99. Walking a dog
Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake
What does it mean to explode ten energy canisters beautifully…? Zhang Ge didn’t quite understand, and he didn’t even dare to continue exploring further. Before they could distinguish more useful information from the disrupted sizzling electric currents, news of the high-energy explosion in the swamp forest and the exposed coordinates of the Second Star Domain mechas also reached the detection backend of the Dawn Galaxy’s lounge.
Seeing this, everyone immediately understood where those ten energy canisters were probably used.
KID’s mechas had damage levels of approximately 15% while the Second Star Domain’s mechas, remaining at KID’s original coordinates, faced the explosions generated by the ten energy canisters and experienced a high degree of damage to their mecha bodies.
In the lounge, everyone had initially thought KID would face simultaneous attacks from multiple sides, but never expected that they wouldn’t just safely escape from the swamp forest, but also turn the tables on the Second Star Domain, dealing them significant damage. With this level of damage, it was a massive loss for the Second Star Domain in the race against time for resources.
“How did they manage to…”
“What do you mean, how did they manage it? Wasn’t it just through the detonation of the ten energy canisters?”
Shen Xingtang finally managed to communicate with KID’s team and at last understood the whole story.
“So, are you guys riding an S-class pollutant now?”
In the lounge, the others looked at the coordinates on the detection map. KID’s team actually used the spatial displacement ability of an S-class pollutant to escape. That was an S-class pollutant! How could it be controlled by them so easily?
“Yes! Thanks to that, we were able to escape.”
Ji Qingfeng struggled to tug on the Mantis, to avoid it from being manipulated by the King Worm inside it into a second displacement.
“We’ll deal with these two pollutants first, then immediately support Gale.”
Huo Yan said, “Boss, don’t worry! We’re fine.”
In the lounge, hearing Shen Xingtang’s conversation with KID, everyone couldn’t help but shudder.
Spatial displacement and ten energy canisters were privileges ordinary people couldn’t enjoy. Even if the ten energy canisters were handed over to another group, it may not have necessarily led to those of the Second Star Domain swallowing such a significant loss. Moreover, there were GBK members in those three teams. The fact that KID could deceive GBK was an unthinkable thing.
Black Crow’s leader looked at Zhang Ge beside him and said, “Indeed, those ten energy canister explosions were truly magnificent.”
Zhang Ge responded, “…They might be magnificent, but what am I supposed to do about it?”
Noticing the surrounding gazes, he gritted his teeth and said, “Aren’t they just ten energy canisters? KID managed to pull a 1v3… isn’t this just settling the score? Report.”
The others: “…”
Indeed, the boss of Dawn Galaxy’s first base was quite bold.
Jiang Simiao looked at the detection screen, “GBK will suffer a loss this time.”
Not only did KID perfectly achieve a 1v3, they also launched a beautiful counterattack. Moreover, the Second Star Domain couldn’t blame the Dawn Galaxy for this. Before this, all their mecha signals were turned off, and any actions taken by KID without knowing about the approach of their ‘allies’ were reasonable.
If anyone was to be held accountable, the Second Star Domain would have to explain the situation to Coria’s management bureau.
Sure enough, when Dawn personnel went out to investigate, they saw that everyone in the Second Star Domain’s lounge had dark expressions. There were also people from Coria’s management bureau asking about the situation.
“I can’t help but laugh. The people from the Second Star Domain can’t say anything.”
“I heard that the damage done to several mechas is too high for the medical mechas to handle. Now they can only return to the management bureau for repairs.”
Seeing the situation, everyone from Dawn Galaxy felt particularly relieved for some reason.
“I suddenly feel like ten energy caniser explosions weren’t enough.”
“If it were me, I’d add two more, preferably blowing everyone from the Second Star Domain away.”
“I agree.”
Zhang Ge and the League staff responsible for writing reports and settlement forms after hearing these comments: “…”
In the swamp forest, most of the mechas from the Second Star Domain faced varying degrees of damage. The team’s medical mechas had already activated their medical protocols, assisting some mechas in urgent damage control.
For mechas with moderate damage, medical mechas could restore about 5-10% of damage through repairs. However, mechas with damage levels of 60% or more had to return to Coria’s main planet base or the management bureau for replacement or repairs.
“Captain Bai, now how do we handle this?”
The nearby mecha pilots couldn’t help but look at the leader of the Second Star Domain. They hadn’t suffered such a loss since their mission started, and they were reduced to this state by a mere top-eight team. Anyone would feel embarrassed.
“They’re not far from us. We can still intercept them if we leave now.”
“If we don’t bring KID’s team back, we won’t be able to suppress this anger.”
