Skyfire Avenue

by Stayrr

Skyfire Avenue is a street that is 2048 meters long. There are 168 stores here, and each of the store owners is an extremely powerful adept. The Avenue does not permit any vehicles or any robots to pass through it, much less mecha. Even the patrolling police must move about on foot. This is because this is a street for pedestrians, a lane for nobles, hidden away within this high te

1. 1

Read Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 1: Zeus' Jewelry Store online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 1: Zeus' Jewelry Store

A brilliant light was bursting forth from afar.

When it first started, it was nothing more than a simple dot. Slowly, it grew until it became a line. Once the ray of light had begun to fully burst forth, the brilliant light had become so dazzling to behold. It seemed to fill and nourish the entire world, and yet it seemed to destroy the entire world as well.

The universe. Infinite and boundless.

Behind the light, there would always be darkness.

Staring at that boundless light in his field of vision, he laughed.

"Farewell, Hera."

An enormous shadow appeared behind him. He gracefully retreated, merging into it.

The shadow flashed, and in an instant, it travelled far away.

Skyfire Star. Skyfire City. Skyfire Avenue.

This famous lane didn't permit any vehicles or any robots to cross it, much less mecha. Even the patrolling police must patrol on foot, the most ancient of methods. That's because this is a street for pedestrians, a lane for nobles, hidden away within this high technology world.

Fresh yet uniform stones covered this 2048 meter long lane. The buildings on each side of the lane were of completely different types, but every single building had its own unique aspects and history. There was ancient French gothic-style pointed buildings, the sprawling and majestic jade-carved buildings of ancient China, and were even Roman-style buildings.

This street, which seemingly had no high technology present, was set within the most central, most developed area within Skyfire City. Supposedly, here, every single square meter of earth was worth as much as one of the newest, top-tier Michaely [Mai'ke'li] P12-class high atmosphere hovercar.

In the center of Skyfire Avenue, there was a rather unremarkable little store. The reason why it was described as 'little' was only because it was little by comparison to the enormous, noble structures surrounding it. The storefront was only seventeen meters wide, and it was designed in accordance with a combination of the luxurious, classical style with the simplistic neo-classical style. The mirror-like deep blue walls, the brilliant display windows, all showed off several dazzling, gleaming jewels. In the middle of the top of the store, four letters, glowing with a sapphire light, formed the name of the store.

Z, E, U, S.

The door was made from some sort of unknown deep blue metal. It didn't have any decorations, save for an imprint of a jagged lightning bolt.

Zeus, the King of the Gods in ancient Greece, the controller of the power of lightning.

Thus, this store was also named Zeus' Jewelry Store.

The insides of the store was a world of sapphire blue. Sapphire blue carpets, sapphire blue velvet covering the walls…even the bottoms of the jewelry display cabinets were sapphire.

Behind the front desk of Zeus' Jewelry Store were two young ladies. They wore identical, low-cut white gowns. They were very beautiful, but in different ways.

One was tall and slender, with eyebrows high like mountains, a face like a rose, her fine black hair trailing over her shoulders. Whether from up close or from afar, she looked like a clear, beautiful painting, and she had a rather classical feel to her.

The other was endearing and lovable, with neat, short, light blue hair. The low-cut dress revealed her spectacular 'mountain range', but the look in her deep blue eyes changed constantly. She appeared…a bit weird.

"Boss, I want to eat ice cream." The short-haired girl called out coquettishly, her voice so sweet that it could kill a man from a sugar overdose.

A lazy voice rang out. "Are you going to eat mine, or am I going to eat yours?"

The voice came from behind the front desk. So there was actually a third person in the shop as well. He looked to be in his twenties, and was seated on a leather swivel chair. His hands clasped behind his head, he leaned there comfortably. He had short black hair, a black shirt, black pants, and a white vest with the diagram of an ancient Greek temple on it.

"Either works." The short haired girl giggled.

"Ke'er, stop messing around." The long-haired girl said somewhat resignedly.

The youngster sat up straight, his movements smooth and graceful. Although his hair was a mess and his face had some unshaved stubble on it, he didn't give the impression of being disheveled at all.

