CHAPTER 8: New Rank 4 HTB Suits

"It's exactly what you think" replied Leng Shi who was quiet this entire time.

"Wonders shall never end" said their Dad as Wuwei Shi sat back down in his chair.

Wuwei Shi could only answer with a nod.

"But... But did it really happen?" asked Zhen Shi hesitantly.

"Of course, if it didn't happen, it won't be right here in front of you" answered Lei Shi before he added "We killed Poland and Huo Feng"

*Thud* now it was Zhen Shi whose butt fell back down on his seat.

There was silence, only after long time was it broken by their Dad who shrugged and said "Well, that's what hard work and polished fighting skills get you". He then asked "Odds of them tracking you?"

"Nil" answered Lei Shi. He continued "We wore our masks throughout, didn't leave even a single drop of our blood behind and left with our ship camouflaged before any of the reinforcements arrived." He sighed then added "Luckily, the diversion we made by setting off the alarms at other facilities delayed them long enough for us to escape"

"If that's the case, then we might as well celebrate the success" said their Dad as he shrugged his shoulders. Then he added with his fists pumped into the air "Who's in for seconds?"

"Me!!!" they all exclaimed in response while each of them also pumped a fist into the air. They then all trooped to the kitchen once more, cooked another meal together that was even more lavishing than the first, returned to the dining room with the food and ate together as they drank one of their Dad's special reserve wine.

"After I fix Leng Shi's HTB suit that was mildly damaged with the slash on his back, and Poland's damaged HTB suit, I will be able to exchange all the four HTB suits for two high-grade Customized Rank 3 HTB suits but if add the 50,000 units to the mix, Hehehe. Getting Rank 4 HTB suits won't be a daydream." Zhen Shi prattled as he stuffed his mouth with food.

"Calm down, Bro. No need to get so excited, let me at least redeem the reward first" said Wuwei Shi.

However, smiles crept over the twins faces when they heard Zhen Shi say 'Rank 4 HTB suits', it meant them risking their lives wasn't a waste.

After their little celebration, and taking a small nap, Wuwei Shi went to the Dark Star Agency, submitted the egg and redeemed the 50,000 units reward.

The Dark Star Agency was a body that issued missions for itself and on behalf of other people. The missions usually required one to kill, steal, destroy, find, abduct, create, grow, guard, etc. someone or something. It was created by an unknown power that was so terrifying that even though people knew that the Dark Star Agency was the cause of their suffering, they didn't dare to retaliate.

For instance, the mission the twins just accomplished; it entailed that they steal the Three-horned Komodo dragon egg. This egg was a result of one of the few successful crosses between one of Earth's terrestrials and the Invaders. It was between Earth's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon and a foreign life form that looked like a rhinoceros with three horns.

Usually, crosses were unsuccessful due to incompatibility of the species involved or inferior nature of earth's species in DNA structure and body size. However, success meant the production of a new, superior breed of animals, one that possessed some of the Invader life-form's qualities, at the same time, being compatible with Earth's atmosphere. This made such hybrids extremely valuable, valuable to the point that the Dark Star Agency, or whoever, was willing to pay 50,000 units for one Three-horned Komodo dragon egg.

Funnily enough, even though Kangaroo Corps knew that Dark Star Agency was responsible for the loss of their egg, the death of two of their Rank 3 HTB suit wielders, and the subsequent stealing of their suits, they couldn't do anything about it, because other than the fact that they were terrified of the power behind it, they couldn't even find out if it was the agency itself or someone else that issued the mission.

Even if they discovered that it wasn't the Agency, they couldn't find out who issued the mission nor would they be able to find out who completed it, because the agency kept both the issuer and the accomplisher of the mission absolutely confidential. Not even the issuer and the accomplisher knew themselves because the agency was the intermediary.

Not even information on those who accepted a certain mission was exposed, that was why Wuwei Shi could waltz into the agency to redeem the reward. Then again, the Agency didn't really care who accepted the mission or redeemed the reward as long as they got what wanted, because many a times, those who did this weren't the ones who carried out the missions themselves and were just messengers.

The reason Huo Feng knew Leng Shi was coming was because Leng Shi announced that he was going to look for Huo Feng for a fight with the reason being that he wanted to prove that ice-users were superior, and that he was only so powerful because he wielded a Rank 3 HTB suit.

