Chapter 89: Chapter 89 The News of Reconstruction and Departure
Editor: Noodletown Translations
Everything in the dream was incredibly real. He piloted the mecha, transformed into Shura, and ruthlessly slaughtered the invading enemy. He could even unleash mecha skills more dazzling than those on the Battle Net, but then he felt warm and sleepy, and now it seemed like he… had woken up?
Mu Fan opened his eyes to see a black ceiling.
Where was he? The ground felt icy cold. Mu Fan hurriedly stood up and looked around.
A mecha cockpit? But why was there only half of a control panel that seemed completely unusable? The screen in front was pitch-black, and besides that, this mysterious place had nothing else.
With a “buzz,” a red light turned on, and the half control panel suddenly lit up, projecting a span of light and shadow. The screen in front also lit up.
“Warning, remaining energy at 3.9%, capable of sustaining low-intensity combat for 51 hours.”
...
What was this? Mu Fan had no idea where he was. This clearly wasn’t the RX-16’s mecha cockpit. His conscious mind still clung to the moment before a massive danger shattered the cockpit. What had happened after that? What was with that half-awake, half-asleep feeling?
“Host consciousness has been restored. Would you like to leave the central control cabin?” A cold voice suddenly sounded, and a line of options appeared on the screen.
Yes? No?
Watching the light flicker on the half control panel, Mu Fan grasped the lit-up control lever and gently flicked it.
Yes!
It was then that he discovered this half control panel was densely packed with numerous buttons, even more than those on the RX-16 control panel.
“Host, please exit. Shura entering stealth standby mode.”
The screen tilted backward, and then light shone in. Mu Fan saw the metallic hand of the mecha had already stopped at the opening of the cockpit. He glanced around before jumping onto the hand, which slowly lowered to the ground.
Was this a forest? Mu Fan noticed the towering forest around him, filled with giant trees dozens of meters high, their canopies densely covering the sky overhead.
He turned back and was shocked!
The tattered mecha, interwoven with dark black and crimson hues, was quietly kneeling before him, its right hand supporting a long sheathed knife.
Why did this scene resemble the one in his dream? Upon seeing the scarlet cloak behind it that dissipated and solidified again, Mu Fan finally realized that this was the image from his dream!
So did that mean everything just now wasn’t a dream? Were the gruesome scenarios in the dream truly caused by his own hands? He looked down at his own hands, seeing nothing unusual.
“Stealth standby mode activated,” the cold voice announced.
Mu Fan looked up and saw this mecha gradually reclined, and its kneeling form persistently compressed, gradually losing its mecha shape and resembling more of an enlarged iron ingot.
The cloak behind the mecha raised on its own without wind, transforming into a mist of light, and then gradually descended.
The battered, ghostly black mecha was thus shrouded by the light mist, disappearing within it. Witnessing this miraculous scene, Mu Fan reached out, feeling the icy metal beneath yet unable to physically see his hand in his view.
What an advanced cloaking device!
A burning sensation came from his chest. Looking down, it seemed to come from that black iron token. Mu Fan grasped it in his hand, surprised to see a groove appear before him.
The groove had an imprint that perfectly matched with the iron token, along with a handprint mark.
Mu Fan attempted to place his right hand upon it, and a cold electronic voice sounded: “Activate Shura?”
He quickly pulled back his hand. Was this mecha called Shura? Moreover, it was actually his mecha?! Mu Fan simply couldn’t believe it. Why did this mecha appear, and why was he in its cockpit?
His mind was a mess right now, and Mu Fan decided not to activate it for now; just let it remain hidden here. He needed to leave quickly. Currently, he had lost contact with Black and Harry.
…
“Report to the councilman, that black mecha can only be detected by the naked eye or optical instruments. It cannot be tracked with radar or infrared detection devices. Thus, after the mecha entered the forest behind the Fourth Guard’s base, it disappeared from trace,” Major explained to Councilman Hayden with his head lowered.
“Disappeared? … Well, order to cease the search. If we provoke that mecha further, Loga might truly fall.”
“Yes, sir!” Major saluted.
“Report to the councilman, Councilman Wen Yu has still not been contacted. According to planetary near-earth monitoring, a small spacecraft was observed leaving the atmosphere half an hour ago,” another Captain officer entered, saluting.
“Hmph, authorize the Special Operations Division to conduct a level one inspection procedure on Councilman Wen Yu. Also, authorize a comprehensive check of military communications. I want to ferret out the troublemakers and shoot them!”
“Yes, sir!”
“The rest prepare for reconstruction work. Everyone, be dismissed.”
After everyone left, Councilman Hayden’s face shifted between anger and suspicion. “I keep feeling like everything is part of some scheme. If it weren’t for that mecha, perhaps you would have succeeded—Wen, Yu!” The last two syllables came out with a decisive and resentful tone.
Aside from the military and the Star Thieves, no one noticed that mysterious black mecha, but how could the masterpiece it left behind—the ground fissures stretching across the city and mountains, and the building cleaved in half—be explained?
After hearing the government’s long-awaited peace announcement, the survivors wept with joy, and even the underground facilities of Fowen Manor erupted in cheers. Wayne and other family members still awaited a moment to thank the RX-16 which had saved their family.
“Contact Harry’s party,” Wayne instructed a servant.
“Dad! I’m still alive!!!” As soon as the Sky Communication connected, a crying, rotund face appeared on the screen.
Wayne closely examined the face for any sign of injury, nodded in satisfaction, and asked, “It’s over, Fowen Manor is safe! How are Shelly and her father?”
“I’m fine, thank you for your concern, Mr. Wayne,” Shelly appeared, her polite address making Wayne nod in approval.
“I’m alive,” Gaoling Sen also appeared on screen, unwilling to say more, but the relief of surviving a catastrophe was clear on his face.
“That’s good. Oh, Harry, what about Mu Fan? Inform him to come to the manor soon, and be prepared to head to Purple Jade Star.”
“Great news! Mu Fan will definitely be overjoyed,” the rotund face exclaimed, clapping his hands, then suddenly froze, “Where is Mu Fan? Wasn’t he with you?”
“No, didn’t he come looking for you afterward?” Wayne started feeling like he had missed something important.
“No!” The rotund face sensed the awkward atmosphere, realizing that he hadn’t seen Mu Fan since awakening, only leaving a message.
“Mu Fan!” they both shouted in unison.
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PS: Thanks to book friend “Rapid Wind Shadow Dance” for the 1898 coin reward!
Thanks to book friends “Reborn Old Bookworm丶,” “Poetic and Picturesque丶Ren Xiaowei,” “DGcyc” for the 100 coin reward! Thanks to book friends “Your Joy xy,” “Vague Decadence” for the 10 coin reward!