the repair manuals, since he was bed bound and couldn't do anything else. It was difficult to understand the manual at first, but with Ma Xiaoru's patient help, he quickly got the gist of it. Ma Xiaoru was from the family that made these METALS, and therefore, her understanding of the METAL suit was unmatched by any technologist. Her help had proven to be very valuable.

As Wang Tong continue to focus on the METAL in front of him, his soul energy guided him through one technique of diagnosis after another.

Chapter 448: A Headstart

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Zuoyan, I need a Type-E energy crystal. I'm gonna take a stab at it." Wang Tong had finished the analysis and realized that he needed to fix the energy source first in order to bring the METAL back to life.

"No, no, no! I thought you were going to look at it. Don't waste the energy crystals."

"Just let me try it for once. I know what I am doing." Wang Tong said without looking at Zuoyan as the repairing work occupied him. Although this METAL had no life in it, Wang Tong felt that it was moaning to be fixed, like a patient in a hospital.

"Trust you? Tsz... Famous last words." Zuoyan shook his head. However, when he saw the genuine eagerness flicking in Wang Tong's eyes, he gave in and handed him a crystal.

Embedding the crystal into the METAL was one of the most challenging procedures in repairing a METAL suit. Zuoyan highly doubted that Wang Tong would be able to pull it off.

"Get me some spare parts, and a mixer please" Wang Tong picked up a precipitating saw, turned it on, and sliced off the battered parts of the METAL off like a pro.

"We need to be quick. I can clean up the area around the crystal, and I need you to agitate the crystal for me. We only have three seconds." Wang Tong said without raising up his gaze from the METAL.

Zuoyan was amazed by Wang Tong's familiarity with the repairing procedure. There was no doubt that he would be even more impressed if Wang Tong could really fix the crystal in three seconds. So far, only Tee was able to do that.

"Now!"

Wang Tong cranked up his soul energy. The key to fixing the METAL was the control of soul energy, but not its magnitude.

Zuoyan didn't have time for second thoughts as he had to act quick. He acted out of instinct and followed Wang Tong's instruction, agitating the crystal. Suddenly, the crystal appeared in Wang Tong's hand without him grabbing it, and with a precise cut, Wang Tong successfully secure the crystal squarely in the socket. A golden glow emanated out of the crystal and coated the METAL. Wang Tong's quickly finished the rest of the procedure: cutting, loosening, replacing the part, and covering it up. He had finished everything in one go like a brilliant calligrapher finishing up his masterpiece.

When Tee claimed that this piece of METAL was beyond repair, Wang Tong knew that what she really meant was that without the energy crystal in place, it would be hard to start the repair. But, Wang Tong knew there were other ways. His solution was simple; he first powered the METAL with his own soul energy before he embedded the crystal.

Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief after he finished everything. Repair using his soul energy had brought him a refreshing feeling. Until then, the only usage of his soul energy was to destroy. Although it was just a METAL suit, Wang Tong felt like he had saved a real person.

"Can I have some water?" Wang Tong asked, his eyes still fixated on the METAL.

"How did you do this?" A bottle of water appeared in front of him.

"Just followed the instructions on the manual. Not sure if I had done it right—Ah...Tee..." Wang Tong suddenly realized that it was Tee who had handed him the bottle.

Tee looked at Wang Tong suspiciously. This level of repair could only be successfully implemented by a level three engineer. Not only was Wang Tong able to complete it, but his speed was also much faster than anyone she had seen. What impressed Tee even more was that she knew that the METAL was already beyond repair, since its main crystal was shattered. But somehow, Wang Tong was able to bring it back to life nonetheless.

A swell of murmur rose among the engineers inside the shop; their voices were laced with respect and surprise.

Lao Jiu stared at the METAL with disbelief. He had never seen anyone able to fix anything that Tee had deemed not repairable.

Tee put the repaired METAL on her and tested it out.

"METAL"

Suddenly, a golden light shot through the METAL and lightened the entire room. Tee quickly turned the METAL off, but found herself surrounded by people.

"How was it, Tee? Did it work?"

Tee shook her head and then nodded. The promise of compensating for the expensive part due to a failed operation suddenly came over Wang Tong. He regretted acting on a whim and without consulting his wallet first.

"Tee, it worked, didn't it? What do you mean? "

Tee looked at Wang Tong, her eyes filled with disbelief. "How did you do it, Wang Tong? How did you upgrade the METAL?"

"Upgrade?" Lao Jiu wrenched the METAL away from Tee's hand and pressed it close to his spectacles.

"Zuoyan, which class of crystal did you give him?"

"Its Class E. We only carry Class E in stock. Anything better than that will need approval."

"Yes, yes! This METAL had been upgraded! How did you do it? Unbelievable!" Lao Jiu's face was lit up with glee.

Was it one of the miracles that the Blade Warrior was capable of performing?

"Lao Jiu, this is our business. Get out of here now. Leave all the METAL here, please."

"Tee, just let me hear what he has to say, please! I'm just curious."