Bai Xuyan remained silent, his face darkening as he examined the mecha’s radar information. The reactions of the two S-level pollutants were still present, and KID was also linked with the pollutants. The timing of the explosion was undoubtedly calculated by KID. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to trigger an explosion in a swamp environment, indicating that KID might have figured out the S-level Female Mantis’ abilities.
A coincidence? Bai Xuyan didn’t believe in coincidences.
However, he wasn’t sure about KID’s current progress. He noticed that KID’s position had remained unchanged.
The signal on the radar hadn’t disappeared, indicating that KID’s team hadn’t been able to deal with the anomalous crystal.
Bai Xuyan couldn’t afford to give up the spatial displacement anomalous crystal that was within reach. The importance of this anomalous crystal justified the potential loss of one or two mechas.
“One team will flank, and the displacement of that pollutant seems fixed, roughly around 15 kilometers each time. KID hasn’t moved, indicating that handling the Female Mantis will take time.”
“Split into two teams. One will continue chasing KID, and the other will take a detour to block them from behind.”
—
15 kilometers away, KID’s team had already landed in the forest. When landing, they paid special attention to the position of the Female Mantis, trying to keep it away from the water’s edge to prevent the parasitic worms inside it from escaping.
You Su asked, “We just used up 10 energy canisters. Do we have enough energy now?”
“We have enough. I brought a lot when we left.” Ying Chenlin reassured. “You can rest assured; the energy is sufficient for your bombardment.”
You Su raised an eyebrow, “What’s the plan now?”
When directing Lu Xi to use the Water Flow Cannon, Ying Chenlin’s goal wasn’t necessarily to hit the enemy mechas. While hitting them would be ideal, if that wasn’t possible, the aim was to splash the liquid projectiles’ water onto the mechas.
Human actions are based on subconscious habitual thinking, and this applies to mechas as well. While hitting a mecha is challenging, predicting its evasive direction is simpler. Therefore, by making Lu Xi’s Water Flow Cannon positions more cunning, they could splash water onto targeted areas.
“If I’m not mistaken, most of their mechas should be heavily damaged by now.” Ying Chenlin explained.
“For normal wear and tear, they have medical mechas for repairs. But if the damage is targeted at vital parts, for the sake of efficient mecha performance, they’ll have to go back for repairs. So, I guess at least one of their three teams will leave, ensuring continued pressure on us while allowing other mechas to quickly get repaired and provide support.”
Looking at their radar locations, the enemy mechas had activated their signal concealment again, indicating that they were probably moving towards their direction.
Over on the side, Lin Yao and Huo Yan had efficiently dealt with the Windblade Mantis’s body. After taking the anomalous crystal out, they could only salvage some material since part of the Windblade Mantis had already been consumed by the parasitic insects.
Lin Yao decisively eliminated the parasitic insects and then said, “Since they eat so voraciously, why not let them consume the Mantis’s anomalous crystal?”
Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis subdued by Ji Qingfeng and explained, “The King Worm wants to use them for hunting. The Female Mantis itself has weak attack power and slightly inferior hunting capability compared to the Windblade Mantis. So, the King Worm uses the Windblade Mantis to capture prey, then uses displacement to move the prey to the rear for its and its larvae’s consumption”
Watching the Female Mantis’ helpless expression, he continued, “Inside the Female Mantis, there should be nothing but insects, posing no threat. Don’t kill it for now; it might still be useful.”
Lin Yao asked, “What’s the use of keeping it?”
Ji Qingfeng also wondered, “Yeah, that group of explosions probably didn’t blow up those of the Second Domain. They might come looking for us after escaping.”
The S-level anomalous crystal not yet being in their hands made KID’s team uneasy. It was essential to securely store valuable items in one’s pocket for a sense of security. Moreover, this anomalous crystal appeared quite valuable, and leaving it unsecured felt too risky.
“They’ve probably already come looking for us.” Ying Chenlin said concisely. “But this anomalous crystal can only be stored in a storage compartment. It’s better to make the most of it now.”
“Make the most of it?”
You Su looked at the struggling Female Mantis, “How do you plan to make the most of it?”
“Killing it is easy, but finding a tool that can move us 15 kilometers at once is challenging.” Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis, already forming a new idea in his mind.
“Its displacement anomalous ability is useful.”
On the main planet, there were six S-level pollutants. According to their original locations on the map, Gale was already engaged with one pollutant, and the individual pilots should have encountered another.
Currently, there are two pollutants that haven’t been discovered yet—one in another location in the swamp forest, and the other in the mountain range. Ying Chenlin looked at the S-level pollutant closest to them. In reality, it was still hundreds of kilometers away from them. Instead of going the conventional route, they might as well take a gamble with displacement.
