Chapter Fourteen
Legend of the Mecha Master
Mecha Master: a professional title for individuals specialized in piloting mechs. This was mentioned before! Heh, you can’t change a new book’s title within two months!
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Angel carefully maneuvered past one trap after another, each laid out in seemingly random patterns, and dodged the electronic trigger mines that roamed everywhere.
Hmph, so what if it’s the Mecha Masters’ Guild? Didn’t he still slip inside, moving through its core as if no one was there? Angel felt a hint of pride.
Nowadays, the role of the optical brain in a mech had grown ever more significant; it could be said it was now the most important component of all. While the Guild’s main force was nominally its mecha masters, it had actually recruited a huge number of talents connected to the profession, among them not a few Gray Domain Operators.
To infiltrate the tightly-guarded heart of the Guild—even someone as powerful as he could not help but feel a surge of pride.
But he dared not grow complacent. Danger lurked everywhere here; trouble could arise at any moment, and if he were to alert the Gray Domain Operators on guard, getting out would be no easy matter.
This was a big deal—if he succeeded, the commission would be enough for him to squander for quite some time. Angel also knew there were several other Gray Domain Operators who had taken on the same job, which only stoked his competitive spirit. He couldn’t afford to lag behind, he thought.
He gazed upon the door before him, radiating a swirl of prismatic light, swirling and ethereal, so beautiful that one could almost imagine it was a portal to paradise.
Steeling himself, Angel grew alert. After so many years as a Gray Domain Operator, he understood well: the more alluring the object, the more likely it concealed a mortal threat.
He crouched slightly, pressing his right hand to the ground and closing his eyes. A faint ripple of energy spread out from his body.
Instantly, all the details of his surroundings were relayed back to his mind, not missing a single nuance.
This was one of Angel’s two signature techniques: “Ripple.” Every Gray Domain Operator had their own unique specialty, a testament to their accomplishments and mastery. “Ripple” was Angel’s: it could rapidly and precisely scan the environment without triggering any sensitive traps. Even against another Gray Domain Operator, it remained remarkably stealthy and deceptive. This made his already impressive trap skills even more formidable—perfect for this sort of thievery. The others thought his trap algorithms were superb, but they had no idea it was this trick creating the illusion.
Mentioning “Ripple” naturally brought up his other signature move: “Bone Maggot.” Like a maggot clinging to bone, it had no offensive power, but once it latched onto a target, it would never let go. Its concealment was so exquisite Angel had never once failed in tracking, earning him most of his reputation.
Angel calmed his mind, carefully absorbing the feedback from “Ripple.”
One layer, two layers… he counted silently: eight layers! Incredible—eight layers of password locks!
Yet something felt off. Angel dared not act rashly, recalling every detail.
No, that’s it! He finally realized the source of his unease. The traps he’d bypassed on his way here would have been impossible without “Ripple”; clearly, the Guild’s Gray Domain Operators were no pushovers. So why would it get easier the deeper he went? It made no sense!
Eight password locks were tough, but for someone who’d come this far, they simply weren’t enough to stop a Gray Domain Operator. His mind raced—there must be more to it! Yes, there had to be another layer of ambush.
He closed his eyes and once more unleashed “Ripple,” focusing intently while his mind analyzed the information.
A full thirty minutes passed before Angel opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.
What a remarkable algorithm! Though there were eight locks, together they intertwined in such a subtle way that they formed a ninth, hidden lock. If he’d used standard techniques, he’d have certainly triggered a trap.
Impressive! He’d never encountered such a complex locking mechanism before—he’d nearly fallen for it! Luckily, he’d been careful.
Though complicated, he’d discerned the subtleties within; now with seven or eight parts confidence, he prepared to step forward.
Suddenly, a faint green shadow flickered before his eyes, making his heart jolt!
What was that? Alarmed, he halted immediately. The door still blazed with prismatic light, painting the surroundings with dazzling color.
Had that green line been an illusion? He couldn’t be sure. He scrutinized the door, but the light emanating from it contained every hue, nearly blinding him with its shifting colors—yet still he saw nothing.
Could it really be a hallucination? If only the door weren’t glowing, he’d be able to see clearly!
Then a thought struck him—why was the door shining like this? Could it be… to conceal something?
The more he pondered, the more sense it made, and the more cautious he grew, probing delicately.
Sure enough, his effort finally paid off. Nearly blinded, he found the nearly invisible green shadow: a fine thread of green light, as slender as a hair, hidden among the door’s radiance.
To elude even his “Ripple”—such a highly concealed trap was a first! He couldn’t help but admire it. But since he’d discovered it, then…
He looked at the door, seemingly a portal to paradise yet, to him, like a beautiful young woman beckoning with open arms.
“Steward Qiu,” he said respectfully, “Second Young Master, there is progress regarding your previous instructions.”
Jeben was overjoyed. “Really? Where is he from? What’s his real name? Ha, now he can run but he can’t hide from me! Hmph, cross me and you’ll regret it!”
Steward Qiu faltered, hesitating to speak.
Jeben frowned, displeased. “Out with it! What are you stammering for? Does he have some powerful connections?”
Qiu bowed his head. “Not exactly, it’s just… just…”
Jeben grew impatient. “Enough with the hemming and hawing—spit it out!”
Sweat beaded on Qiu’s brow. “Since you gave the order, I was afraid someone would investigate, so I found several skilled Gray Domain Operators. The training base is well-protected, but they still found a loophole and broke into the data box. However… there’s something strange.”
“Strange?” Jeben asked, puzzled.
The sweat on Qiu’s forehead deepened. He knew well that this Second Young Master was capricious, prone to sudden rages. The current family situation was precarious; he’d been treading on eggshells lately. If he made a mistake now, the consequences would be disastrous—he could easily be expelled from the Luo family. Ever-cautious, Qiu grew increasingly anxious.
He continued, sweating more profusely, “Yes. In the data box, we checked every entry, but we couldn’t find anyone named YC, not even anyone with a similar name.”
Jeben was stunned. “No? Impossible! I saw it clearly myself—there’s no way I was mistaken!”
Qiu offered a timely compliment, “Of course I trust your judgment, Young Master. With your keen eyes, there’s no way you could have been wrong!” Seeing Jeben’s pride, he went on, “But that’s what makes it so odd—why isn’t there any trace of him? To log onto the virtual net, you need identity verification; without it, you can’t even access the system!”
Jeben was at a loss. “Exactly, how could that be?”
Qiu continued, “So I wondered—could YC also be a Gray Domain Operator?”
Jeben’s eyes lit up, his thoughts completely following Qiu’s: “Yes, that must be it! Only a Gray Domain Operator could pull this off!”
Gray Domain Operators—those who bend the rules of the virtual net with their mastery of the optical brain, possessing extraordinary talent in this field and capabilities far beyond the ordinary within the virtual world.
Qiu said, “So I thought, only a Gray Domain Operator can deal with another Gray Domain Operator. I’ve already commissioned a few Operators connected with the Luo family to investigate him.”
Jeben asked eagerly, “So, did you uncover anything?”
Qiu’s expression grew even more peculiar.