Chapter 8: Angels and Demons, Section 8

If God truly existed, Cheri would surely be His most loyal believer now—provided only that God could wake him from this nightmare. He was willing to pay any price.

A single burst of fire instantly destroyed nearly half of Cheri’s squad’s mechs. The black-haired ambush tactic had been executed with near-perfect precision. Gazing at the flames engulfing the jungle in the distance and the broken, crumbling remains of the mechs, Baroka roared like a wolf in heat. His men joined in, howling like a pack of wolves.

“Wahahaha! Leader, you’re truly great! I love your fighting style. Oh roar… Kids, attack me! Those who slow down will go home and eat themselves in front of all their brothers!”

“Click, click, click…” Giant missile launchers detached from their mechs, emitting sharp cracking sounds. Soon after, a gust of wind blew up dust. The vicious sand pirates charged wildly. Though each of their mechs was unsteady and incapable of any tactical movement, they still posed a deadly threat. Their frantic and agile movements were almost on par with those of real beasts.

“What a bunch of hopeless wolves,” Blood-Pupil spat bitterly. His tone carried an indescribable mix of envy and jealousy—clearly sour.

As a warrior who had fought against them before, he knew exactly how powerful these seemingly chaotic charges could be. In his view, in a one-on-one fight, a skilled mercenary could kill two of Baroka’s sand pirates. But with more than two, total annihilation was the only outcome.

Just like how wolves hunt, these sand pirates’ bloodthirst and madness were beyond the imagination of ordinary humans. If not for Blood-Pupil’s advantage in the ambush, he might not have even survived the first wave of attacks and would have been torn to pieces by those wolf-like creatures.

But now, he could enjoy watching Viscount Cheri’s miserable fate. Rumor had it that Baroka’s men were gay. He hoped Cheri could protect his own bottom, Blood-Pupil thought with a malicious smile.

In stark contrast to his relaxed mood, Viscount Cheri was currently so depressed he was on the verge of going mad.

“Where the hell did these guys come from!? God, why didn’t headquarters give me any warning!! Counterattack! Attack immediately!! Don’t let them get close!!” Shouting hoarsely, Cheri, whose face was covered in dust from the mech’s acrobatic maneuvers, could no longer control his emotions. The massive mech suddenly stopped, and one hand pulled out a long rifle from its backpack.

“A sniper rifle?” Bloodshot Eyes laughed and turned to face the black-haired man. “Leader, maybe he’s one of your allies?”

“Bullshit!” The black-haired man spat a vulgar word in disdain. His fingers moved swiftly. The giant ghost mech suddenly turned sideways, and a large, narrow weapon appeared in its hand.

“That’s just a toothpick, Bloodshot Eyes.”

Pull the trigger, load the gun, kneel down, fire. It all happened in an instant. The giant ghost mech displayed agility and speed completely unlike its appearance. Before Viscount Cheri could even raise his rifle, the sniper rifle in the black-haired man’s hand already spat out a long stream of flames. The ground in front of them was instantly lifted by the blast, creating a huge cloud of dust. The deafening roar made even Bloodshot Eyes, who was in the cockpit, dizzy.

The black-haired man was right. Compared to the heavy sniper rifles equipped with mechanical mechs, Viscount Cheri’s magic weapon was truly nothing more than a toothpick. After being modified by the Lifewind Machinery Workshop, the sniper rifle no longer used gunpowder but advanced electromagnetic power. In terms of caliber, it was hardly different from an electromagnetic cannon. The fin-stabilized armor-piercing bullets it fired could even punch holes in warships.

Reality was cruel. The poor Viscount Cheri had just raised his rifle and hadn’t even finished aiming when a bone-chilling cold suddenly enveloped his entire body. Terror appeared on his face as he realized he could no longer speak. The screeching sound tearing through the air drowned out all his senses like a tidal wave.

From the outside, it seemed as though the bronze warrior’s mech had suddenly been punched hard by an invisible force. Its massive body was lifted off abruptly, with countless steel fragments and parts scattering everywhere. Centered around the waist where the cockpit was located, the entire mech was severed from the air. The rifle that had just been pulled out rolled and flew far away, like a burning stick.

“God…” Gasps of shock filled the communication channel.