Lu Xi looked at Ying Chenlin in confusion, “But we can’t determine its displacement point.”
“Then let’s try multiple displacements and see if it works.” Ying Chenlin said, looking at the motionless radar and then at the Female Mantis, whose eyes were reddening at the edges. He continued, “After displacing several times, we’ll see if we can find a pattern. If there’s really no pattern, we can kill it later.”
Ji Qingfeng liked this idea when he heard it. He stepped on the Female Mantis beneath his foot and said, “Bro, no, Sister Mantis, we’re counting on you to endure for a bit longer.”
“Can I release it now?” he asked.
“Wait a moment,” Ying Chenlin calculated the time, “If my estimated time is correct, they should be approaching us by now.”
–
The coordinates on the map remained unchanged, but the signal of one of the S-level pollutants had disappeared. The Second Star Domain’s aerial mecha division, currently in flight, accelerated upon seeing this. With two pollutants present, KID had just dealt with one, and now they should be in combat with another, indicating that KID currently had no time to consider the surrounding environment.
“They should have entered into battle.”
“This pollutant seems to be marked as the original one; the spatial displacement anomalous crystal should still be there.”
During their flight, they suddenly noticed that KID’s mecha signals disappeared from the map.
“KID turned off their mecha signals.”
“But what’s the use of turning off their signals? The pollutant’s location is still on the map.”
The mecha division found KID’s strange behavior a bit suspicious. A mecha pilot from GBK spoke in the channel, “Tsk, don’t forget how cunning this pollutant is. The system can only detect the coordinates within a range. KID turned off their mecha coordinates, so we’ll have to search around following the pollutant signal.”
“They’re doing this for one possibility only: they are in combat and want to delay time to secure a chance for themselves to strike.”
“Stay vigilant.”
Bai Xuyan didn’t refute his teammates’ words. It was better this way. He didn’t want to let KID take away this spatial displacement anomalous crystal.
Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. It was KID during the last auction, and now it was KID again. Bai Xuyan rarely made mistakes with the same base twice, and this feeling made him quite displeased. Losing two high-precision components made him miss a good connection. He also heard that the Gu family, the grandfather and grandson, had also joined KID. Shen Xingtang always seemed to be against him, no matter when.
A distance of 15 kilometers wasn’t far, and under the high-speed flight of their mechas, they quickly closed in.
Bai Xuyan noticed that the signal of the S-level pollutant was close at hand, “It seems like they’re in the forest. When we descend, take a detour, prioritize seizing control of the Female Mantis.”
“Be cautious; watch out for their guns and control mecha pilots.”
“No need to engage with them. Once detected, prioritize getting close to the Female Mantis.”
The scattered encirclement of multiple mechas allowed them to quickly approach the location of the Female Mantis for a pincer attack. Soon, someone in the woods noticed the silhouette of a KID mecha in the shadows between the trees. As they approached, about to get close to the mecha, the KID mecha suddenly disappeared from everyone’s view.
“Oh no! Bai’s team, they’ve teleported again!”
Bai Xuyan stopped abruptly and looked at the radar map. He saw glowing red coordinates appear 10 kilometers ahead of them. Understanding the situation, he immediately shouted to another team, “They’ve teleported to behind your location!”
Having made prior arrangements, Bai Xuyan was already prepared for KID’s tactics, keeping another team at a distance to set up a counter-ambush against KID.
And now, KID’s displacement happened right next to their other team.
Mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain received the command and swiftly entered the forest. From a distance, they saw the KID mechas, which had just teleported, along with the S-level Female Mantis. They rapidly closed in on KID’s position, leaving KID’s group stunned.
Ji Qingfeng, witnessing the situation, shouted through a loudspeaker, “Hey, you’ve come to join the party!”
Having been deceived by KID once before, the Second Star Domain’s forces were determined not to let KID escape this time.
“Don’t fall for their provocation!”
“Prioritize attacking the Female Mantis! Don’t let it displace again.”
However, the next second, they saw a red light emerging around KID.
As their mechas rushed forward, the red light intensified, and KID’s mechas disappeared abruptly, displacing away. As they vanished, a provocative voice from the stealth mecha echoed, “If you dare, come and chase us!”
The red pollution source displaced again, randomly darting around the mechas from the Second Star Domain. The mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain were momentarily stunned by this situation—unpredictable displacements, covering long distances in a short time, as if KID had known they were coming and intentionally waited for them.
Bai Xuyan hovered over the swamp forest, watching the pollution source that displaced once again on the radar. He clenched his fists slightly, “We’ve been played. They deliberately aren’t killing that pollutant.”
