CH 7

Departure (3)

It was about four years ago that Jiang Jianming first saw… or more precisely “experienced” Seth Henry. 

Until now, he still can’t forget the day when he and Ryann stood side by side in the Royal Mecha Training Ground, and the shock and amazement that he felt in his heart when he saw that beautiful mecha.

As well as the feeling of his three views being shattered by the mecha’s intelligence.

(t/n three views generally refer to the world outlook , the outlook on life , and the values . )

(“Woof! woof woof! woof woof woof woof!!”

“Wu wu wu meow~ woof woof woof woof wu wu meow woof woof woof, wu meow~~)

Jiang Jianming stood blankly in front of the mecha and began to doubt life.

He raised his hand bit by bit stiffly and pointed to the onomatopoeia of a dog barking frantically on the virtual panel in front of him.

“Little Highness, your mecha’s intelligence…”

“It has always been like this.” His Royal Highness Ryann was bending over to open the cockpit door for him, then raised his eyes and explained lightly, “That’s why the voice transmission is kept off all the year round, it’s too noisy.”

Jiang Jianming: “…….”

I’m sorry, but even with the voice blocked, it still irritates the eyes.

Ryann: “It seems that he likes you very much. Usually, Seth only barks at me.”

Jiang Jianming asked very cautiously, “No no, Little Highness, haven’t you thought about what’s wrong with your mecha’s intelligence?”

Unexpectedly, Ryann admitted it very easily. “I know, Seth Henry is a special intellectual brain secretly developed by the Empire’s Black Shark Base. The scientists all said that it is very uncontrollable. At the beginning, everyone objected to me choosing it to install.”

“You say uncontrollable…”

Jiang Jianming took a deep look at the cockpit and swallowed the second half of the sentence that almost came out of his mouth. “Is it learning how to bark like a dog?”

Then he continued softly, “Then you?”

“However,” 

Ryann rolled over and jumped into the cabin, raised his hand and poked the virtual panel lightly, then poked again at the series of barks, “I pulled all the S-rank and above mecha intelligence to do an actual combat evaluation, so far, this is the best.” 

After that, the imperial prince leaned forward and stretched out his palm to the military cadet outside the mecha, “Jiang, come and try my mecha, I’ll teach you to drive it.”

Later on that day, he actually enjoyed playing with Ryann’s mecha, and he cooperated very well with Seth Henry. The intelligence that Ryann picked, he had really nothing to say to it in terms of auxiliary functions and computing power and it also barks from time to time. However, once he accepted this setting, he found that it was actually quite adorable.

In a word, the dog likes him very much, and he also likes the dog very much.

When Jiang Jianming got off the mecha in the evening, his physical strength was exhausted, and he was directly held out of the cockpit by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Ryann felt sorry that he became too tired after playing. Yet he still touched the panel seemingly reluctant, then laughed saying that this intelligence was so cute.

It was this sentence that caused great trouble.

Jiang Jianming was born with a very low desire for material things. From his perspective of food, clothing and entertainment alone, being a royal relative or being an orphan in a slum, there’s actually not much of a difference for him.

Therefore, it was really rare for him to show a love for something, or even reluctance like this.

He didn’t realize it himself, but Ryann did.

A few days later, Ryann removed his mecha’s intelligence from the mecha alive. Then installed it on his wrist device.

Jiang Jianming couldn’t figure out how this could be installed, and because he doesn’t know it yet, therefore he could only accept the fact that the most frustrating thing was that it wasn’t just only a mere intelligence, but a mecha intelligence that can bark. it should be all on His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, who can’t be stopped even by the old Emperor once he sets his mind on doing something.

Until His Royal Highness the Crown Prince went to the depths of the interstellar space with a posture that couldn’t be stopped even by the old Emperor. Afterwards, neither he nor his mecha ever come back.

Moreover, Seth Henry was a mecha intelligence, and it had been in a dormant state because it was too far away from its body. Jiang Jianming had really not seen this “puppy” for a long time.

In the closed cockpit of the turquoise black mecha, Jiang Jianming methodically controlled the M-IP 18 to move quickly.

Along with him, there were nearly a hundred mechas of the same system around. Here were all capable elites who have passed the selection of the Albourne Star City military and obtained the qualifications to enter the far interstellar space. Mecha manipulation naturally wouldn’t be a problem.

It’s just…. Jiang Jianming set his eyes on the manual control panel in front of him. Because he had no crystal bones and could only rely on pure manual control, he was afraid that he would never be able to find a second one that could be operated manually.

He was silent for two breaths, and asked the intelligence again, “Seth, where is your body, can you locate it?”

This puppy is greatly wronged: “The geographic information is damaged, unable to locate, woof!”

