Chapter 68: Getting Away with Murder
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ye Chong backed away, absconding from the scene!
It’s now or never. Ye Chong might have seemed foolish for not understanding the bread and butter of routine in humanity, although he was not utterly foolish. He snorted. He knew the situation well enough - if the white mech was ever annihilated, he would be the next target in Johansson’s eyes and would not stand a chance to even grapple! Thinking back about what had happened at the Black Cove, Ye Chong could smell the distinct danger in the air. His intuition was justified by Mu’s analysis which suggested Johansson showing a hidden enmity. Well then, why should I stay back and be skewed when I can run?
If only I have a proper mech, I would have… hhnnggh!
Ye Chong felt dejected for his helplessness.
A stab for Johansson as a farewell gift? Ye Chong’s mischievous mind feared the idea. Judging by the tone when Johansson spoke to him, anyone could have guessed Johansson’s intention of dragging him back to the Black Cove. Johansson did not seem to be keen at murder. However, if only the white mech remained and Johansson actually wanted to get rid of him, it would be the same old bad ending he imagined in his mind...
Ye Chong backed out right when Johansson shouted to initiate the attack, which left Johansson stupefied after pouncing at the white mech. "Why you little-" said Johansson angrily, yet he had better things to worry about, like his own safety. The white mech pointed the gun at Johansson.
Ye Chong did not seem bothered because he was not aware of what that strange-looking gun in the white mech’s hand was. Nonetheless, it was not the same for Johansson. He recognized the gun since he had been infiltrating the FMPA's database the moment he got his own war machine. He had read through the profiles of his nemesis.
The white mech is known elegantly as the "Messenger" - as angelic as it may sound, it is a commonly used unmodified mechs among the aces of the FMPA.
And that gun, known as "Javelin Angel-V", is the true original weapon used by the experts in the association, named after the semicircle curving over the body like wings, glossing in fair pearl white like an angel. It looks more like an art than a killing weapon.
A .20 caliber gun might seem too minuscule to do anything to a mech of 10 meters tall. However, the caliber does not matter, but what it fires does. It would be a total different outcome providing that if it fires nano waves. Calculated based on the Thomson’s law, the nano waves could effortlessly devastate the whole fifty-story building at the maximum capacity of the gun. Given by how there was never a letup from the FMPA, one could already imagine how powerful the gun could be.
Johansson hmphed. He displayed no fright. His eyes were cold. The archival held more than just a grudge towards each other. If the Black Cove never played dirty it would have been long wiped. Johansson recognized the situation. With Black Cove’s strength it shall never be wiped out for real. Though it was a bit unacceptable for Johansson that the FMPA could put up with the Black Cove for this long.
Johansson placed the arm shield before his chest. Zzzzzt! A layer of strange rays started emitting from his dark shield and shrouded Johansson’s body in plasma, which shaped like a slightly dented shield over him and his Cosmic Flare. He then got onto his black mech, the Cosmic Flare.
Johansson moved evasively. Even though he was much slower than Ye Chong in terms of steering, the impressive Cosmic Flare covered up the holes, thus making Johansson a much better driver than Ye Chong on his underdeveloped F-58.
He did not assume that such little trick could chase the enemy away and of course he was not that dumb to assume that would evade them either. The Messenger possessed an impeccable lock-on system that aided less skillful pilots to nail the hit by halving duration of the entire input sequence using its automatic and guided lock-on function which would only sacrifice negligible quantity of accuracy in exchange.
A ray of scorching lilac glared towards Johansson! The transparent plasma shield shook violently for a moment. I knew it! That has to be the nano waves fired from Javelin Angel-V! The shield stabilized quickly. However to Johansson’s horror, he noticed the sharp drop of the battery after the first strike. Fortunately it was also exhausting for Javelin Angel-V to sustain the firepower - if the info obtained was accurate that is…
The possibility of dodging the next attack was meager enough to encourage Johansson to just advance forward fearlessly under his plasma shield. As soon as I get close enough I could finish this guy off in one blow. He travelled towards the enemy, disregarding the possibly massive damage coming at him.
This was the typical brawl between members of FMPA and Black Cove. The Black Covers maintained movements that were more complicated, more depleting with their enhanced physique and dexterity of their hands to complete the input - the archetypal Black Covers; while the FMPA pilots would pull punches with the more avant-garde and automated machineries made out of their flawless craftsmanship to remedy their physical fragility - the classic FMPA members.
The pilots from the Black Cove were known for their combative skills, so one could picture the otherworldly strength in close-combats with the Black Covers. The technology at the Black Cove might be seemingly incompetent compared to the FMPA, but that did not mean they were outdated. The mechs used in Black Cove were contrarily in a status-quo of the leading position when put into comparison with the unmodified mechs in the current market, which makes them ultimately unique in combats for they were those who combined potent pilots and mechs along with bizarre weaponry.
Since the mechs used by the Black Covers were already known to be prime, then the more developed mech technology at the FMPA had to be the greatest. The most sophisticated processor, the most inventive engines, the most pioneering choice of materials, the most innovative mech designs and together they form the most groundbreaking mech in the galaxy. Intellectualization of mech was the breakthrough they achieved where they were possible to make the best decision in a presented scenario within an extremely brief period of time under the assistance of the processor installed. Moreover, they had also created the top ranged weapons with dazzling variety and compelling forces, hence their style of ranged attacks with high mobility was determined.
And that meant the Messenger would be in hot water any moment soon. Johansson charged and had already aimed the possible alley the Messenger could have blinked to if it were to escape, which certainly led to his victory in the end. It could have been a perfect victory, if Ye Chong did not surprise him with that last-minute runaway, in which the Messenger could have escaped back then.
Ye Chong was scurrying from the scene on his mech. There was no way he would turn back now. All engines, maximum speed! He zigzagged through the buildings, trying to hide himself within the ground, though he knew it well that the two big machines could have been too busy fighting each other dead or alive to even care about Ye Chong. It was rather delightful to have lost that white mech. Without that white mech escorting, the police mechs were no longer an issue. A turn here and a spin there, a leap and a sink, through that alley and over the fence, he finally left the proximity of police forces.
Ye Chong went on flying calmly. His mech was too eye-catching, Ye Chong thought it through, wondering if there were more of those white mechs going after him. As for his appearance, only Johansson knew, so he probably would not be identified. Thanks to Johansson who held the annoying mech for me, I can now go into hiding. Ye Chong was feeling smug.
"Oh well, sigh." Ye Chong thought back about beautifully-crafted mech Johansson owned, with envy he lamented to Mu, "How I wish I had that kind of mech, Mu."
"Well according to calculations based on the data given, the chances are below 10%." Mu flatly analyzed.
"The heck, Mu, how did you even calculate that?" Ye Chong was astonished.
"It’s simple. It’s based on the original mathematical model proposed by Austin, in conjunction with the combination of the fuzzy theory with multi-variation probability, thus the possibility to calculate your case, Ye Chong."
"Sometimes I just wish you speak English, Mu." Ye Chong scratched his head, "And I also wish you could be more sentimental."
"Sentimental means: of, or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness or nostalgia. Based on my reading, it is blatant that you do not possess such quality." A comeback from Mu.
"What!" Ye Chong screamed in his mind, "Mu, do you mean I am not sentimental?"
"That is correct." Mu replied.
"Why you…"
In the midst of mutual-teasing, Ye Chong heard someone calling from his back.