Intentionally sparing it, toying with them.
Bai Xuyan had never endured such an insult. He glared angrily in the direction of the red pollution source, gritting his teeth, “KID!”
—
In Coria’s lounge, when KID turned off their mecha signals, the others in the lounge could only focus on the situation using the pollution source. When they saw the pollution source moving multiple times, they couldn’t help but exchange glances.
“Isn’t this pollutant a bit too fierce?”
“More than fierce, these displacements seem quite intense.”
Zhang Ge couldn’t help asking, “What is KID doing? Why aren’t they killing that pollutant?”
“It looks like they’re taming a horse,” Shen Xingtang observed the pollution source’s position, “They’re using the pollutant’s displacement ability.”
This explanation was simply unbelievable! The S-level pollutant had a high rank, and dealing with it would require some time for their mecha pilots. No one had ever heard of someone treating pollutants as tools, especially with the pollutant obeying orders!?
The leader of Black Crow cleared his throat and looked at KID’s boss, Shen Xingtang, “Is this kind of wild approach what everyone in KID takes?”
Shen Xingtang remained silent for a moment, “Until today, I didn’t know our mecha pilots and pollutants could get along so well. Maybe they have good affinity?”
Others: “…”
Affinity with pollution sources?
“Wait a moment… could the others from the Second Star Domain be following this pollution source?”
“It seems somewhat possible.”
“No way?” Zhang Ge looked at the pollution source, “This is like walking a dog…”
—
On the other side, the group in KID’s communication channel was feeling nauseous.
“Sis, the road is narrow; you’re going to get cooked in a pot like this.”
The dizziness from multiple displacements in a short time almost caused Ji Qingfeng to lose control of the Female Mantis. Moreover, the King Worm inside the Female Mantis had become smarter, reducing its range of displacement. If KID’s mechas hadn’t strategically positioned themselves near it, they might have been thrown out.
“Be good; we can’t rebel. Obedience leads to a longer life,” Ji Qingfeng suppressed the urge to vomit, gazing into the distance, “But it’s so exhilarating. The mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain are being played by us. Later, when we meet Old Zhao, I’ll definitely brag to him!”
Lin Yao asked, “Will the people from the Second Star Domain follow us?”
Huo Yan replied, “They should have some pride and wouldn’t want to be played by us.”
Lu Xi added, “The span of these displacements seem to be sufficient. We’re getting close to that pollution source.”
Despite the seemingly chaotic directions of the displacements, they had, in fact, approached the position of the last S-level pollution source in the swamp forest. While everyone thought it was a coincidence, Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis’s position and said, “You don’t need to kill it for now. Ji Qingfeng, keep an eye on it and don’t let it escape.”
“Eh? Is there a pattern?” Lin Yao asked.
Ying Chenlin, after a few attempts, had recorded the directions of the Mantis’s displacements and found that it mainly moved forward, facing its front. Although its landing positions differed, there was no circular displacement pattern, just a continuous forward movement.
“The core of the displacement ability is still the Mantis itself. The King Worm only manipulates its thoughts. However, since both are S-level pollutants, fully controlling it is a bit difficult for the King Worm. I guess its displacement preserves the Mantis’ behavioral habits, always moving in the direction the Mantis faces.”
The two of them, one after the other, essentially determined the next move of the Female Mantis.
Huo Yan said cheerfully, “Don’t worry; this is simple.”
Ji Qingfeng, while holding onto the Female Mantis, spoke in a gentle tone, “Eat a bit more later, so you can run well after eating.”
Others were busy feeding the Mantis, and after feeding it, they headed towards the coordinates of the new S-level.
However, Ying Chenlin was looking at the map’s pollution source coordinates. They were very close to that S-level. However, the coordinates of that same S-level are range coordinates. They had now barely reached the range of the S-level, but they couldn’t determine what the new S-level pollutant was.
He was observing the surroundings when suddenly, there was a slight warmth in his chest.
Ying Chenlin paused, reached out, and pulled at his collar, extracting the red string from around his neck.
As soon as he took it out, he noticed that Yuan’s key was glowing.
His eyes showed he was slightly puzzled.
At this moment, the others in the KID channel were speaking.
“Oh, by the way, did you guys notice how quiet it is around here?”
“It seems like it. There aren’t any pollutants around.”
You Su furrowed his brows slightly and suddenly noticed that the edge of the pollution source seemed to be fitting into a certain location.
“This pollution source has moved.”
Author’s note:
Congratulations to KID for obtaining a convenient means of transportation x1!!
TN:
KID are the worst thing that has ever happened to pollutants . From being a predator to being walked around like a f*ckin dog!