"Do you want us to repair these or not?"

"Yes, yes... Ok, I will leave you guys alone."

"Ah-Lao Jiu, keep your lips sealed! Wang Tong, you come with me."

Zuoyan nudged Wang Tong and whispered, "Be...careful..." After Wang Tong and Tee disappeared behind the door, Zuoyan and his coworkers hurried to pick up the METAL, then started to study it.

…

"Grab a seat."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Haha, don't be so serious. There is just something I need to know."

"Ask along."

"Have you learned METAL repair before?"

"No... "

"Are you telling me that you had learned METAL repairing in just the last few days?"

"Yes, and no. I have been watching you work, and I had learned a lot from you. I have a good memory, so I remembered all the procedures."

Tee lolled in her chair while scanning Wang Tong's face for a trace of lies, but she couldn't find any.

"So, you are a natural then. Do you mind sharing your secrets of upgrading the METAL?"

"There are no secrets. As you said, that METAL was done for, so I thought might as well giving it a boost using my own soul energy. I didn't know it could upgrade it, hehe" Wang Tong said as he cracked a smile.

"Bang!"

Tee struck wang Tong's head.

"Why—"

"Don't you dare laugh!" Tee's voice carried an edge.

"What is it now?"

"Sigh... You have no idea how many hard working engineers have just been undermined by your natural talent. It's not fair." Tee sighed out her resignation. She knew that even if she could understand Wang Tong's upgrading technique, she wouldn't be able to repeat it, since she lacked the same powerful soul energy as him.

Chapter 449: Karmamudra

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

A mixture of envy and resignation rose inside Tee. Wang Tong's oblivious look didn't help her in coming to terms with the reality that an amateur had easily surpassed her.

As Wang Tong's supervisor, Tee knew she couldn't let her emotion get the better of her. Plus, there was still the possibility that Wang Tong had done it accidentally.

"Wang Tong, you have done well today. How about you join me tomorrow. We can fix that pile of garbage together."

"Awesome!" Wang Tong shouted. Finally, he felt that he was making progress in becoming a part of the team.

"You can leave now."

Tee shook her head as she watched Wang Tong saunter out of the room. She had heard rumors that the heir of the Blade Warrior was a cunning and calculating person. However, the boy full of sincerity and energy didn't seem to fit the description. How would she describe him in the weekly report? Tee pondered on and failed to reach a conclusion. Therefore, she decided to keep on observing Wang Tong for a few more days.

"You look happy today." Ma Xiaoru greeted Wang Tong, whose face bloomed like a flower.

"Thanks to you, Tee finally invited me to work with the rest of the team."

"That's nice."

"Phf... When are you going to come work with us, Boss? What's so exciting about fixing other people's METAL?"

"Can you be more optimistic? Wang Tong is making progress. " Zhou Sisi rose to Karl's comment.

"Sisi, I noticed that your evaluation was always on the top. Can you share some of your experience with us?" Xiaoru asked.

"Wow, good job, Sisi. "

"Well, my rating was still far behind Zhang Jin."

"How about you, Karl?"

"I am bored. When are we going to fight the pirates?"

Everyone shook their heads in disapproval of Karl's childish fantasy for war. War was brutal, terrible, and always tore loved ones apart. If history could have taught the human one thing, it was that war never changed.

The mentioning of war brought Ma Xiaoru's thoughts back to Norton. She held out her hand and squeezed Wang Tong's, and was greeted by a loving and knowing smile.

Karl watched the couple's appalling public affection with much displeasure.

"Hello? You two! We are still here. I am going to see if I can find my soulmate on this ship." Karl started back after he lodged his complaint.

Zhou Sisi's face darkened a little and then said, "What a cute couple! I have other work to do, so I will leave you two alone for now."

In the night, the two often engaged in the practice of Karmamudra. Although it might seem like debauchery in other's eyes, it was one of the most effective methods for cultivation.

"Xiaoru, let's aim for the seventh level of the Tactics of the Enchantress." Wang Tong said excitingly.

Ma Xiaoru nodded with a serious expression. Should Li Ruoer know that Ma Xiaoru was already preparing for level seven, she would be very surprised, since the last time she had heard of Ma Xiaoru's cultivation the latter was still at level four.

As the two started the Karmamudra, their soul energy slowly intertwined with each other. Ma Xiaoru had learned to let go of her body and sea of consciousness, and let Wang Tong take full control. As Wang Tong's soul energy guided the energy inside Ma Xiaoru's body, he kept on searching for ways to improve her cultivation efficiency by increasing the number of GN nodes. Failing that, Wang Tong realized that he was wrong from the beginning. For some reason, the Tactics of the Enchantress worked much better when only one set of GN nodes fueled it. The double GN attribute might do more harm than good to the Enchantress.

