Chapter 74: A Short Battle
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Johansson received the signal from Ye Chong’s F-58 almost instantly. Mechs from Black Cove have a few unique ways of communication; once the distance between two of them is less than 500 kilometers, they would automatically reach out to each other. Cosmic Flare zoomed in on the location of the F-58 rapidly. Had Ye Chong not removed an important photon return circuit earlier under Mu’s advice, the duration would have been shorter. However, the signal was fleeting, and Johansson guessed that Number 58 must have withdrawn the mech.
Johansson slipped into the Cosmic Flare hastily. The higher-ups at Black Cove were deeply interested in Number 58 - while he had only spent a short time at Black Cove, his performance during training greatly exceeded the average ability and speed of progress. He was definitely one of the finest mech pilots trained by Black Cove, but most importantly, the Black Cove higher-ups believed that he still had plenty of room for improvement. These factors made for Black Cove’s determination to keep him with them.
Black Cove’s intelligence network was also extensive, such that they managed to track down Number 58, all the way to Blue Ocean.
He had thought that finding Number 58 would take a long time, but unexpectedly found his target battling against the MPA. He disapprovingly thought of the events, "That white mech was not really that powerful. If Number 58 did not suddenly retreat and distracted me, I would have finished him off!"
Moreover, that Number 58 from Team F had battled against the MPA’s Messenger with a training mech - what a foolish act!
Black Cove’s orders to Johansson was to bring him back. Of all the people back there, only he and Instructor Hak had seen Number 58’s real face. He thought of the way Number 58’s eyes glowed with a yearn for power that day, and was certain that once he could find his target, he would be able to complete his mission. This mission was worth a grand total of fifty Black Cove points - if he could succeed in this mission, his points would be enough for him to receive a higher level of training.
The thought made him excited, his eyes burning with eagerness, and his fists clenched tightly until his joints cracked. "If only, if only I had the strength, then surely I could do it …"
Johansson felt his heart throb strongly, as though a lithe entered his sight.
After a moment, he sobered up, but the thought of Number 58’s retreat disturbed him - could it be that the man was no longer hungry for power?
No matter what, he must not fail! "If Number 58 refused to follow me obediently … Hehe …" A look of promised destruction flitted past his face. "Besides, based on the time, it should soon begin!"
The Cosmic Flare flew at close to Mach 7, and reaching the F-58 would not take more than half a minute. If not for the delay in identifying Number 58’s location, Johansson would have been standing right before Number 58 right now.
The black Cosmic Flare flew across the night sky like the God of Death. The air current sped past the surface of the mech’s black sword and barbs, shrieking terrifyingly!
"It should be here." Johansson scanned the ordinary looking base before him. The photon processor had indicated that Number 5 was right here. The Cosmic Flare floated midair above the base and began to repeatedly scan the area at maximum capacity. However, the F-58’s signal was still undetected!
"Has Number 58 entered the inner parts of the base, or has he left?"
Johansson hesitated for a moment before swooping downwards, passing by some mechs along the way. In Black Cove, all mechs kept a distance between themselves as a precaution against hostility. This has become one of Black Cove’s unwritten rules - if you and another person got too close, the other party might mistake your intentions as hostile, and the next thing you know is seeing a fatal blow coming straight at you!
Never let someone get close to you! This is Black Cove’s special rule!
However, once outside Black Cove, the rule became somewhat peculiar. Take the residents of Blue Ocean - the number of mechs here were vast, and if one is to fly past the throngs of mechs in the air every day, how can it be possible to maintain a distance with other mechs at all times?
In the seconds that just passed, a few mechs had flew past him closely! The Cosmic Flare’s anti-detection is better than the F-58’s, and an average mech would not be aware of the mech’s existence through its scanning system. If not for Johansson’s active evasion, the Cosmic Flare would have crashed into more than a few mechs.
This undoubtedly made Johansson, who had not travelled beyond Black Cove for a long time, very uncomfortable.
Another mech was coming towards him. Based on its trajectory, impact was inevitable. The blue-and-white mech seemed to be of a newer design, and the archaic looking lance in its hand surprised Johansson. Few mechs are equipped with such weapons, and weapons long forgotten in history such as the lance often required special techniques to be effective. Without special techniques, these weapons will be less powerful than weapons like the laser sword and flame sabre.
However, Johansson did not pay it much attention. Upon noticing the unfamiliar mech, he shifted his attention elsewhere and flew a few meters to the side to avoid impact. With the high rate of mech ownership these days, and lack of any substantial restrictions by the government on mech designs, it is not uncommon to see all sorts of odd mech designs. Johansson had once seen a mech modelled from a millennia-old container used as a toilet. It was rumoured to have a strange name - Potty! The owner of the mech was also said to be a toilet seat hobbyist. However, the unimaginative Johansson had no idea how a quadrupedal ungulate and a roundish toilet seat could be combined. However, the unimaginative Johansson had no idea how a pot could be associated with human excrement!