99. Walking a dog
Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake
What does it mean to explode ten energy canisters beautifully…? Zhang Ge didn’t quite understand, and he didn’t even dare to continue exploring further. Before they could distinguish more useful information from the disrupted sizzling electric currents, news of the high-energy explosion in the swamp forest and the exposed coordinates of the Second Star Domain mechas also reached the detection backend of the Dawn Galaxy’s lounge.
Seeing this, everyone immediately understood where those ten energy canisters were probably used.
KID’s mechas had damage levels of approximately 15% while the Second Star Domain’s mechas, remaining at KID’s original coordinates, faced the explosions generated by the ten energy canisters and experienced a high degree of damage to their mecha bodies.
In the lounge, everyone had initially thought KID would face simultaneous attacks from multiple sides, but never expected that they wouldn’t just safely escape from the swamp forest, but also turn the tables on the Second Star Domain, dealing them significant damage. With this level of damage, it was a massive loss for the Second Star Domain in the race against time for resources.
“How did they manage to…”
“What do you mean, how did they manage it? Wasn’t it just through the detonation of the ten energy canisters?”
Shen Xingtang finally managed to communicate with KID’s team and at last understood the whole story.
“So, are you guys riding an S-class pollutant now?”
In the lounge, the others looked at the coordinates on the detection map. KID’s team actually used the spatial displacement ability of an S-class pollutant to escape. That was an S-class pollutant! How could it be controlled by them so easily?
“Yes! Thanks to that, we were able to escape.”
Ji Qingfeng struggled to tug on the Mantis, to avoid it from being manipulated by the King Worm inside it into a second displacement.
“We’ll deal with these two pollutants first, then immediately support Gale.”
Huo Yan said, “Boss, don’t worry! We’re fine.”
In the lounge, hearing Shen Xingtang’s conversation with KID, everyone couldn’t help but shudder.
Spatial displacement and ten energy canisters were privileges ordinary people couldn’t enjoy. Even if the ten energy canisters were handed over to another group, it may not have necessarily led to those of the Second Star Domain swallowing such a significant loss. Moreover, there were GBK members in those three teams. The fact that KID could deceive GBK was an unthinkable thing.
Black Crow’s leader looked at Zhang Ge beside him and said, “Indeed, those ten energy canister explosions were truly magnificent.”
Zhang Ge responded, “…They might be magnificent, but what am I supposed to do about it?”
Noticing the surrounding gazes, he gritted his teeth and said, “Aren’t they just ten energy canisters? KID managed to pull a 1v3… isn’t this just settling the score? Report.”
The others: “…”
Indeed, the boss of Dawn Galaxy’s first base was quite bold.
Jiang Simiao looked at the detection screen, “GBK will suffer a loss this time.”
Not only did KID perfectly achieve a 1v3, they also launched a beautiful counterattack. Moreover, the Second Star Domain couldn’t blame the Dawn Galaxy for this. Before this, all their mecha signals were turned off, and any actions taken by KID without knowing about the approach of their ‘allies’ were reasonable.
If anyone was to be held accountable, the Second Star Domain would have to explain the situation to Coria’s management bureau.
Sure enough, when Dawn personnel went out to investigate, they saw that everyone in the Second Star Domain’s lounge had dark expressions. There were also people from Coria’s management bureau asking about the situation.
“I can’t help but laugh. The people from the Second Star Domain can’t say anything.”
“I heard that the damage done to several mechas is too high for the medical mechas to handle. Now they can only return to the management bureau for repairs.”
Seeing the situation, everyone from Dawn Galaxy felt particularly relieved for some reason.
“I suddenly feel like ten energy caniser explosions weren’t enough.”
“If it were me, I’d add two more, preferably blowing everyone from the Second Star Domain away.”
“I agree.”
Zhang Ge and the League staff responsible for writing reports and settlement forms after hearing these comments: “…”
In the swamp forest, most of the mechas from the Second Star Domain faced varying degrees of damage. The team’s medical mechas had already activated their medical protocols, assisting some mechas in urgent damage control.
For mechas with moderate damage, medical mechas could restore about 5-10% of damage through repairs. However, mechas with damage levels of 60% or more had to return to Coria’s main planet base or the management bureau for replacement or repairs.
“Captain Bai, now how do we handle this?”
The nearby mecha pilots couldn’t help but look at the leader of the Second Star Domain. They hadn’t suffered such a loss since their mission started, and they were reduced to this state by a mere top-eight team. Anyone would feel embarrassed.
“They’re not far from us. We can still intercept them if we leave now.”
“If we don’t bring KID’s team back, we won’t be able to suppress this anger.”