Syncing the rhythm of the movement of their soul energy, Wang Tong slowly channeled his soul energy into Ma Xiaoru's body, displacing some of Ma Xiaoru's, and allowing it to flow freely into his own body. As his energy grew, Ma Xiaoru's body reacted to the foreign energy and tried to push it back. It was critical not to resist her body's natural instinct. Therefore, Wang Tong would retreat his energy and let Ma Xiaoru's energy flow back to its owner.

This push and pull would last for the entire night. The constant blending of each other's soul energy would eventually give birth to a refreshed and revitalized soul energy in both of their bodies.

When the two first started this practice, it would take them a whole night to complete one round. However, as they got good at it, it would only take them two hours to finish one round. Thanks to Ma Xiaoru's help, Wang Tong's injuries were quickly recovered.

Ma Xiaoru had calculated that the benefit of the Karmamudra was two folds. Firstly, Wang Tong could quickly recover from his injuries, and secondly, the appearance of having fallen into debauchery due to the stigma of Karmamudra would lower the guard of Wang Tong's enemies.

Like everything else in this world, the power of any tactics came from the balance of Yin and Yang, and that was why Karmamudra was such an effective method for improving cultivation. Since Wang Tong's soul energy was much more powerful than Ma Xiaoru's, intermingling their soul energies was particularly beneficial for her advancement.

After each round of Karmamudra, both of their soul energies would return to their owner's body, releasing a wave of sensation that gave a more intense euphoria than a climax. As the exhilaration shot through Ma Xiaoru's system, her body tensed up, face reddened and eyes half closed. Her half-naked body was more inviting and tantalizing than ever. This was the enchantress's ultimate ability, to reach nirvana together with her lover in a tight embrace of infinite intimacy.

Wang Tong was reveling in the waves after waves of sensual rushes. After each rush, Wang Tong craved that the next wave would be more intense than the one before. Meanwhile, he marveled at the brilliance of the Blade Warrior for inventing the tactics of the Enchantress.

"Babe, we are almost done Karmamudra. It's about time to finish our business." Wang Tong said as he clenched muscles in his groin, pumping more blood into his jackhammer. It responded by doubling its size.

"No...Too big..Too…" Ma Xiaoru moaned, but she didn't resist.

"Haha. I'm only beginning." Seeing Ma Xiaoru have completely surrendered to him, Wang Tong felt a rush of satisfaction.

Although physical stimulation was necessary while they were engaged in Karmamudra, it was nowhere nearly as intense as when they got right down to the business.

Ma Xiaoru felt a slight pain at first, but it only lasted a few seconds. As her body naturally responded to the stimulation, wetting her mouth and area around Wang Tong's red-hot iron, the pleasure soon intoxicated her.

It was not the first time Wang Tong toiled in the bed. He knew exactly what he needed. His hands danced around Ma Xiaoru's body and finally rested on her butt...

…

The next day morning, Wang Tong returned to his job and found out that Tee was already there.

"Come help me. I have already separated them into piles based on the severity of damage." Tee said.

"Be right there." Wang Tong replied, eager to learn new skills.

Tee cracked a smile and said, "Well, I think you should open a mechanic shop instead of joining the army."

"That's not a bad idea." Wang Tong smiled and then started the inspection. Once he detected the damaged nodes in the internal wiring of the suits using his "X-Ray" vision, his next task was to re-connect the damaged nodes.

Tee watched Wang Tong's work in awe. Soul Scoping, a.k.a. "X-Ray vision", was not only a skill of the highest level engineers, but also required a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the wiring diagram by rot. How did Wang Tong do that?

Unknown to Tee, Wang Tong's ability didn't rely on memorization or experience. Instead, it relied on his acute sense of soul energy. He could simply trace along the soul energy's imprint on the METAL to find out the damaged nodes

Chapter 450: Life Is Not A Popularity Contest

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Although Tee was one of the best at diagnostics, Wang Tong could finish the job much faster than her. It would take Tee at least five minutes to come up with a conclusion, but Wang Tong needed only a few seconds, and he would know exactly what had gone wrong.

Tee picked up a piece of METAL that Wang Tong had just dropped and asked curiously, "Can you tell me what is wrong with this one?"

Wang Tong scanned the METAL and replied without hesitation, "There are eight damaged parts. The worst is at its energy crystal, and then the..."

After hearing Wang Tong's diagnosis, Tee's eyes were green with envy. It had taken her over ten minutes to come up with the same diagnosis, but it only took Wang Tong less than two minutes.

As Tee was steeped in envy and amazement, Zuoyan and other coworkers walked into the room. Tee gathered herself and announced, "We have lots to do today, so we will team up. Zuoyan, you will help Wang Tong. Qianfen and Locks, you two will follow me."

"Yes, captain!"

Zuoyan scurried to Wang Tong and said, "Let me know what you want. I am so glad that I can learn from you!"

"Oh, you... haha! I have a lot to learn as well. Here, I have already gone over these pieces. Why don't you help me make a list of parts that we need?"

"I'm on it right away!"

After Zuoyan took out a notepad and a pen, Wang Tong repeated the parts that each of the METAL required. The long list went on and on, and everyone listened as they fell in awe of Wang Tong's amazing memory.

