Chapter 19: Secrets, Section 3

The Black Prison, Layer 10.
This was a place unknown to anyone except the core prisoners, and it served as their base. At this moment, in one of the rooms here, there stood a huge circular metal sphere, connected to numerous pipes and adorned with countless flashing lights. Though it appeared to be patched together haphazardly, it was actually the pinnacle of high technology from the magic civilization—a precision machine used to test warriors’ physiques. Unlike the machinery on Earth in the past, this sphere had an astonishingly high limit. Theoretically, as long as the subject’s body could withstand it, the difficulty level could increase almost infinitely.

Now, the area around the sphere was filled with people, their expressions solemn as they stared at the sphere and the display crystals beside it, each one looking like a wooden or clay statue.

“Kaqiu, is this man truly as you say—possessing sufficient combat strength?” asked an old man with white hair and a severely emaciated body slowly. Before Kaqiu could answer, he took several deep breaths on his own. His extremely weak appearance made it seem as though he might die at any moment.

Yet Kaqiu, standing beside him, did not think so. On the contrary, his gaze toward the old man was filled with reverence.

“Yes, respected Danlei. From my observations, he still retains enough vitality. Moreover, he himself said it’s a function of the Wanderer clan’s cells. I believe he is the one we’ve been waiting for. That’s why I used the subspace connection terminal to bring him here. Please conduct the most thorough examination possible.”

“Then can you guarantee he isn’t a Bone Guard spy?” Another old man suddenly interjected before Kaqiu could finish speaking. Unlike the first, white-haired Danlei, his body had not yet reached an extreme state of emaciation, allowing him to stand on his own, though very slowly.

Despite the rude interruption, Kaqiu showed no sign of displeasure. He shook his head firmly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Slin, but I can’t guarantee that. But at this moment, we can no longer wait. All preparations are complete. If we don’t act now, the Bone Guards will likely discover this place. We don’t have the time or means to investigate this young man further.”

“Let it be up to God’s will. If he’s sincere, we’ll have hope. If not…” Kaqiu lowered his gaze and fell silent.

Hearing his words, everyone present fell silent. After a long while, the old man named Danlei slowly sighed.
“Everything must follow God’s will. Let’s begin!”
“Buzz…”
A low humming sound gradually emerged as energy was supplied. The small lights on the surface of the metal sphere became more visible, flashing at an increasing frequency. Meanwhile, rows of strange characters on the display crystal beside it kept flashing, like mysterious spells. At the same time, a human-shaped figure appeared, along with five progress-bar-like patterns nearby.
“First, test for physical overload. If he can’t handle it, there’s no need to go any further. Our mechs aren’t some junk from the outside world—we need a technician worthy of them!” Danlei said coldly.
As he spoke, the humming sound from the energy supply intensified, and the metal sphere began to tremble slightly. Visible ripples appeared around it, and even space itself seemed to warp slightly!
Soon, the data flow on the display crystal surged, and the progress bars around the human-shaped figure flashed rapidly…
“5, 6, 7, 8… 8 Gs!” One of the staff members, watching the data on the crystal, suddenly showed delight.
8 Gs! That amount was already sufficient to operate an ordinary mech. Even without further tests, it proved the strength of the young man inside the metal sphere. With such physical fitness, a little training would allow him to barely operate even the mechs they developed themselves. Though he wouldn’t be able to perform strenuous movements, it was undoubtedly good news.
Finally, one of the prisoners could operate their weapons!! How could this not fill the staff member with joy?
“Continue!” Danlei’s voice remained calm, cutting short the staff member’s excitement. In his deeply sunken eyes, two green glows, just like Kachu’s, flickered faintly. No one knew what he was thinking.
The mechanical humming grew louder, and the data flashed even faster. Soon, the staff member exclaimed again.
“10, 11… 12! 12 Gs!!”
“What’s the target’s physical condition?” Danlei frowned.
“Good condition, no abnormalities!”
“Then continue.” Nodding, Danlei finally showed a slight smile.

