Chapter 19: Secrets, Section 9

Annihilation…

Xue Tong was instantly shocked by the meaning in Black Hair’s words. Yet in contrast, the cold and familiar gaze in Black Hair’s eyes brought a sense of satisfaction deep within him.
This was indeed Black Hair’s style… decisive killing, thorough revenge. No need for schemes or dealing with formidable enemies—anyone who stood in his way would be erased in one swift move. Even storms would retreat before him. Wasn’t this unparalleled dominance precisely why he had chosen to follow him in the first place?

Bone Guards!? Hmph, go to hell. With so many elite mechs at my disposal, I’m curious to see who will laugh last!?

But… well… I have to admit, those guys do have some combat strength—no, extremely strong combat strength.

I hope Head’s plan will succeed… Xue Tong sighed, suddenly realizing his confidence wasn’t as solid as he thought.

Of course, he had no idea that Black Hair himself wasn’t entirely confident either.

He was thinking of that manager.

Although it seemed like he had been captured easily after just one encounter, only he knew the terrifying things that had happened.

Subspace… That manager named Mari also had a subspace system equipped on his mech!! The violently dispersing dark mist was proof of a subspace jump. And capturing him in the end relied on the subspace’s restraining power! In fact, if it weren’t for the Magic Mech, Black Hair knew full well he wouldn’t stand a chance against that guy.

The powerful subspace could ignore differences in ability at a certain level, effortlessly suppressing the enemy. Technological progress had already disrupted the traditional hierarchy of human strength to some extent. With such technology, even if the opponent was stronger, they wouldn’t fare well.

This was no longer a competition of skills between technicians—it was a direct clash of technology. As long as a technician’s abilities couldn’t reach the level of ignoring space, everything would become dull and uninteresting.

But now… Black Hair sneered. His gaze swept over everyone’s heads, reaching all the way to the end of the corridor.

Emperor of Annihilation… I hope you won’t disappoint me.

The pirates under Black Hair indeed were no ordinary mediocre people. Although Black Hair had given them a full hour, in reality only thirty minutes had passed when the massive fleet of mechs had already assembled in the tenth-floor square. The surface of each mech was no longer gray like when they were parked; instead, they were all painted black. On the side of their chests was the fierce wolf head symbolizing the Blood Wolf faction. Though they simply stood there quietly, they exuded a heavy pressure from within. It was as if there were hungry wolves lurking within them, ready to pounce!

Around the square, a sea of dark figures gathered—these were all the prisoners here. Yet at this moment, the prisoners, who were their masters, showed signs of unease. The rows of mechs in the center of the square exerted an overwhelming pressure, like a huge stone pressing down on their hearts, making it difficult for them to breathe freely.

The rows parted, and the figure of Madaro, the leader of the prisoners, appeared behind the mechs. At this moment, his face was flushed with a sickly red, and his sharp eyes were bloodshot. He stepped forward several steps and stood in front of all the mechs, then turned to face the prisoners at the edge of the square.

“My friends, everyone should know what we are about to face. We have prepared for this day for hundreds of years. Now, we have finally waited long enough. All our efforts will pay off. I swear that we will carry on the legacy of our predecessors. I know that the warriors standing in front of you are putting a great deal of pressure on you. But please understand—they are on our side!! Their pressure will make the Bone Guards, who have oppressed us for so many years, tremble, and their weapons will bring them to ruin. From now on, we are no longer a loose group but one unified force! Here, I solemnly announce that the Black Prisoners’ Organization is changing its management style and will now form a family. Its name is…”

“The Forgotten!!!”

Boom!! Thunderous applause erupted around them. All the prisoners trembled with excitement.

If they truly were a group of forgotten people, then the establishment of this family undoubtedly gave them something to hold onto. Ever since they became prisoners, they had been abandoned by society—no one cared about them or worried for them. But none of that mattered… What mattered was that one had to rely on themselves!!

“The Forgotten!!!” The thunderous shouts shook the rock walls, causing the entire cave to tremble.