How could he remember the parts for each and every one of the METAL suits without error?

Although Wang Tong's coworkers had witnessed a miracle yesterday, they still worried that the youngster might slip up and make a small but costly mistake.

"Captain, do you think we should double check his work?" Qianfen asked. As a seasoned technician, he was well aware that the devils were in the details.

"No need." Tee shook her head. She knew Wang Tong was a competent mechanic, and he was able to remember all the parts without any mistake. To many people, the difference between each METAL was seemingly indiscernible. However, to Wang Tong, each piece was unique.

After Zuoyan had finished making a list, Wang Tong announced, "Let's start!"

Zuoyan's face was lit up with glee. After having witnessed Wang Tong's skills, the scene of Wang Tong repairing the METAL gripped his mind for the entire night. He couldn't wait to see his skills again.

Wang Tong was quickly absorbed in his work, making a few adjustments here and there. Zuoyan also started to learn the cues and knew the exact time to hand in the correct parts or tools. Thanks to the excellent teamwork, they were able to increase their efficiency vastly.

Soon, Wang Tong noticed that regardless of the type of damages the METAL had received, as long as he used his soul essence to initiate the repair, the rest of the work became very easy. The more METAL he got his hands on, the more he learned about the internal composition of this sophisticated equipment.

As Wang Tong sped up his repair, Zuoyan quickly fell behind. Tee assigned two extra technicians to Wang Tong to keep up with him.

Cheers erupted inside the maintenance room as Wang Tong finished repairing the last piece of METAL. By then, it was already dark outside. Wang Tong and his team had finished one week worth of work in just one day.

Wang Tong wiped the sweat off his forehead. It was hard work, but was worth it. They had worked through the day, and no one paused to take a break. They had learned a lot from Wang Tong, not only his techniques, but also his innovative way of thinking. They started to think outside the box, and were no longer afraid of bending the rules in conventional repairing methods.

Tee watched Wang Tong with an approving smile. The rumors were true, the heir of the Blade Warrior was a genius.

However, she refrained from giving Wang Tong too many compliments, since whether these repaired METAL were up to the mark was yet to be seen. The only way to test them was to put them to use.

"Well done, everyone! Wang Tong, you did a good job. Zuoyan, please send these METAL to Lao Jiu. "

"Yes, mam!"

Everyone was proud of how much they had achieved today. Thanks to Wang Tong, the had done the impossible and saved the lives of many METAL suits.

Lao Jiu stared at the truckload of brand new METAL in disbelief, as if his eyes had deceived him. He knew that this was possible all thanks to Wang Tong, and therefore, he made up his mind to steal this talent from Tee.

Tee invited everyone to the pub after they had tidied up the shop. Not only could they celebrate today's success, but it was also an excellent way for team building.

After having gained everyone's approval, Wang Tong fell in love with his life in the maintenance crew. He realized that the rank of the job was irrelevant, since being happy at work was the most important factor. Plus, his experience so far was not entirely useless in improving his combat ability. Wang Tong had gained significant insight into the powers and limitations of METAL suits, and he reckoned that this knowledge would help him in future combats.

Half drunk while holding a glass in his hand, Wang Tong suddenly decided to use the soul scoping ability on the glass. What he saw amazed him: even something as ordinary as a glassful of wine had an intricate soul imprint. The revelation made Wang Tong curious as to what the world would look like under soul-scope.

The soul-scope ability had spurred him to think outside the box while cultivating. Sometimes, the best combat skills were not learned in tactics, but from the seemingly plain, day-to-day life.

Wang Tong had finally realized that in order to further his cultivation, he should not focus solely on combat skills. Instead, he should widen his view and draw inspiration from other aspects of life.

While thinking, Wang Tong shifted his gaze from the glass to the flower set on the table, and wondered what biological material would look like under the soul scope. He had expected something extraordinary, since he knew that the soul scoping ability was linked to his soul essence, the mysterious power inside all living things.

At first sight, it was nothing spectacular. However, as Wang Tong looked closer, he discerned many wisps of energy dancing around the petals.

"The essence of life!"

Inexplicably, Wang Tong felt that the flower greeted him as a refreshing jet of energy came over him like a crisp morning breeze.

Everyone watched in surprise as the half-wilted flower in Wang Tong's hand bloomed, its pleasant fragrance permeating the pub.

Tee swallowed down her surprise and asked, "Is that a party trick?"

Wang Tong cracked a smile and replied, "Yes."

Wang Tong's calm expression couldn't hide his overwhelming joy. He had finally gained the key to the secrets of the ultimate power in the universe. How much did he wish that Ma Xiaoru was there to share the joy with him?

"I just remembered that I have some stuff to finish at home. I will see you guys tomorrow! " Wang Tong said as he stormed out of the pub.

Tee knotted her brows. Of course, she didn't believe what she saw was just a party trick. A soldier's instinct told her that the earthling boy was hiding something from her.