Bai Xuyan remained silent, his face darkening as he examined the mecha’s radar information. The reactions of the two S-level pollutants were still present, and KID was also linked with the pollutants. The timing of the explosion was undoubtedly calculated by KID. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to trigger an explosion in a swamp environment, indicating that KID might have figured out the S-level Female Mantis’ abilities.
A coincidence? Bai Xuyan didn’t believe in coincidences.
However, he wasn’t sure about KID’s current progress. He noticed that KID’s position had remained unchanged.
The signal on the radar hadn’t disappeared, indicating that KID’s team hadn’t been able to deal with the anomalous crystal.
Bai Xuyan couldn’t afford to give up the spatial displacement anomalous crystal that was within reach. The importance of this anomalous crystal justified the potential loss of one or two mechas.
“One team will flank, and the displacement of that pollutant seems fixed, roughly around 15 kilometers each time. KID hasn’t moved, indicating that handling the Female Mantis will take time.”
“Split into two teams. One will continue chasing KID, and the other will take a detour to block them from behind.”
—
15 kilometers away, KID’s team had already landed in the forest. When landing, they paid special attention to the position of the Female Mantis, trying to keep it away from the water’s edge to prevent the parasitic worms inside it from escaping.
You Su asked, “We just used up 10 energy canisters. Do we have enough energy now?”
“We have enough. I brought a lot when we left.” Ying Chenlin reassured. “You can rest assured; the energy is sufficient for your bombardment.”
You Su raised an eyebrow, “What’s the plan now?”
When directing Lu Xi to use the Water Flow Cannon, Ying Chenlin’s goal wasn’t necessarily to hit the enemy mechas. While hitting them would be ideal, if that wasn’t possible, the aim was to splash the liquid projectiles’ water onto the mechas.
Human actions are based on subconscious habitual thinking, and this applies to mechas as well. While hitting a mecha is challenging, predicting its evasive direction is simpler. Therefore, by making Lu Xi’s Water Flow Cannon positions more cunning, they could splash water onto targeted areas.
“If I’m not mistaken, most of their mechas should be heavily damaged by now.” Ying Chenlin explained.
“For normal wear and tear, they have medical mechas for repairs. But if the damage is targeted at vital parts, for the sake of efficient mecha performance, they’ll have to go back for repairs. So, I guess at least one of their three teams will leave, ensuring continued pressure on us while allowing other mechas to quickly get repaired and provide support.”
Looking at their radar locations, the enemy mechas had activated their signal concealment again, indicating that they were probably moving towards their direction.
Over on the side, Lin Yao and Huo Yan had efficiently dealt with the Windblade Mantis’s body. After taking the anomalous crystal out, they could only salvage some material since part of the Windblade Mantis had already been consumed by the parasitic insects.
Lin Yao decisively eliminated the parasitic insects and then said, “Since they eat so voraciously, why not let them consume the Mantis’s anomalous crystal?”
Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis subdued by Ji Qingfeng and explained, “The King Worm wants to use them for hunting. The Female Mantis itself has weak attack power and slightly inferior hunting capability compared to the Windblade Mantis. So, the King Worm uses the Windblade Mantis to capture prey, then uses displacement to move the prey to the rear for its and its larvae’s consumption”
Watching the Female Mantis’ helpless expression, he continued, “Inside the Female Mantis, there should be nothing but insects, posing no threat. Don’t kill it for now; it might still be useful.”
Lin Yao asked, “What’s the use of keeping it?”
Ji Qingfeng also wondered, “Yeah, that group of explosions probably didn’t blow up those of the Second Domain. They might come looking for us after escaping.”
The S-level anomalous crystal not yet being in their hands made KID’s team uneasy. It was essential to securely store valuable items in one’s pocket for a sense of security. Moreover, this anomalous crystal appeared quite valuable, and leaving it unsecured felt too risky.
“They’ve probably already come looking for us.” Ying Chenlin said concisely. “But this anomalous crystal can only be stored in a storage compartment. It’s better to make the most of it now.”
“Make the most of it?”
You Su looked at the struggling Female Mantis, “How do you plan to make the most of it?”
“Killing it is easy, but finding a tool that can move us 15 kilometers at once is challenging.” Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis, already forming a new idea in his mind.
“Its displacement anomalous ability is useful.”
On the main planet, there were six S-level pollutants. According to their original locations on the map, Gale was already engaged with one pollutant, and the individual pilots should have encountered another.
Currently, there are two pollutants that haven’t been discovered yet—one in another location in the swamp forest, and the other in the mountain range. Ying Chenlin looked at the S-level pollutant closest to them. In reality, it was still hundreds of kilometers away from them. Instead of going the conventional route, they might as well take a gamble with displacement.
