NABC Page 165
Page 165
Sal was shocked. His full-force attack had been neutralized so easily.
Bloodlust and rage!
Thrall went completely berserk, no longer holding back his abilities. His crimson aura spread out like a tangible force, causing the gravity within the area to suddenly increase and the air to become viscous, attempting to limit Chen Yuan's lightning-fast speed.
At the same time, he unleashed a barrage of punches like a pile driver, each punch generating a terrifying sonic boom and a blood-red energy shockwave that covered a large area of the airspace.
Chapter 228 Subduing Sal
Chen Yuan, though in this turbulent realm, was like a fish swimming in a turbulent current.
The energy veins on the surface of the nanocore suit flashed rapidly, and the adaptive force field was fully activated to continuously cancel and deflect the heavy pressure and energy erosion it was bearing.
His body made various sudden stops in mid-air that defied the laws of physics, and his rapid changes of direction evaded all of Sal's dense fist shadows. Occasionally, he used the nano-diamond shield that was instantly condensed to block the impact that could not be completely avoided.
"Is all you can do is hide like a fly? Coward!"
Sarr, unable to break through Chen Yuan's defenses, roared in anger and his attacks became increasingly ferocious, yet he still couldn't touch the hem of Chen Yuan's clothes.
He was a short-tempered person who didn't think much and just relied on brute force.
"Then so be it." Chen Yuan's icy voice came through the mask.
He stopped dodging, hovering in mid-air with his arms outstretched. The nanocores on his chest and shoulders unfolded like blooming flowers, revealing the complex energy convergence structure beneath.
Nanocore · Multi-pulse locking!
Dozens of tiny energy emission ports lit up instantly, and the next moment, dozens of energy beams of varying thickness and properties—some pulsed, some freezing, some intensely hot—as if they possessed life, traced eerie arcs and enveloped Sal from all directions.
Thrall roared and swung his warhammer and bone shield to parry, the energy beams striking the shield and armor, unleashing a series of explosions.
The freezing beam caused his armor to frost over, the pulse energy interfered with his body, and the high-energy beam continuously scorched his defenses.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Taking the direct hit, Thrall was forced to retreat repeatedly, his tall body trembling in the air, and more and more scorch marks and damage began to appear on his armor!
"Damn it!"
Thrall withstood a volley of fire, found an opening, and channeled all his remaining energy into the warhammer.
"Dominate the mountains and rivers!"
The energy warhammer in his hand erupted with a blinding light like a supernova. A torrent of blood-red energy, several meters in diameter and condensed to the extreme, tore through the sky like a giant axe splitting the heavens and earth, surging towards Chen Yuan with all its might. This was the strongest single-target attack he could unleash.
Faced with an attack powerful enough to annihilate a mountain, Chen Yuan finally showed a hint of seriousness.
His entire body's nano-cores vibrated and resonated at an unprecedented frequency, with all the energy converging towards his right fist!
"Loongson 10 - Privilege Unlocked - Mimic Annihilation Cannon!"
Instead of launching an energy beam, he focused his right fist, which was now imbued with terrifying energy, and swiftly unleashed a punch at the oncoming torrent of blood.
A dark singularity, not large but restrained, seemingly swallowing all the surrounding light, was born in front of his fist and silently collided with the blood torrent.
"Oh!"
In Sal's eyes, his destructive torrent of energy, upon contact with the dark singularity, was as if swallowed by an invisible behemoth. From the point of contact, it disintegrated inch by inch, turning into the most basic energy particles and dissipating into the air.
"No...this is impossible..."
Thrall stood there, stunned, his worldview completely overturned.
This was his strongest attack, yet it was neutralized by the opponent in a way he couldn't understand.
Chen Yuan slowly withdrew his fist, and the dark singularity dissipated.
He hovered in front of Sal, his nanosuit brimming with energy, as if he had just done something insignificant.
With over 500 million nano-cores, the stored core energy is terrifying.
"The power is acceptable, but the energy utilization efficiency is low and the form is too simplistic."
Like an examiner, Chen Yuan gave his final evaluation: "Your value in the test ends here."
As Sal looked at the god-like figure before him, he felt a fear and helplessness that came from the depths of his soul for the first time.
His impotent rage was extinguished as if doused with ice water, leaving only boundless chill.
Chen Yuan raised his hand, and nanoparticles gathered in his palm, targeting Sal, who was exhausted of both ability and stamina.
"Now, can we have a proper talk? About your base, your fleet, and how we can use them for my purposes."
Seeing his opponent tremble with shock, Chen Yuan slowly dissipated the nano energy he had gathered in his hand. Instead of delivering the fatal blow, he gently landed in front of Sal, who was slumped on the ground, his breath weak.
Sal closed his eyes and said in a gruff voice, "Kill me. The victor is king, the loser is villain. I have nothing to say. And don't expect to take over my territory."
As the proud leader of the space pirates, Thrall could not accept living a humiliating existence.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan shook his head, his tone carrying a peculiar meaning: "If you're not even afraid of death, then what else is there to fear?"
Upon hearing this, Sal suddenly opened his eyes, stared at Chen Yuan, and didn't understand what he meant.
"Become my subordinate!"
Chen Yuan extended an olive branch directly, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through Sal's armor and look straight into his soul. "I need a guy like you. My goal is to become the king of this world. Not the king of space pirates, nor the king of the Moon Palace, but the only order under this starry sky. The Moon Palace and space pirates are nothing more than internal strife among humans, and it should end."
"A naive idea!"
Sal scoffed, "I admit you're strong, ridiculously strong, but it's not enough. The Moon Palace's foundation is far deeper than you imagine. They possess a complete industrial system, a massive fleet, and those rigorously trained and genetically optimized Moon Guardians. Just the hidden power of the Moon Palace alone is enough to give us, even if all the space pirates joined forces, a head-on confrontation wouldn't be even 30% certain. Your ambition... is too great!"