"Patroclus, since when did you start stargazing?" Zhang Jin asked curiously.

"Why do you thinking the world allows the great houses to exist?" Patroclus responded Zhang Jin with a question.

Zhang Jin was taken by surprise and answered without much thinking, "Because it does? I don't know."

Patroclus pointed a finger to the distant stars and said, "Compared to the universe, the humans are small and pathetic, weak souls in even weaker bodies."

"I couldn't agree with you more. The usage of soul energy didn't change the fact that the human body is fragile. But, I believe that everything was made equal. If the humans had tenacious bodies like the Zergs, the balance in the universe would be broken."

"You are a Zhang through and through. Everything has a reason in your book, doesn't it?"

"Yes and no. On a more interesting note, do you want to know what Wang Tong had done this time to impress everyone? "

Chapter 451: Outer-Space City Network

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Patroclus had only failed once in his life, and it was at the hands of Wang Tong. Therefore, Zhang Jin knew that nothing would pique the Ivantian's interest like Wang Tong.

"Do tell."

"He was dispatched to the maintenance crew, a d*ck move on Kaost's part, and he has fished repairing over fifty sets of METAL in just one day. His efficiency was practically equivalent to that of the best Ivantian technician I have ever seen."

Patroclus didn't seem to be surprised by the news. He cast a sidelong glance at Zhang Jin and asked, "Do you think that my target is Wang Tong?"

Zhang Jin was taken by surprise, so she asked, "Is it not?"

"Hehe, he is no match for me. I had allowed him to defeat me during our last encounter." Patroclus said, his voice lacking any emotion.

"You allowed him?" Zhang Jin was shocked by what she heard.

"Don't let him fool you. He is no match against an Einherjar. I just wanted to know what it was like to be the loser for once." Patroclus still didn't look Zhang Jin right in the eyes. He licked his lips, making them glisten against the pale moonlight.

"But I saw it, that final lance strike was—"

"…was incredible, yes. But, he is not powerful enough to control it." Patroclus cut her shot and said with a cold sneer on his face.

"But...why did you let him..." Zhang Jin was at a loss. She that found the Patroclus in front of her was no longer the candid Ivantian Prince that she used to know.

"The outcome doesn't matter to me. I live for myself, not for anyone else. If it was otherwise, what would be the point of living? "

Zhang Jin uttered quietly, "We also live by rules. Patroclus…"

"Jin, you are my best friend, I will never hurt you. But, I can't promise the same for others. Please, let me go." Patroclus touched Zhang Jin's face and smiled. There was a sense of crude finality in his actions and words.

After Patroclus left the room, Zhang Jin found it hard to gather herself. She was deeply disturbed by Patroclus' recent strange behavior.

Could he really be the culprit that Samantha was looking for? No, it was impossible!

The next day, the trainee review committee had made some significant changes to the scoreboard: Wang Tong had risen from rank 55 to the top ten list.

However, this big change didn't catch many people's attention, as everyone was focused on Li Shiming and his team. Li Shiming not only had a silver tongue, but was also an expert in attracting the public's attention.

Wang Tong didn't mind the change on the scoreboard either. To him, his recent breakthrough in his understanding of the soul essence was much more profound than the uptick in ranking.

Unlocking the full power of the soul essence would grant Wang Tong immorality and invincibility, but he knew that he was still too weak for such power by a long chalk. The first hurdle he had to pass before he could claim the real power of soul essence was to become an Einherjar.

How did Patroclus do it with such ease while it was so difficult for him?

It suddenly occurred to Wang Tong that his final lance attack shouldn't have ended the tournament.

Something was amiss, but Wang Tong couldn't put the finger on it.

…

The Ark had finally arrived at its first outer space depot: the Luolan outer space depot.

Although interstellar traveling was made possible thanks to the space warping technology, the warping point was relatively far from major human settlements. In order to connect the human settlements with the warping point, the confederation had constructed numerous space depots along the way. Together, these space cities were called Space City Network. It was one of the key elements of the confederations' space infrastructure program.

The space depot Luolan was the first stop of the network, connecting the warping point to the settlements in the Andromeda Galaxy.

The citizens of space cities had lived a different lifestyle than land-dwellers. They had their own vibrant and unique culture that couldn't be found anywhere else.

Due to their obscure locations, these space cities were easy targets for pirate raids. In order to protect themselves, some of the cities had even reached an "agreement" with the outlaws.

It was easier said than done to construct a space city in the harsh environment of the outer space. Without a huge profit, these space cities would never be built in the first place. With the increasingly prosperous settlements in the Andromeda Galaxy, businesses that connected the settlement with the outside world had become more profitable. The seemingly endless source of revenue had kept the floating cities alive, despite the rampant pirate activities.

Nevertheless, not everyone fancied a life on the spaceship, since it was indisputably rough and difficult, and the situation had been much worse fifty years ago.