Lu Xi looked at Ying Chenlin in confusion, “But we can’t determine its displacement point.”
“Then let’s try multiple displacements and see if it works.” Ying Chenlin said, looking at the motionless radar and then at the Female Mantis, whose eyes were reddening at the edges. He continued, “After displacing several times, we’ll see if we can find a pattern. If there’s really no pattern, we can kill it later.”
Ji Qingfeng liked this idea when he heard it. He stepped on the Female Mantis beneath his foot and said, “Bro, no, Sister Mantis, we’re counting on you to endure for a bit longer.”
“Can I release it now?” he asked.
“Wait a moment,” Ying Chenlin calculated the time, “If my estimated time is correct, they should be approaching us by now.”
–
The coordinates on the map remained unchanged, but the signal of one of the S-level pollutants had disappeared. The Second Star Domain’s aerial mecha division, currently in flight, accelerated upon seeing this. With two pollutants present, KID had just dealt with one, and now they should be in combat with another, indicating that KID currently had no time to consider the surrounding environment.
“They should have entered into battle.”
“This pollutant seems to be marked as the original one; the spatial displacement anomalous crystal should still be there.”
During their flight, they suddenly noticed that KID’s mecha signals disappeared from the map.
“KID turned off their mecha signals.”
“But what’s the use of turning off their signals? The pollutant’s location is still on the map.”
The mecha division found KID’s strange behavior a bit suspicious. A mecha pilot from GBK spoke in the channel, “Tsk, don’t forget how cunning this pollutant is. The system can only detect the coordinates within a range. KID turned off their mecha coordinates, so we’ll have to search around following the pollutant signal.”
“They’re doing this for one possibility only: they are in combat and want to delay time to secure a chance for themselves to strike.”
“Stay vigilant.”
Bai Xuyan didn’t refute his teammates’ words. It was better this way. He didn’t want to let KID take away this spatial displacement anomalous crystal.
Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. It was KID during the last auction, and now it was KID again. Bai Xuyan rarely made mistakes with the same base twice, and this feeling made him quite displeased. Losing two high-precision components made him miss a good connection. He also heard that the Gu family, the grandfather and grandson, had also joined KID. Shen Xingtang always seemed to be against him, no matter when.
A distance of 15 kilometers wasn’t far, and under the high-speed flight of their mechas, they quickly closed in.
Bai Xuyan noticed that the signal of the S-level pollutant was close at hand, “It seems like they’re in the forest. When we descend, take a detour, prioritize seizing control of the Female Mantis.”
“Be cautious; watch out for their guns and control mecha pilots.”
“No need to engage with them. Once detected, prioritize getting close to the Female Mantis.”
The scattered encirclement of multiple mechas allowed them to quickly approach the location of the Female Mantis for a pincer attack. Soon, someone in the woods noticed the silhouette of a KID mecha in the shadows between the trees. As they approached, about to get close to the mecha, the KID mecha suddenly disappeared from everyone’s view.
“Oh no! Bai’s team, they’ve teleported again!”
Bai Xuyan stopped abruptly and looked at the radar map. He saw glowing red coordinates appear 10 kilometers ahead of them. Understanding the situation, he immediately shouted to another team, “They’ve teleported to behind your location!”
Having made prior arrangements, Bai Xuyan was already prepared for KID’s tactics, keeping another team at a distance to set up a counter-ambush against KID.
And now, KID’s displacement happened right next to their other team.
Mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain received the command and swiftly entered the forest. From a distance, they saw the KID mechas, which had just teleported, along with the S-level Female Mantis. They rapidly closed in on KID’s position, leaving KID’s group stunned.
Ji Qingfeng, witnessing the situation, shouted through a loudspeaker, “Hey, you’ve come to join the party!”
Having been deceived by KID once before, the Second Star Domain’s forces were determined not to let KID escape this time.
“Don’t fall for their provocation!”
“Prioritize attacking the Female Mantis! Don’t let it displace again.”
However, the next second, they saw a red light emerging around KID.
As their mechas rushed forward, the red light intensified, and KID’s mechas disappeared abruptly, displacing away. As they vanished, a provocative voice from the stealth mecha echoed, “If you dare, come and chase us!”
The red pollution source displaced again, randomly darting around the mechas from the Second Star Domain. The mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain were momentarily stunned by this situation—unpredictable displacements, covering long distances in a short time, as if KID had known they were coming and intentionally waited for them.
Bai Xuyan hovered over the swamp forest, watching the pollution source that displaced once again on the radar. He clenched his fists slightly, “We’ve been played. They deliberately aren’t killing that pollutant.”
Intentionally sparing it, toying with them.