Jiang Jianming managed to control it at a high speed, while barely freeing up one hand, tore open his combat bag, took out a notebook and threw it aside.

“There is a simplified version of the three-dimensional star map of the far interstellar space, you can convert it and import it into the information database….but remember to encrypt it.”

Seth Henry was an S-class mecha intelligence. At this time, he had already invaded the M-IP 18 like a ghost. The mecha’s mechanical probing claws stretched out, seized the paper book that was quite rare in today’s era and started scanning.

Soon, an electronic voice sounded in the headset.

Vague localization has been carried out, according to preliminary estimates, the position of the body is in Alpha Alien Star

Alpha… The first fortress. He remembered that the first fortress was where the military cadets were sent. Jiang Jianming squinted his eyes and said solemnly, “Okay. Help me get in touch with Tang Zhen’s communication.”

A second later, Tang Zhen’s projection flashed. The opposite side stared at him with wide eyes. “Little Jiang–where the hell are you!? Is this… a mecha cockpit? Are you really in the far star?”

Jiang Jianming said sincerely, “Sorry, it’s a little urgent, can you send me the map of the Alpha Alien Star and its surrounding stars?”

Tang Zhen: “……” Look at you politely asking politely for a map that is a military secret, really this dangerous person!

Soon, Jiang Jianming confirmed that the map was successfully received. “Seth Henry, import it, and perform precise positioning.”

Precise positioning is successful! The body is located in Alpha Alien Star, ground floor of the first fortress of Silver Big Dipper in the E2 area, with a depth of 50 meters below the surface.

Jiang Jianming’s eyes sank. Sure enough, just as he expected…..

Tang Zhen was still talking in his ear. “Little Jiang, where are you? Do you want me to go out sometime and pick you up?” He sighed gloomily and said to himself, “You don’t know.The officer that took us was so bad-tempered. Do you know that I had to figure out how to sneak out before picking up your call?”

Jiang Ming was pondering things, and simply responded casually. “No need to do that, I am in Beta Alien, and I will soon arrive at the second fortress.”

Tang Zhen’s eyes almost fell off. “Huh??”

Jiang Ming: “Don’t worry, Snow is equipped with a complete aerospace system. I will go over and meet you as soon as possible. You can just wait there.”

“Huh!? Wait a minute–”

“Be careful of yourself, don’t always think about taking care of others. The far star has not been peaceful in recent years, anything can happen, don’t be careless, see you.”

“Hey, hello!? Wait, don’t mess around. Jiang Jianming, do you have any bit of self-consciousness as a disabled human being? The load of the high-dimensional transition for you is–”

Close. 

Jiang Jianming cut off the communication mercilessly.

Since Ryann’s mecha was in the first fortress of Alpha Star, maybe many of Ryann’s relics would also be there. He was bound to go there. Anyway, he had already reached the distant interstellar space, and he had a special order in hand. Naturally,  there wouldn’t be a problem in going to either the first fortress or the second fortress.

But… Jiang Jianming thought to himself, can I find a chance to slip away if something were to happen?

Just as he was planning, he suddenly heard someone vaguely shouting something outside. That voice was very familiar, it was his new “friend”.

“Little brother! Hey–little brother!”

Jiang Jianming turned around in astonishment, and saw a mecha rushing close to him. Gao Long stuck out his forehead from the cockpit and waved at him frantically, with a bright smile.

“Hehe, this mecha runs really fast, I like it, I like it so much!”

This stupid big man… Jianming helplessly twitched the corners of his mouth, and reluctantly waved his hand for the time being.

Gao Long’s shouting attracted a lot of attention, and the surrounding new human elites turned their attention to them one by one.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed. “Ah, this big man…isn’t this Gao Long, the Giant of Mars? That new human who survived the dust storm several years ago!”

“Is it him? Gao Long actually came to Silver Big Dipper?” 

“It’s probably boring to stay in a place where even Mars starbird don’t shit.”

When Gao Long listened to others talking about him, he wasn’t angry and still grinned innocently.

“Me? My bastard father is here and I came here to find someone.”

Another person looked at Jiang Jianming and sneered arrogantly.

“But who is the kid next to him? He’s so good-looking.” 

“Look at that small waist and a pale face… I believe he is a disabled human being.”

“You know, powerful new humans will always be low-key and in hiding, is it that easy to be Gao Long’s brother!”

Obviously, the stable traveling speed of the military mecha and the guarantee of being in the safe area gave everyone the intention to whisper curiously.

The atmosphere became more lively after everyone chatted for a few words. Until a Silver Big Dipper sergeant shouted, “Pilot number x-071! The cockpit is not allowed to be open while the mecha is moving—pilot x-071, do you hear me!?”