Fifty years ago, the confederation's ignorance of the scourge of pirates had led to a rebellion. Although the rebelling forces had eventuality put down their arms, they were able to force the Confederation to loosen its grip on the space cities. From then on, the space city had enjoyed much greater autonomy than any other parts of the world. They had built their own military and even had their own government. The confederation's initial compromise ended up to be a win-win solution, since the confederation could still reap benefits through taxes, but they also avoided the costly responsibility of guarding these cities.

After a few decades, the space cities had finally become the breeding ground of pirate bands. The passing through of the Ark was a display of strength, emblematic of the confederation's firm new stance on zero-tolerance for colluding with outlaws.

"Captain, Mayor of Luolan is on the line."

"Connect."

The screen lit up, and Kaost saw an energetic young fellow on the screen. His name was Carmen, mayor of Luolan.

Carmen wore a warm and affectionate smile on his face as he spoke first, "As the mayor of the city, on behalf of all citizens, I welcome you and your crew."

"Thank you for your hospitality. We will be sending you a list of supplies we are in an urgent need of. Your help in restocking those supplies will be greatly appreciated. "

"It is my honor, Captain."

"Thank you, Mayor. A lot of us had never been to Luolan. Care if you give them a tour?"

"We are more than happy to provide a guided tour to strengthen our mutual understanding."

The first meeting between the captain and the Mayor went very well. The promise of touring an outer-space space city had also lightened everyone's mood.

"Captain, as a die-hard supporter of the confederation, Carmen didn't change at all." Samantha piped up.

"Hehe, we will see. This is only our first stop along the network. There will be difficulties and struggles ahead of us."

"For the sake of your safety, I should go meet the mayor in person in your stead."

Kaost nodded in approval before he fell into deep thoughts again.

Meanwhile, Luolan had transmitted a promotion video about the city, and it was broadcasted all over the Ark.

"Luolan, a metropolitan in the outer space... A place to live; a place to call home..."

The screen displayed a "typical scene" on Luolan: White fluffy clouds against the deep blue sky, chirping birds and skittish deer filling the emerald colored forest… Meandering rivers that reflected the sunlight, making it look like a stream of gems…It was heaven.

Chapter 452: Reunion

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The residents on the Ark watched the beautiful scenery with great anticipation. If the space city were truly as beautiful as the promotion video described, they would love to visit it.

Not only would Ark replenish its supply at Luolan, but Kaost would have to carry out the task given by the Confederation as well. The tour would have to wait until the negotiations were over.

Wang Tong's workload had been reduced after he had finished that truckload of METAL yesterday, so he had time to gaze out of the window and enjoy the view of the floating city in the distance. He wagered that the people on Luolan must be living an affluent and peaceful life. Not only was the city situated at the key transportation node, but it also boasted an impenetrable defense.

The Mayor of Luolan appeared on the screen. Carmen had inherited over one-third of the property in the city, as well as the title of mayor from his ancestors. Carmen started to introduce the City of Luolan in an enthusiastic voice. Wang Tong didn't like his voice or look. Something about this man made Wang Tong's stomach churn.

"Attention! The Ark will connect with Luolan in ten minutes."

Wang Tong knew it was time for him to get back to work, and it was when he saw Tee storm into the room with anger written all over her face.

"What's going on, Tee?"

"Damn that old fool! He was trying to steal my crew. Luckily I noticed what he was up to. Otherwise, I would be so pissed!"

Lao Jiu had handed in an application to the management, asking for more hands. He had splurged ink on his difficulties, but towards the end, he proposed only one candidate to be added to his team: Wang Tong. Luckily Tee saw the application before it got into the hands of the managers, and threw it right into the paper shredder. The managers knew nothing about Wang Tong's talent, so they would most likely transfer him to Lao Jiu's team in order to placate the latter. The squeaky wheel always got the grease after all.

Wang Tong smiled helplessly. As he was about to provide his consolation to Tee, they heard loud and urgent footsteps at the door.

"Tee, Tee… Get ready! The Three Tigers are here! Would it be that some of those METAL we had repairs had defects?"

"What are the three tigers…? Oh...you mean them?" Tee jumped out of her seat and turned to Wang Tong. "You stay here, Wang Tong. Zuoyan, follow me."

At the outer gate, Luo Sen threw his body at three large soldiers to stop them from entering the shop. All three soldiers' faces were knotted, and it seemed that fire was going to spout out of their mouths at any moment.

"What brings you three here?"

"Captain Tee, please hand him over to us."

Tee cast them an accusatory look and said, "He works for me, and I have checked his work. So, if there is any problem, I will be solely responsible for it!"

"I am afraid it is beyond your pay grade."

"Well, try me!"

"What a feisty woman! No wonder you are the right arm of Kaost. Well... we are not here to hurt that boy. In fact, we are here to say "thank you" to him, personally."

"Don't you dare take him away from us."

"Hehe… You and Lao Jiu work for the same department, so you will still see him around. Technically, he will be still working with you. Lao Jiu is getting old and useless. We need help."

Tee Rolled her eyes and said coldly, "No."