That was why he didn't expect Lei Shi to steal the Three-horned komodo dragon egg while he and Poland were fighting Leng Shi, and also why he didn't overtly use his HTB suit's power and used close-combat when he was dueling Leng Shi, he was trying to prove Leng Shi wrong that he was a great swordsman, and that fire-users were stronger. That decision led to his death.

Wuwei Shi redeemed the reward, returned with the 50,000 units, and gave them to Zhen Shi, who after fixing the damaged HTB suits, went to Acme Tech Company, and exchanged all four HTB suits together with the 50,000 units for two brand new Rank 4 HTB suits.

Immediately Zhen Shi stepped into their house with the new HTB suits vessels, Lei Shi and Leng Shi ambushed, wrestled and seized the HTB suit vessels from him because they couldn't wait for him to make adjustments to, and customize the new HTB suits.

Upon seeing the four golden stars on each of the new HTB suits vessels, their eyes began to look a little crazed that it frightened Zhen Shi who had just gotten up from being wrestled. They had to know what a Rank 4 HTB suit felt like.

Quickly, the twins each equipped the HTB suit vessels, aligned them to their spines, and without any delay, triggered them to be donned.

The suits, as usual, began enveloping them, starting from their backs, then to their chests and arms, and then it formed new Bracelets around their wrists, which then formed gloves around their hands. New belts which were made from the same special material as the HTB suit vessels emerged from the HTB suit vessels and wrapped around their waists, the belts then released more parts that formed trousers around their butts and thighs, and then it formed new shin guards around their calves which then formed boots around their feet.

The transformation ended. Although it was instantaneous just like the other times that they donned their HTB suits, they could clearly 'feel' that it was faster. So fast that it surpassed the instantaneous transformation done by Huo Feng at the hidden facility of Kangaroo Corps, and this was with it having to take extra time to form the belt, bracelets and shin guards, since they weren't already on their bodies as that was their first time donning it. That meant that the next time they donned their HTB suits, it would be faster.

After the transformation, no one said anything. Leng Shi and Lei Shi just stood there; mute, while Zhen Shi looked at the suits with stars in his eyes.

The suits made them slightly taller; they looked like battle armors in some ways, and exuded formless pressure. They looked majestic.

*Silence*

*Inhale* Suddenly, Lei Shi and Leng Shi inhaled deeply.

*Pause* they remained like that, without exhaling, for thirty seconds, before finally exhaling.

"Damn, I just love that new car smell" said Lei Shi after exhaling.

"Bang"

"Hong"

Lei Shi punched Leng Shi's chest as soon as his words fell while Leng Shi, as if having reading his mind, simultaneously punched his head. But surprisingly, instead of Leng Shi knocking out Lei Shi due to previous experiences of HTB suits not providing any protection for the head, a helmet emerged from the neck of Lei Shi's HTB suit, and wrapped around his head, shielding him from the punch.

*Rumble* the entire house trembled from both collisions, seeming as though it may collapse.

"Cool!" exclaimed Lei Shi from behind his helmet which also served as a mask.

"It indeed is cool, Master" said a male voice

"Who the fuck said that?" asked Leng Shi as he looked around the room warily, raising his guard, and being on full alert.

"No need to be alarmed, I am the owner of that voice" the male voice sounded out again, then Lei Shi's helmet returned back into his HTB suit.

This time, the voice was clearly coming from the inside of Lei Shi's HTB suit, it said "My name is Ryan, and I am the Artificially Intelligent monitor of this Rank 4 High Technology Body Suit".

"Cool" said Zhen Shi upon hearing the AI monitor's words.

"Do you wish to hear the other capabilities of this Rank 4 HTB suit?" asked the AI monitor whose name was Ryan

"Who would've thought Rank 4 HTB suits have AI monitors?" asked Zhen Shi to himself vocally. He then looked at Leng Shi and Lei Shi, and asked "Do you see why you should let me check it out first before you charge ahead and try out your new HTB suits?"

"Well, go ahead and answer Ryan" after receiving no reply from them, Zhen Shi urged Lei Shi to answer his AI monitor.

"Uhm... Yes, Tell me" Lei Shi answered Ryan warily.