Bai Xuyan had never endured such an insult. He glared angrily in the direction of the red pollution source, gritting his teeth, “KID!”
—
In Coria’s lounge, when KID turned off their mecha signals, the others in the lounge could only focus on the situation using the pollution source. When they saw the pollution source moving multiple times, they couldn’t help but exchange glances.
“Isn’t this pollutant a bit too fierce?”
“More than fierce, these displacements seem quite intense.”
Zhang Ge couldn’t help asking, “What is KID doing? Why aren’t they killing that pollutant?”
“It looks like they’re taming a horse,” Shen Xingtang observed the pollution source’s position, “They’re using the pollutant’s displacement ability.”
This explanation was simply unbelievable! The S-level pollutant had a high rank, and dealing with it would require some time for their mecha pilots. No one had ever heard of someone treating pollutants as tools, especially with the pollutant obeying orders!?
The leader of Black Crow cleared his throat and looked at KID’s boss, Shen Xingtang, “Is this kind of wild approach what everyone in KID takes?”
Shen Xingtang remained silent for a moment, “Until today, I didn’t know our mecha pilots and pollutants could get along so well. Maybe they have good affinity?”
Others: “…”
Affinity with pollution sources?
“Wait a moment… could the others from the Second Star Domain be following this pollution source?”
“It seems somewhat possible.”
“No way?” Zhang Ge looked at the pollution source, “This is like walking a dog…”
—
On the other side, the group in KID’s communication channel was feeling nauseous.
“Sis, the road is narrow; you’re going to get cooked in a pot like this.”
The dizziness from multiple displacements in a short time almost caused Ji Qingfeng to lose control of the Female Mantis. Moreover, the King Worm inside the Female Mantis had become smarter, reducing its range of displacement. If KID’s mechas hadn’t strategically positioned themselves near it, they might have been thrown out.
“Be good; we can’t rebel. Obedience leads to a longer life,” Ji Qingfeng suppressed the urge to vomit, gazing into the distance, “But it’s so exhilarating. The mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain are being played by us. Later, when we meet Old Zhao, I’ll definitely brag to him!”
Lin Yao asked, “Will the people from the Second Star Domain follow us?”
Huo Yan replied, “They should have some pride and wouldn’t want to be played by us.”
Lu Xi added, “The span of these displacements seem to be sufficient. We’re getting close to that pollution source.”
Despite the seemingly chaotic directions of the displacements, they had, in fact, approached the position of the last S-level pollution source in the swamp forest. While everyone thought it was a coincidence, Ying Chenlin looked at the Female Mantis’s position and said, “You don’t need to kill it for now. Ji Qingfeng, keep an eye on it and don’t let it escape.”
“Eh? Is there a pattern?” Lin Yao asked.
Ying Chenlin, after a few attempts, had recorded the directions of the Mantis’s displacements and found that it mainly moved forward, facing its front. Although its landing positions differed, there was no circular displacement pattern, just a continuous forward movement.
“The core of the displacement ability is still the Mantis itself. The King Worm only manipulates its thoughts. However, since both are S-level pollutants, fully controlling it is a bit difficult for the King Worm. I guess its displacement preserves the Mantis’ behavioral habits, always moving in the direction the Mantis faces.”
The two of them, one after the other, essentially determined the next move of the Female Mantis.
Huo Yan said cheerfully, “Don’t worry; this is simple.”
Ji Qingfeng, while holding onto the Female Mantis, spoke in a gentle tone, “Eat a bit more later, so you can run well after eating.”
Others were busy feeding the Mantis, and after feeding it, they headed towards the coordinates of the new S-level.
However, Ying Chenlin was looking at the map’s pollution source coordinates. They were very close to that S-level. However, the coordinates of that same S-level are range coordinates. They had now barely reached the range of the S-level, but they couldn’t determine what the new S-level pollutant was.
He was observing the surroundings when suddenly, there was a slight warmth in his chest.
Ying Chenlin paused, reached out, and pulled at his collar, extracting the red string from around his neck.
As soon as he took it out, he noticed that Yuan’s key was glowing.
His eyes showed he was slightly puzzled.
At this moment, the others in the KID channel were speaking.
“Oh, by the way, did you guys notice how quiet it is around here?”
“It seems like it. There aren’t any pollutants around.”
You Su furrowed his brows slightly and suddenly noticed that the edge of the pollution source seemed to be fitting into a certain location.
“This pollution source has moved.”
Author’s note:
Congratulations to KID for obtaining a convenient means of transportation x1!!
TN:
KID are the worst thing that has ever happened to pollutants . From being a predator to being walked around like a f*ckin dog!