Compared to that, this blue-and-white mech seemed absolutely normal! "Perhaps the owner of this mech was only an enthusiast of archaic weaponry," thought Johansson.
Johansson was completely absorbed by the blue-and-white mech’s archaic looking lance to notice that the mech was actually flying much faster than an average mech. However, even if he did notice it, he would probably not give it much thought, since the Cosmic Flare was incredibly fast!
The other party did not seem to notice his presence, as it did not move strangely. Johansson was already focusing entirely on the photon processor’s various scan results, looking desperately for the F-58.
Everything seemed to proceed the same, as every time he had to evade the mechs that failed to detect the Cosmic Flare.
The blue-and-white mech’s speed did not change, flying at high speed towards Johansson. However, Johansson’s earlier maneuver a few meters to the side avoided the possibility of impact under normal circumstances!
The two mechs closed in, and the blue-and-white mech’s archaic lance seemed to have adjusted slightly in the mech’s grip, like an unintentional movement. Johansson was still focused on the photon processor’s scans.
As the distance between the two mechs reduced to less than a hundred meters, Johansson finally shifted his attention to the other mech. Of course, he was only preventing an accident from happening, however slight the chance was.
As he inadvertently scanned the approaching mech, Johansson suddenly had a little premonition, and felt that something was off. However, he could not make much out of it, only that it made him extremely uncomfortable, even though everything seemed to be normal!
The hundred-meter range took less than a second to cover for the mechs travelling beyond Mach 5.
The two mechs were about to pass by each other, seemingly without incident!
Abruptly, a chilling gleam closed in on Johansson. Almost simultaneously, the Cosmic Flare’s alarm for attacks roared to life! Johansson had his soul rocked to its core, as he reflexively lifted his left hand to block the attack with his plasma shield and retreated backwards at the same time!
Too fast!
That was Johansson’s only thought!
The Cosmic Flare’s plasma shield was only half lifted before the gleaming tip of the archaic lance breached past his mech’s left arm!
The Cosmic Flare was determinedly retreating, but switching the engines from the original floating mode to maximum speed required a finite time span. While the Cosmic Flare could still manage this quickly and negligibly under normal circumstances, the millisecond delay was fatal in the current encounter!
The dampened sound of a mech being punctured through was unfamiliar - the strong sense of splitting apart put Johansson’s mind to a halt, and immediately engulfed him completely in pain, almost suffocating him. Ironically, the pause in thought gave him a short window of extreme clarity!
A nimble figure flitted through his mind, getting clearer and clearer. He could not help but reach out with his bloody hands, wishing to embrace the figure that was all the dreams that he had worked hard for all this time! Fatigued gradually overcame him, as he coughed out blood from his mouth. His outreaching hands were getting heavier and heavier, and slowly, that unforgettable figure began to dissolve into a mist, as his vitality gradually dimmed, and vanished!
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At the base’s defense center, someone was seen running hastily towards it. Before he even cleared the security room, the person shouted with panic, "Bad news, bad news, someone’s infiltrated the base …"
The defense center’s inhabitants exchanged looks amongst themselves, and began to laugh.
One of them, the leader, grinned. "Old Li, that’s such a lame joke, someone infiltrated the base? Ha …"
Old Li continued anxiously, "Eh, it’s for real this time, someone really infiltrated the base, even …"
Another one of them laughed, interrupting him, and spoke in a mocking tone, "Oh, it’s for real this time!" He even emphasised on the "this time" and, coupled with his silly expression, invited another round of laughter from the rest of his coworkers!
Old Li was blushing from his nerves. "It’s true … It’s …"
One of the kinder members could not stand to see Old Li in such distress, and spoke up, "Ah, Old Li, your joke really wasn’t top notch, you see, our security systems are doing fine, absolutely normal! If someone infiltrated the base, would it be so quiet on our side? Hoho, even if you don’t trust us, surely you trust the Ji family’s photon processor security system?"
The same person dragged Old Li by the arm, ready to send him out, and to get him out of his predicament.
Suddenly, a massive explosion was heard, and everyone froze!
Ye Chong satisfyingly watched as Johansson’s mech exploded right before his eyes. Under such circumstances, the probability of the mech’s pilot surviving was almost certainly zero!
With Johansson no more, and the base still ignorant of him, Ye Chong immediately thought of the red-and-silver mech at the lowest level of the basement!