Gao Long scratched his head. “Who, who? Are you talking about me?”

“I repeat, you are not allowed to open the cockpit while—”

Boom!!

Before the sergeant could finish speaking, the earth shook without warning.

Woooo… 

The alarm sounded sharply, the next moment the mecha tilted, and half of its body was floating in the air. Jiang Jianming’s face changed suddenly, his whole body was forced forward, and the seat belt almost broke his waist and abdomen!

Another shock came. Several turquoise black mechas fell down in the field of vision. When they collided with each other, they smashed loudly, and a flying fire mixed with electric light exploded!

“Hey, what’s going on—”

“Get away quickly. I, I can’t control the mecha!!”

Lieutenant Colonel Luis was both shocked and angry. “If a situation like this occurs, stop moving! I repeat, all drivers stop moving, the entire team is on standby!”

In the violently shaking cockpit, Seth Henry’s broken direct voice was heard. 

The violent fluctuation reaction of crystal particles is sensed in front, which is preliminarily presumed to be caused by high-order crystal bone interference… The source of the fluctuation is being locked, it is…

Jiang Jianming suddenly yanked the lever to the extreme, and his bones and internal organs were in severe pain from the chaotic crystal particles in the air. However, he did not let go of his strength, and said with a sharp bite, “Seth, tranquilizer—” 

Bang! 

Seconds later, the half-floating mecha landed again, and at the same time, an extremely thin needle pierced the skin from the back of the neck, pushing an icy liquid.

Danger alert, an approaching unknown lifeform detected underground, danger alert! 

Urgently change to sensing the unknown lifeform, locking the lifeform—

What? 

Jiang Jianming’s eyes turned black from the pain just now, and suddenly his heart skipped a beat. The tremor that was several times stronger than before came again… by coincidence, it happened to be right below him.

The next moment, a sudden change occurred, the scarlet surface suddenly burst into cracks, countless sharp shadows rose from the ground, and his entire mecha was lifted up!

An amiable looking uncle instantly changed his face and shouted, “Underground…there is something underground, it’s coming out!”

A tremendous force pushed along the iron wall of the mecha which made his vision spinning around. Jiang Jianming couldn’t see what was coming out of the ground, so he fired a cannon first by intuition.

The recoil sent the mecha flying, and he heard a deafening scream—that didn’t belong to any kind of creature he knew.

Someone screamed. “Alien…. Alien creature!?”

Between the flashes of light, Jiang Jianming’s mind was unusually calm. He forced himself to endure the dizziness and opened his eyes, to clearly see the ground amidst the glare of artillery fires.

The ground had been completely cracked, and a huge white centipede-shaped creature with a height of two floors emerged, using its dense limbs and feet. Every piece of flesh on its body was squirming and constantly squeezing out unknown mucus. Disgusting.

“Lue lue lue kasha kasha…!!!”

Sharp strange cries echoed in the sky of Beta Alien, accompanied by the exclamations of all the recruits.

The white giant centipede was writhing wildly, looking like it had just experienced a hard battle and its layer of crystalline armor that had originally covered its body was completely cut and bruised.

Jiang Jianming’s shot just now broke one of its injured legs. Blood splattered everywhere and the smell was very unpleasant.

Several mechas around have been thrown away by its writhing. Jiang Jianming steadied the control with both hands, and cold sweat dripped down from the tip of his nose–

–he was too close. The white centipede’s head was already coming his way, and its shadow completely shrouded his mecha!

Lieutenant Colonel Louis’ eyes were red with anxiety as he shouted, “Kid! Back up!!”

It hasn’t even been two hours since they entered Beta Alien. All was calm the first second, yet in the next moment, life and death were suddenly on the line. If a normal person would experience this, they would be scared and stunned.

Jiang Jianming’s first reaction was to raise the muzzle of the mecha, not retreating but advancing. However, before he had the time to fire again, suddenly a ray of light passed in front of him.

Puchi!! 

The afterimage flashed, and in the next moment, dirty blood sprayed into the sky.

The head of the huge centipede was pierced by a crystal bone from the side. It made a piercing scream, rolled and smashed on the surface. Jiang Jianming gasped and turned around, only to see the M-IP 18 standing beside him with its cockpit empty, while a tall man stood on its body.

From Gao Long’s broad shoulders, two sharp crystalline prisms “grew”, which were dark and clear, like a pair of crystal fists, extending out dozens of meters.

The expression on his face was still simple and honest. Looking at Jiang Jianming, he squeezed his right eye, smiled and showed a row of white teeth.

At the same time, the muscles on the shoulders and arms bulged violently, the crystal bones trembled, and as they contracted back, blood splattered all over the ground.