12 Gs—this is the minimum he needs. The mechs built by prisoners in Black Prison have no buffer devices at all, so rather than being combat weapons, they’re more like meat grinders. Technicians with poor physical fitness would likely be crushed to pulp even before any battle could begin. It seems the dark-haired young man brought by Kaqiu really wasn’t lying; he indeed possesses incredible strength…
12 Gs—this is already a staggering figure in the outside world. Unconsciously, Danlei held his breath. He was determined to find out what this young man’s true limits were!!
Suddenly, the entire room fell silent except for a humming sound. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the display crystal, watching as the numbers streamed down like a waterfall. Their faces were so excited it seemed blood might drip from them.
Finally… a groan-like exclamation came from one of the staff members.
“2… 20 Gs!!!”
Phew!
Everyone let out a deep sigh. Their gaze toward the metal ball was no longer one of speculation, but of awe!
20 Gs!! This was simply a miracle!!
Although they had been mentally prepared, facing this number in reality revealed just how terrifying it was. By this standard, this young man could not only operate their weapons but also push their performance to its limits!!
“Alright… we can stop now.” Danlei also let out a low groan and closed his eyes.
For people like them with extremely weak bodies, it was hard to imagine the young man’s physical strength. But one thing was certain—now he truly felt jealous. If only his own body were as perfect as his… what a fortunate thing that would be…
Lost in thought, Danlei seemed almost dazed.
Soon, the test results came out.
“Mental resistance: Excellent.”
“Combat sensitivity: Excellent.”
“Visual acuity: Excellent.”
“Physical reflexes: Excellent.”
Row after row of numbers, all ending with the same two words… Excellent!!
The crowd was in shock!! They couldn’t believe their eyes. All these “excellent” ratings—how could they possibly be achieved by a normal person!? This was clearly a machine!! A machine designed for war!!
“Kaqiu, tell me! Are you sure this guy is a prisoner?!” Even the usually composed Danlei lost control of his emotions. He grabbed Kaqiu by the shoulder and demanded an answer loudly.

“I… I don’t know…” Kaqiu was also shocked by the data before him and spoke incoherently.
“Never mind! This isn’t the time to wonder if we know or not. We can’t miss this opportunity. Our hopes rest solely on him. Please bring him out now. Take him to the leader,” Danlei said firmly, gritting his teeth.
The dark-haired man stepped out of the metal sphere, still calm. Facing the awestruck gazes around him, he merely smiled faintly.
Sure enough, he had scared these prisoners. His physical strength was already among the best even in the former Earth Federation. In this world where physical capabilities were far inferior to those of the past Earth, he truly stood out. He only hoped they wouldn’t lose their courage due to shock.
He really wanted to see these so-called mechs that were different from ordinary junk.
Soon, a young man approached the dark-haired man. After glancing at him with fear, he spoke in a trembling voice, “Mr. Dark… Hair? Please follow me…”
Passing through five security valves, the dark-haired man followed the young man deeper into this mysterious Tenth Layer. Along the way, his expression grew increasingly serious, his brows furrowed deeply.
What had he seen!?
Machinery—entirely unfamiliar machinery. Although its functions were unclear and its design seemed pieced together haphazardly, his intuition told him these machines were undoubtedly products that surpassed the technological pinnacle of this world. Especially when he saw some ores casually thrown in a corner, he couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Were those Cemxi ores!? How could there be Cemxi ores in this place!?
Despite his surprise, the dark-haired man managed to conceal his emotions well. He gave the pile of ores a brief glance before stopping looking around. His eyes were fixed on the young man leading the way, lost in thought.
The journey wasn’t long. After just five minutes, they arrived at a very special door. The young man stopped, pressed a few buttons on the keypad beside the door, and finally, the door opened.
Before the dark-haired man lay a vast space!! When he saw what was inside, his expression changed drastically!
It was… rows upon rows of…
Mecha!!