Tee was never too charitable towards people who she didn't like. The officers on the Ark had two cliques, one consisted of Kaost's old subordinates while the other group consisted of fighters from all over the confederation. Tee was one of Kaost's closest assistant while the three in front of Tee happened to be in the wrong league. In addition, the three brutes were well known for their ignorance and lack of care for their equipment. If they knew that Wang Tong could fix whatever they damaged, they would only grow more careless while handling their METAL.

"So, sounds like you won't give us face."

"You had lost your face a long time ago! Walk over my dead body if you want to take him away from me!" Tee refuted.

"Perfect. I have heard about your fighting skills, and I can finally see it for myself today."

"Boss, let me do it for you." One of the brutes stepped forward. He wore an eye patch, which made his face look more menacing than the other two.

None of the maintenance workers dared to rise up to the insult. These soldiers wouldn't give up until someone spilled blood.

"Hold on!"

Wang Tong appeared in the courtyard. He had been listening to the conversation, and could no longer sit in the room and let Tee to protect him.

"I told you to lay low!" Tee grunted.

Wang Tong didn't mind Tee's scathing remark, but he was shocked when he saw the faces of the three troublemakers.

"Jansining! Third and Big O!"

"AH-HA! I knew it was my bro, Wang Tong!"

The four hugged each other. Jansining patted Wang Tong's shoulder and announced, "We had thought that it was you ever since we heard that there was a Wang Tong on the Ark."

"You are doing very well, Wang Tong. Much better than us! Haha!"

"No kidding! What are you now… Heir of the Blade Warrior? "

"You guys knew each other?" Tee was rendered speechless by the sudden turn of events.

"Captain, these three are my friends. Can I take a break and catch up with them?"

Tee nodded without much thinking.

"Haha, Tee, we were just pulling your leg. We don't want to transfer Wang Tong to our team. We just wanted to see him."

"No worries." Tee shrugged.

The four filed into a bar Chugging down a large glass of beer, they were all absorbed in the joy of reunion.

"Captain, I can feel that you all have improved your strength. What happened?"

"Haha! We are not sure either. After the terrible thing on Norton, our combat skill and soul energy have been improving by leap and bounds. After the bigwigs noted our improvement, we were dispatched to this Ark expedition. We never thought that we would meet you here again! Haha! We can finally fight together now."

"Nah... I am just a maintenance guy, not a soldier."

"Are you kidding me? What the hell is Kaost thinking? You should be at least a fire team leader!" Big O shouted. "Jansining, it seems like we are not the only ones that have been mistreated."

"Calm down, Big O. Although I'm not on combat duty, I have learned a lot at the maintenance crew here."

"Don't worry, Wang Tong. I would talk to Kaost if I got a chance."

Wang Tong waved his hand and said, "It's fine. Our Principle, the first mate of the ship, had already talked to him about it. The order is clear: he doesn't want me to join any combat activities."

"Haha, doesn't matter. You are the best wherever you go!" Third gave Wang Tong a thumb up. He was still amazed by Wang Tong's repairing skills.

"Ah, by the way, come to visit us often. You can show my crew a thing or two about fighting."

"Haha… will do!"

…

Luolan was constructed in the shape of a giant wheel. The passengers of the Ark were elated as they approached the space city; the trip so far had been excellent.

In the city, everyone watched the gigantic ship with amazement, as they had never seen a ship this big before.

"Carmen is waiting for you at the entrance, Samantha. The rest is all up to you now."

"Rest assured, I will complete my mission." Samantha saluted to Kaost.

"Captain, do you think she will need more protection? Looks like she only has a small team with her." Hill suggested quietly.

Kaost shook his head and said, "We need to build trust with our friends in the city. Plus, they won't do anything while our ship is so close to their city. But you have a point… Tell the security not to let their guard down."

"Yes, captain."

"And, can you show me the list again?"

"Yes captain, I will send it to you right away."

Kaost turned on his skynet and double-checked the list of persons who would enter the city. Wang Tong was not on the list.

…

"Balls! How come Patroclus got to go first?" Porten slammed the desk in anger. He thought he would be on the list, since he was the son of the chairman.

Chapter 453: Sneak Off The Ship

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Li Shiming cracked a smile and then said, "You need to calm down Porten. It's just a show anyway."

"You mean..." Porten gazed at Li Shiming with confusion on his face.

"I mean, there is no need to be riled up for such a trivial thing. Plus, it's a good opportunity for us to observe Patroclus. " Li Shiming said thoughtfully. Action spoke louder than words. Only Patroclus's actions would tell what he was really after.

Li Shiming had always thought that Patroclus only cared about his cultivation. However, he wagered that after the tournament, the Ivantian Prince would be more or less distracted by the events unfolding around him. Li Shiming smelled an opportunity for him to catch up while his opponent was sidetracked.

Patroclus was relatively a newbie in wading through the complicated web of political affairs, but that was not the case for Li Shiming. He had been groomed to not only be a powerful fighter, but also a shrewd politician. As a result, he knew how to balance his cultivation and business much better than Patroclus.