You're wrong about one thing.
Chen Yuan interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the blue and white planet in the distance, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible heaviness, "I don't have much ambition. My biggest wish is actually to lie down and find a quiet place to live a peaceful life."
Sal was taken aback, completely unprepared for such an answer.
"But it's not allowed..."
Chen Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked at Sal again, his eyes becoming extremely serious. "I've discovered some incredible secrets. You were among the earliest lunar settlers, and several decades have passed by now. Did you really think you were safe hiding on the moon, far away from Earth?"
Chen Yuan paused, then said, word by word, "The Mana ecosystem is completely engulfing the Earth; it's not just a phenomenon limited to the planet's surface. Once it completes its transformation and swallows the Earth whole, the Moon... will be its next target. Perhaps these things seem too far away to you, and you think they're unimportant."
“But I’m different. I want to change all of this. Humans shouldn’t struggle to survive on the ground like dogs, nor should they hide in bases like rats, barely clinging to life. Just because of the Devouring Beasts, must we keep running away forever?”
Chen Yuan said calmly, "I'm telling you all this not because I'm afraid of the consequences of killing you, but because I want to persuade you. Since you're not even afraid of death, then hand over your life to me. Become my partner or my subordinate, as long as you act according to my will, I won't interfere too much in other matters."
After listening, Sal fell silent, his rugged face displaying a complex and ever-changing expression.
Chen Yuan's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer. Misfortune began when he left Earth at a very young age.
After his parents died one after another, he began a solitary life of wandering.
He was not unaware of the threat posed by the Mana ecosystem; it was just that his life as a space pirate had made him accustomed to focusing on immediate interests and survival.
The power and vision Chen Yuan displayed forced him to rethink things. He didn't want to use his brain, but that didn't mean he was brainless.
After a long while, Sal finally raised his head, the white in his pupils fading away, replaced by a scrutinizing and decisive look: "What is your plan?"
He asked the most crucial question: having ambition without a plan is madness.
Chen Yuan knew that Sal was tempted, perhaps to gain more benefits, but whatever the reason, as long as the result was in accordance with his wishes, it didn't matter if the process deviated a bit.
He smiled slightly. "The first step is to unify the space pirates, to integrate the space pirate forces scattered across the moon and other places into one force as quickly as possible. The second step is to wage war against the Moon Palace, and finally launch a counterattack on the Mana ecosystem and rebuild after the apocalypse."
Chapter 229 Junk King Jock
Seeing Sal's furrowed brows, Chen Yuan raised his hand to stop his doubts: "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, I won't do anything I'm not sure of. In my plan, as long as the first step goes smoothly, integrating the power of the space pirates, plus myself... then facing the Moon Palace, I have at least a 70% chance of success."
Chen Yuan did not reveal all of his cards, but the figure of 70% was enough to alarm Sal.
At this moment, Sal stared intently into Chen Yuan's eyes, trying to find a trace of deception, but he only saw unfathomable confidence and calmness.
He took a deep breath; the thin lunar air made him feel a chill, but it also cleared his confused mind.
"Hmph, I hope... it really is as you say."
Sal's voice was a little hoarse. He struggled to his feet. Despite his tattered armor, his domineering aura returned. "I'll go crazy with you this once and for all. If I fail, I'll take you down with me."
After saying that, he knelt down on one knee. "I, Thrall the Butcher, and my fleet and base, are at your command from this day forward!"
Chen Yuan nodded: "Very good."
Sal seemed to just remember something, "You haven't told me your name yet?"
Chen Yuan looked up at the starry sky and said calmly, "My name is Chen Yuan, the Yuan of abyss."
He paused, turned his head to look at Sal, and said, "I am a man who can bring you darkness!"
Sal: "..."
"Tell me your plans!"
Sal composed himself and began to take on the role of a subordinate. "Next, we should talk about the other tough nuts to crack. Blood Butcher Barton, Poison Woman Vera, and that crazy junk king Jock... Their forces are all enormous. Even if you and I work together, we may not be able to take them all down. We might even capsize in a ditch."
Chen Yuan said calmly, "I've seen most of these people's information. Let me tell you something I don't know, like their abilities. Your territory is the closest to the ragpicker's territory, and there are frequent clashes. I'll target him next!"
With the Loongson chip used to infiltrate electronic devices, Chen Yuan had basically seen all the factions on the moon that were recorded in the database.
……
After subduing Sal and integrating all his forces, Chen Yuan did not rush to take immediate action.
He silently infiltrated the space pirates' network using Loongson chips, closely monitoring the movements of junk king Jock.
Soon, a golden opportunity arose.
"Jock will travel to the Third Abandoned Iron Mine in 72 hours to trade a batch of high-purity rare metals with Blood Butcher Barton's men," Longxin reported.
A glint flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes as he looked at Sal, who was wiping his newly equipped energy warhammer beside him.
"Our chance has come. While he's away, let's raid his stronghold."
Upon hearing this, Sal grinned, revealing a cruel smile: "That madman Jock, I've disliked him for a long time. There must be a lot of good stuff in his junkyard."
……
Seventy-two hours later, a region formed by countless abandoned ships, mining machinery, and industrial waste... a junkyard.
This is Jock's lair. From a distance, it looks like a steel mountain range. Countless searchlights sweep across the garbage heap, and occasionally you can see cyborgs modified by Jock moving through the shadows.
In the shadows at the edge of this steel graveyard, Chen Yuan and Sal quietly emerged.
Behind the two men were three Lunar-class assault ships and a dozen or so small Razor attack craft assembled under Sal's command.