“Very good!!” Madaro watched the others’ performance with satisfaction, tears streaming down his aged face as he trembled uncontrollably. “From now on, the Forgotten shall become the thirty-first lord of this star domain, loyal allies of Lord Blackhair, steadfast through thick and thin, under the emblem of the Blood Wolves. Let us remember this oath.”
At the same time, Blackhair stepped forward, glanced deeply at the prisoners around him, then nodded firmly.
“By the emblem of the Blood Wolves, we remain steadfast!”
“Steadfast!!” More than two hundred mechs roared in unison, their loud cries shaking the air. Their massive steel arms were raised high, like mighty waves.
“Then, let’s set off!!” Madaro shouted.
The crowd moved swiftly, with countless figures shuttling about. Boxes of ore and machinery were quickly loaded onto the warships. The tenth level became eerily empty in a matter of seconds. In less than thirty minutes, the entire plaza was vacant, all supplies loaded. Watching his home, where he had lived for half his life, become empty, Madaro’s face turned expressionless.
It was time to leave… From now on, he would have to start a new life… For a moment, Madaro could hardly tell whether he was dreaming or in reality. Until Blackhair’s right hand rested on the shoulder of his life-support device.
“Come on, Leader Madaro. Trust me, I will never abandon you.”
“Thank you…” His lips moved slightly, and Madaro’s voice was barely audible. He turned to head toward the warships below.
Suddenly…
“Boom!!” A loud explosion!
A section of the rock wall on the side of the plaza suddenly bulged outward! Debris flew everywhere, and the entire cave shook violently. Large chunks of rock broke off the walls and crashed to the ground.
“That’s…!” Madaro turned around abruptly, his face filled with shock.
“The Bone Guards have found this place. Hehe.” Blackhair chuckled softly. He put his arm around Madaro’s shoulder and pulled him toward the warships below.
Behind them, continuous loud explosions echoed. Visible cracks appeared on the rock wall. It wouldn’t be long before a huge gap was created, and the Bone Guards would swarm out, turning this place into a sea of blood.
But sadly, as Blackhair had expected, they were too late.

The giant warship was ready to set off on the eleventh floor. Just as the Bone Guards opened a gap on the tenth floor, a blinding light suddenly enveloped the entire warship. Space was violently distorted, with visible warping. Massive bursts of white light erupted, instantly filling every inch of space around it. With a loud explosion, the entire warship vanished without a trace!!

The blinding light disappeared instantly, but the warship’s forced jump through subspace had terrifying consequences. In the relatively confined space, the energy from subspace could not be released and exploded violently. The colorless, transparent energy stream instantly destroyed everything in its path, even crushing the rock barrier between the tenth and eleventh floors to pieces. Those Bone Guards who had just entered the base didn’t even have time to scream before being completely erased by the raging energy. Moreover, the violent energy stream rushed out through the caves they had created, heading toward the ninth floor of the Black Prison!!

“Beep beep beep beep!!” A shrill alarm sound rang out throughout the Black Prison almost instantly. At the same time, all the warning lights indicating the conditions of each floor turned blood red! Unfortunately, no one had the interest to pay attention to them.

On the surface of the Black Prison Planet, a mountain peak suddenly experienced intense vibrations. A blinding white light appeared out of nowhere. Space warped drastically, and large chunks of rock began to fall off. With a loud explosion, the entire peak shattered. Massive rocks flew everywhere, and amidst the dust, the silhouette of a giant warship became visible!!

“It’s out!!!” Inside the warship, all the prisoners let out thunderous cheers. They eagerly pressed against the windows, looking at the scorched soil and stormy sky outside, their faces filled with ecstasy.

How many years had they been trapped at the bottom of the Black Prison? They had almost forgotten what nature looked like. Now that they could finally escape their prison, these prisoners could hardly control themselves. Many collapsed to the ground, crying bitterly.

On the other hand, as the leader of the warship’s armed forces, Black Hair wasn’t as optimistic as them. As soon as the warship appeared outside, he activated the search mode. Soon after, he found what he was looking for.

Points of light—countless points of light. It was impossible to tell how many there were. But one thing was certain: these points of light certainly weren’t there to welcome them!!

“Captain!! Haha, they’re over there!!” A shout pulled the dark-haired man back to his senses. Following the pirate’s finger, he immediately saw them… Dense clusters of black mechs surrounding the entire mountain peak. Bone Guards… Hmph… A faint smirk appeared on the dark-haired man’s lips as he turned toward the valves. “Let’s go!! Guys, the hunt begins!!” “Whoa!!” The pirates responded in unison!!