Slow and steady won the race after all.

Having an unmatched natural talent could be a double-edged sword, since the lack of challenge would evidently lead to over-confidence, and render Patroclus more vulnerable to conceit.

Along with this line of thinking, Li Shiming concluded that Patroclus was more inexperienced than Lie Jian. No doubt that he was the most powerful fighter among his competitors, but history never lacked extremely powerful warriors that failed to reach to the top. Politics was a deadlier weapon than any other tactics.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong was absorbed in his repairing work when he heard Tee asking him, "Wang Tong, do you want to get off the ship to have some fresh air? I have heard the scenery on Luolan is gorgeous."

"Uh? I thought we are not allowed to leave the ship without permission." Wang Tong asked.

"Ha! It seems like you do have some respect for rules. We are not going off the ship just to have some fresh air, kid. We are also going to restock our parts."

"Awesome! Let me prepare!"

"What is there to prepare for? You want to dress yourself up like a girl?"

"Ah… Ok...Let's go then."

Everyone knew that Tee was the captain's closest assistant, so no one questioned them as they sauntered out of the ship to the dock.

"Aren't you jealous that Kaost had sent Patroclus as the students' representative? "

Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "No. Why should I?"

"You are the champion of the tournament, aren't you? You are the heir of the Blade Warrior. If I were you, I would be kicking at that old jerk's door right now." Tee cast a sidelong glance at Wang Tong as she was caught by surprise by Wang Tong's lack of ambition.

"Tee, is it just the two of us?"

"Of course, you idiot! Are you expecting them to roll out the red carpet for two mechanics?"

In between Tee's scathing words, Wang Tong read the message clear and loud: Tee had left the ship without permission.

The two of them rented a Maglev from the dock and then drove straight into the heart of the city. As they approached Luolan, they found themselves in a modern and bustling city.

"I thought all space-cities were ghettos." Wang Tong stretched his body, enjoying the fresh air that wheezed by his arm.

Tee adjusted her aviator sunglasses and said, "This is one of the best space cities. But, life here is definitely not easy. It's harder to see on the surface."

"Tee, is there something you are not telling me about why we are out about in the city?" Wang Tong asked suspiciously.

"Nah, you are overthinking." Tee said with a sarcastic smile on her face. She ducked down and inched closer toward Wang Tong, "Shut your trap, or else I will make you regret it!"

"Ok...I will not talk about it..." Wang Tong could not wrench his gaze away from the half exposed bosom and an alluring deep cleavage right in front of him.

Seeing Wang Tong's gawking, Tee laughed out loud—men were all stupid. Her secret mission turned out to be much more benign than Wang Tong has suspected- it was shopping.

Meanwhile, in front of the main gate of Luolan, Samantha was greeted by a Carmen and his entourage which consisted of the powerful landlords of the city and their family.

"Councilor Samantha, I have heard so much about you! " Carmen greeted Samantha with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Mayor Carmen. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you in person."

"Ah-of course! It is my pleasure. Come now, we will talk business later. "

"I will be following you."

"Ah…No needs to be polite. You are home now, councilor. "

As the group filed into the mayor's residence, Samantha was caught off guard by the lavish dinner Carmen had prepared for her. 'They are afraid of me.' Samantha thought to herself.

A throng of girls quickly surrounded Patroclus, most of whom were still in high school. The way they ogled at the Ivantian made Samantha worried that they were going to eat him alive.

"Mr. Carmen, can we show Patroclus around?" One of the young girls asked.

"We have been waiting for him for days! Please approve Mr. Carmen!"

"Don't be stingy, Carmen! "

Carmen grinned and then answered, "Sorry about that, Patroclus. Girls in Luolan are very hospitable. Would you like to accompany these girls?"

Patroclus cracked a smile and then said, "Yes, of course."

All the other male representatives watch in envy as Patroclus walked out with a crowd of young girls.

After Patroclus was gone, Carmen smiled faintly and waved a signal at his guards. The guards quickly surrounded him and Samantha.

"Everything is ready."

"Ready to board the ship?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry; I have already arranged the rest for you."

Carmen waved again and the guards dispersed.

"Haha, it was so nice to see you, Councilor Samantha. And, it was my honor to meet the heir of House Dower. However, I know that the heir of the Blade Warrior was on the ship as well. Why don't I see him around? Did he not think Luolan was up to the scratch?"

"Of course, he wanted to visit Luolan. But, he is on duty today, so he couldn't come with me. If you want to meet with him, I can easily arrange that."

"Ah, that will be greatly appreciated! I'm not sure you are aware that my ancestors had been supporters of the Blade Warrior as well."

Samantha smiled and nodded. She had been looking for an excuse to reassign Wang Tong a new duty, and Carmen's request made it much easier for her.

Wang Tong and Tee didn't drive far, stopping at a duty-free shop and buying some clothing and exotic perfumes. On their way back, they noticed that the space city security had set up a blockade.

"You, you there… Come here for an inspection!"