Chapter Seventy-Two: Into the Depths

Ye Chong controlled the F-58 with slow, cautious precision, guiding it toward the doorway. He had the scanners turned up to maximum, sweeping the area over and over, his nerves strung tight as wire. Why had Mu insisted he come here himself? What was it about this place that warranted such concern? The questions circled endlessly in Ye Chong’s mind, but he dared not let his attention stray. From the way Mu had acted, it seemed he wouldn’t reveal the answer until the very last moment.

A surge of excitement flickered within Ye Chong. The peaceful days of late had done nothing to dull the combativeness that ran in his bones. In fact, this tranquility only made him uneasy, accustomed as he was to the harshness of life on the Junk Star. Though he’d tried to adapt to this new and very different way of living, habits and instincts honed over more than a decade could not be so easily cast aside.

It had been too long since he’d fought in earnest—he could feel his blood begin to stir. Strictly speaking, Ye Chong was not a belligerent by nature. His battles had always been for survival. Yet, the thrill of a fight never failed to rouse him.

Perhaps, today would bring a true clash.

The scanner showed no one in the vicinity, which surprised Ye Chong greatly. Everything about this place suggested it was of critical importance—so why was it deserted? And how had he managed to pass through the gate’s signal recognition so easily just now? What was going on?

The moment Ye Chong entered, Mu spoke at a speed he’d never heard before: “Thirty seconds. You must reach sublevel eleven. The identification systems for the first ten floors are already unlocked. Stow the F-58. Hurry!”

Ye Chong didn’t hesitate. He leapt from the F-58’s cockpit. Before his feet touched the ground, he’d already stored the F-58 in subspace. The instant he landed, he sprang forward, following the route Mu had shown him on the schematic.

It was pitch black; nothing was visible. Even with Ye Chong’s extraordinary eyesight, there was little he could do in this darkness. He could only trust his memory of the path and dash ahead. Since Mu hadn’t warned him he’d strayed, his memory must still be accurate.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared up ahead—a silver metal door sliding open from the center. The light spilled through the gap. Even as he ran, Ye Chong registered the oddity: from outside, this looked more like a wall than a door.

Mu must have tampered with their identification systems!

Beyond the door lay a fifty-meter ramp, sloping at forty-five degrees and surfaced with anti-slip material. At the bottom was a transverse corridor. Without hesitation, Ye Chong turned left. Along the way, he passed countless security doors. Each time he neared one requiring identification, it slid open automatically. This startled him, but he could only assume Mu was behind it all. He’d have to ask about it later—now was not the time.

He moved as if the place were deserted. Still, Ye Chong only remembered the routes for the first five levels. The network of passageways within was dizzyingly complex—turn after turn until he lost all sense of direction. Even as confusion threatened to overwhelm him, he couldn’t help but admire the design. It was certainly effective at thwarting intruders.

But with Mu’s help, even such defenses were no obstacle.

At last, he reached the tenth level, sprinting at full speed. Mu spoke as they ran: “I’ll need ten seconds for level eleven! Now, let me out!”

Mu wanted to act personally? Ye Chong was startled but wasted no time. Mu flashed into the corridor.

Despite his massive frame, Mu moved with astonishing agility in the cramped space. Ye Chong had to run flat-out to keep up. Mu offered a few more quick directions, and in the blink of an eye, they reached the door to level eleven.

This door was clearly different from those before it. The previous ten had identification terminals beside them, but level eleven’s heavy alloy door was bare—no device in sight. Ye Chong was taken aback.

Mu stood before the door, electronic eye flickering rapidly. Following instructions, Ye Chong positioned himself before the door, knees slightly bent, ready to spring, dagger in hand. Neither man nor mech made a sound.

Sure enough, after ten seconds, the door slid open with a swish. Ye Chong tensed his legs and darted through the barely-opened gap like a wraith.

There were two men behind the door! The thought flashed through Ye Chong’s mind.

Prepared, his dagger swept through the air in a silver blur.

The two men behind the door had not expected it to open so suddenly. Their eyes widened in shock, but before they could react, two streaks of black flashed by. Blood welled across their throats, spreading rapidly. In a heartbeat, there was a faint sound, and both their throats spouted a rain of blood.

They stared in disbelief at Ye Chong as they crumpled silently to the ground, never having reached the alarms mere steps away. The automated alarms, meanwhile, had already been disabled by Mu.

Ye Chong and Mu wasted no time, speeding forward.

They entered a vast circular chamber. By Ye Chong’s rough estimate, it was over a hundred meters in diameter. In the center of the floor were several silver concentric rings. Lining the walls and open spaces were numerous mechs—various models gleaming in alluring hues: bright silver, luminous blue, pale green, fiery red. They stood silently, like a host of mute warriors, imbuing the room with a strange allure.

All these mechs were rare, high-end models. Some were limited editions; many Ye Chong had never even heard of. His eyes shone—he had long yearned for such machines. These were no ordinary goods! At the feet of some, piles of parts were stacked, and Ye Chong quickly spotted several valuable components among them.

Were these the reason Mu had brought him here?

A faint sense of unease crept into Ye Chong’s mind. Impressive as these mechs were, he doubted they surpassed the F-58. For all its ugliness and awkwardness, the F-58’s performance was unmatched. The prowess of Black Horn truly inspired awe.

Could Mu have overlooked this? Impossible! Ye Chong dismissed such a foolish notion at once.

He looked up. Mu stood at the room’s center, electronic eye flashing wildly. Was there some hidden secret here?

Sure enough, after fifteen seconds, Mu spoke urgently: “Yezi, hurry!”

Ye Chong stepped into the silver rings. He had barely found his footing when the ground seemed to vanish beneath him. He staggered, but quick reflexes saw him grab hold of Mu, steadying himself before he could fall.

The silver rings silently carried Ye Chong and Mu downward.