Seeing the captain right in front of them get shot in half was enough to shock even these battle-hardened mercenaries, despite their experience. Flying armor fragments and wreckage struck their own mechs with crisp sounds, sending shivers down their spines. Yet, truth was truth—this outcome had been predetermined since Hei Fa first saw them. No matter how terrified they were, it couldn’t change their fate of destruction. In that moment of shock, Baroka and his men had already rushed up to them. Speed and madness—these were the only things Baroka and his sand pirates controlled. Compared to that, any other tactical moves or skills were virtually non-existent. Even in this forest with lush vegetation, wherever they passed, the ground cracked and sand filled the air, showcasing the brutality and wildness of their mechs. But what truly amazed Hei Fa wasn’t this—it was their method of attack. These bloodthirsty wolves actually abandoned their guns and unleashed the claws on their mech arms, charging forward through the mercenaries’ barrage of bullets. Even when their comrades were instantly knocked down, none of them paid attention. Their speed didn’t slow down at all. Once close, they simply did one thing: tear! They tore with their claws, bayonets, and palms, just like the most fearsome wolf packs in the desert, shredding everything in their path. The intense noise on the tactical channel and Baroka’s fierce shouts clearly reflected their mood. Under such a savage assault, the remaining three mercenaries’ mechs couldn’t even muster a basic defense before turning into piles of smoldering wreckage amidst flying debris. “Damn, we really shouldn’t have given them those mechs. Such a waste…” Xue Tong let out a pitiful howl, staring at the few armor fragments on the ground— the price paid by the sand pirates for their charge. Now he finally understood why their mechs had seemed so broken and junky the first time he saw them. Hei Fa nodded silently in agreement with Xue Tong’s words, but in his mind, he thought of a type of non-standard mech that some of his former subordinates used. Perhaps for these guys, beast-form mechs would be more suitable? “Leader, this is Centimsi ore,” Baroka’s voice interrupted Hei Fa’s thoughts. On the screen in front of him, four green ores glowed faintly.

Its irregular shape and entirely light-proof green color give the Kemixi ore no striking appearance at first glance. If not for Baroka’s emphasis, Black Hair would never have guessed that this was the most important resource for opening subspaces. Moreover, there are only four pieces of it, with a total volume of less than one cubic meter. Black Hair doubted what effect such a small quantity could have.

“Boss, it’s this. Amazing! There are so many—four pieces in total!” Blood Pupil’s excited voice came through just then, startling Black Hair.

“What, four pieces is already a lot?”

“Of course, boss. This is Kemixi ore, one of the rarest minerals in the universe. Even with the resource capacity of an ordinary mining planet, only a few kilograms can be produced. Who would have thought the Warrior Association would get so much at once? If sold, the money earned would be enough to form a small army,” Blood Pupil explained quickly.

“Nonsense!” Black Hair curled his lips, showing disdain. “If we sell it, none of us will be able to leave Silver Star. Those who eye us will overwhelm us.”

“Of course, hehe. But can we cut it up? If divided into a few milligrams, no one will pay attention. That Koko can handle it for us,” Blood Pupil said with a laugh, rubbing his nose.

“No, don’t let too many people know about the ore. Keep it hidden for now. I have a feeling we might need it soon,” Black Hair rejected Blood Pupil’s suggestion and turned to face Baroka.

“I’m giving you fifteen minutes to clean up the battlefield. If I’m right, the Silver Star government will arrive soon. Tell your men not to be greedy. As for dealing with the aftermath, I don’t need to tell you what to do, do I?”

“Of course, leader. Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of the headline for tomorrow’s Silver Star newspapers: ‘The Arrival of Disaster: The Whole Story of the Conflict Between the Warrior Association and the Silver Government.’ See? How wonderful. I love this kind of gossip news, leader,” Baroka replied carelessly, waving his hand as his men immediately scattered to work.

“I’m afraid that won’t go as you wish,” Black Hair said with a smile as he shook his head in response to Baroka’s arrogance. His fingers twitched a few times, and the Ghost Mecha immediately took out a small communication device from its backpack to adjust it.

“Boss, what are you doing?” Blood Pupil was surprised.

“I’m coming up with a new headline,” Black Hair replied lazily, surrounded by smoke, his cold gaze flickering occasionally. “Let’s call it, ‘The Government’s Incompetence: The Truth Behind the Airport Disaster’.”

Under Blood Pupil’s astonished gaze, he saw on the communicator’s screen a massive warship slowly leaving the spaceport. On its surface, the black camouflage gradually changed, revealing… rows upon rows of densely packed gun turrets.