A bit Popular...

"... A total of seventy-three patrol offices and a two respond unit who were found guilty of conspiring together with the pirates have been sent to prison for a lifetime. Also, twenty mercenaries group that bravely fought alongside the security personnel against the pirates has been hugely rewarded...

... On the other news, the competition about to take place..."

"Wow. I didn't make it in news. Shocker." Eden mumbled in a dull voice.

Grabbing a packet of chips from the storage module, he took some chips out he started munchkin on them while watching the news.

While having everything under one's control was a pretty awesome feeling, it was not the same if they just don't recognize you. Though being recognized as a talented weapon designer was good too.

Getting bored, he left the hotel and began walking around the city. Tall high rise buildings, skyscrapers that pierce through the sky, bustling market area, and crowed paths even with a space large enough to walk around easily. Probably related to the upcoming event.

The competition was going to happen in one month, in other words, he had more than enough time to roam around and do some sightseeing too.

As for the new set of skills, Eden didn't have any plans to buy them any longer. He now only had 15,500SP left.

As he was walking around, a person walked past while knocking at him.

"The hell!" Eden exclaimed while turning around to look at the person.

"Aya!"

"Hey!?"

"Ouch!"

"Watch it!"

A tall person was walking straight ahead like a bull while knocking into anyone that was in his way. However, even after knocking left and right on people, he should no sign of stopping. Also, he was smirking while looking at them from the corner of the eyes.

Just who did he think he was anyway? Knocking at anyone? Also, he just carried on doing it as if all people around him are just nobody.

In a rage, Eden had already started following the guy. Also felt like he had seen the guy somewhere.

Eden even thought of switching on his luck to full right there. However, that could harm others who were surrounding the person.

Also, he first wanted to find the identity of this person.

After following for two minutes, he finally entered a shop.

To be precise, a shop that sold mechanical suits and gene reagents. A shop for those people who wanted to touch or feel any of the stuff before buying can do it here.

Why would anyone want to buy in the real market when you can buy all the stuff in the virtual market? Why would anyone want to touch or feel any stuff before buying anyway?

Well, it probably has something to do with what others call class or standard.

No high-class people wanted to visit a virtual market to buy stuff. The quality and capabilities of a product also weren't that important to them, as much as was it was showing off their spending capabilities.

Still, because the entire collection of products was right there within his scanner range he was able to study each one individually.

The interior of the shop was very huge and luxurious. Few rows of combat suits were lined up from front to all the way back. On the walls, rows and rows of reagents were placed neatly on the glass while a little bit of vapor was also surrounding it.

"Huh! A glossy showcase with inbuilt cooler, Neat."

As he was looking around, he saw the tall guy on the second floor of the shop. Alongside him, was a little smaller guy around the same height as Eden.

"Victor." Finally, he realized why the tall guy looked familiar. He was Victor's brother.

Eden had seen this guy once before, on planet Coco, when that guy was there to meet Victor. Looking at them both, some uncomfortable memories arose.

Taking a deep breath he calmed himself. Whatever happens next is no longer his fault.

He mentally toggled the attribute switch at 500 and began walking around checking the quality of the suits and reagents. Who knew, if he was going to visit the same shop ever again?

"Probably Never."

.....

"So you also took part in the competition. I'm not surprised. But you do realize I am taking part in the competition as well right."

"But didn't you take part in it last year?"

"Yes. But there are no rules that mention I can't take part a second time. Some of the competitors last time who haven't entered the top ten or twenty are also taking part in it. Also, it's a free advertisement."

"Oh! But you already became the top nineteenth the last time?"

"So what? I will take the top spot this time. You have no idea how much I practiced to get to the top. I have heard some of my competitors from last time are also going to complete."

"Brother. Have you taken any boosters?"

"Any? Hahaha... I have gone through a high-grade brain implant, and also taken four reagents. Why don't take a look at my mental attributes?"

Turning on the comm, Laffey showed his brother his status interface. "Look at these numbers."

"Ehh! One hundred and twenty-two mental attributes!?" Victor was gobsmacked.

"Hahaha... So tell me, Victor? Who can stop me?" He laughed looking at the astonished look in his brother's face which he expected. He then continued, "I suggest you take another reagent as well. I heard that the competition is going to change its format from this year onwards and it's going to be a lot harder. "

"What kind of changes?"

"I am not sure. After all, these are only rumors, so I can't be a hundred percent sure. But I have already seen lots of things that have forced me to believe it, a little."

"Umm... Like?"

"Appearance of Special Forces, Military units, and such. Until last time we only happened to come across novices and trainees around this time. Right now, I heard even the border patrol has also been hugely tasked with new assignments."

"Then how were those pirates able to enter the hyperdrive space?"

"I have no information regarding that, neither did they mentioned anything about it in news. However, you do know there are some space cracks out there which just appear out of nowhere. Maybe they used something similar. In any case, those on the higher positions should have now taken care of it."

"When those pirates appeared, I thought we were all done for. But then the military force appears out of nowhere. I couldn't even believe it." Victor spoke remembering the past.

"Those units are probably the ones that are going to be in the competition." Looking at his brother making faces he questioned, " What is it? You are making odd faces."

"Huh! Oh... I remembered some disturbing events on the ship. Nothing else."

"Oh!... Why? What happened?"

"You remember a guy, a Warson kid when I was on the school?"

"No, I don't remember anyone from your school. Just get to the point."

"So after that encounter with the pirates, the military underwent through an inspection."

"That's a normal procedure."

"So they scanned every ship, which probably took around two hours. Everything was fine until they found one person was still in the room hiding."

"Must be a pirate."

"Well, that's what we all thought as well. So three-person from the military unit got into the ship and broken inside the room he was in. And turns out he was a student."

"Ahh, now I get it. Must be this "Eden" guy you are always pissed about."

"Yes." Victor continued, "And I thought he was finally going to get scolding from them when suddenly one of the mercenary leaders comes forward and speaks some words. And all of a sudden all soldiers are like fanboys surrounding him asking this and that."

"So? What about it?"

"It's what happened after. The mercenary guy and those from units checked one of the rifles." Victor made a dramatic pause and continued, "We were all looking at it, and his rifle's damage rate was almost the same as that of the military unit, also it was a lot thinner and actually looked awesome. They went on and on and on and all of a sudden, they are friends."

"Is this guy also taking part in the competition?"

"He is."

"Hmm. Maybe the competition isn't going to be as easy as I thought."

"Also, he claimed that it was already too simple, and he was going to design another weapon that was going to be twice more powerful."

"Twice? How is that possible? All our studying material only allows us to make a weapon with certain capabilities at max. Let's not forget this is a fourth-rate star cluster. Unless he got study material from a second rate or first-rate star system, I think he's just bluffing."

"Well, I will say his bluffing worked on everyone within the ship, at least until the ship entered the terminal."

"Ok. I don't wanna know what happened after that. I know what happens to popular people. Did you check on the rifle's model? I wanna study it."

"I uhh..., I didn't check it."

"You should have at least memorized its model." Laffey replied, "Whatever, you should definitely take a mental booster."

"I will."