His eyes were very bright, but he had a rather languid cast to his lips. Every single movement he made, however, was very graceful and pleasing to behold. At a glance, one could tell that he was someone who had received the finest lessons in noble etiquette for many years, and thus had gained these habits.

From within his breast pocket, he withdrew a silver pocket watch, which was covered with many small, yet exquisite gemstones which formed a beautiful diagram of a starry sky.

"It's about time. I'm going to freshen up a bit, then I'll go out to have a drink. Xiu Xiu, Ke'er, it's about time for you two to head back as well."

The long-haired girl, Xiu Xiu, laughed very gently as she looked at him. "Boss, you go do what you need to do. The store has us."

The youngster smiled warmly. "Xiu Xiu is always so well-behaved."

The short-haired girl instantly pursed her lips, and the youngster had to add, "Um, Ke'er is very well-behaved as well."

"Dingdingding." A sound like silver chimes rang out, and the door to the shop was pushed open. A woman walked in from outside.

Upon seeing this woman, the youngster's eyes shone even brighter.

This was a very beautiful woman. Her makeup was a bit heavy, and it was hard to tell what her age was. She was 1.7 meters tall, had a slender body, and on her feet she wore a pair of extremely extravagant, custom-made silver and crystal heels from VanCleef Arpels, which perfectly showed off her slender, straight calves. A white pleated skirt which extended below the knees. A white mini-dress. Long hair coifed on her head. She looked extremely tidy.

The color of her eyes was very special. They were a jade green color, the color of an emerald. If one looked closely, one might find that they could ensnare your very soul.

After walking into the store, her feet paused for a moment as she swept the display cabinets with her gaze.

Xiu Xiu went to welcome her, smiling as she spoke. "Welcome to Zeus. Can I help you with something?"

The woman didn't look at her, her gaze instead falling on the youngster. "I want to buy a royal blue star sapphire necklace that is at least fifty carats in size or larger. Do you have it?"

The youngster walked over from behind the front desk. Smiling, he said, "Of course. Xiu Xiu, lead this lady to the VIP room."

Xiu Xiu made a gesture of invitation towards the woman, while on the other side, Ke'er had already opened the door to the VIP room, covered in genuine fur that was deep blue in color.

The VIP room wasn't large, only ten square meters or so in size. It also had blue carpets and blue walls, while at the same time, it had a row of six blue security cabinets lining against the walls.

Aside from these, the VIP room also had a table and three chairs. One chair was towards the inside, while the other two were outside.

This was the place where the real deals were made. The most top-class jewels would never be put out on display on the cabinets outside.

The youngster invited the woman to sit, and she sat down on one of the two chairs on the outside of the table.

Xiu Xiu poured a cup of warm water and gave it to the youngster, who then placed it directly in front of the woman. For the owner to personally deliver refreshments was naturally more meaningful than an employee. A small detail, but then, it was often the small details that determined success or failure.

Xiu Xiu quietly shut the door to the VIP room, not making a sound. The store had an unspoken rule. So long as the boss was present, he would personally handle all of the guests who were led to the VIP room.

The youngster walked to the woman's side, delivering the cup of water to her. "Please, have some water."

The woman accepted the cup of water, but then raised her head and looked at him. "Zeus!"

The youngster's face still had that graceful, indolent smile on it. "You mistake me for someone else. My name is Lan Jue, not Zeus. Or perhaps, you are calling out the name of my shop?"

The woman didn't seem to have heard him, as she stared at him with her scorching gaze. "Zeus, I want to ask you to do something for me."

The smile on Lan Jue's face vanished, and he took the cup of water back from the woman's hand.

The cup of water lit up, and the clear water within it suddenly transformed into blue, the blue of countless tiny little thunderbolts.

Lan Jue looked calmly at her. The woman's body shook slightly, as though she had been affected by some sort paralyzing force. She didn't move at all.

After fully draining the cup of electric water in one gulp, Lan Jue pushed open the door to the VIP room and walked out.

"She isn't here to buy things. Please escort her out. I'm going to go get a drink."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 2: The Old Gothic Winery

There weren't many pedestrians on Skyfire Avenue, because this was a place where one had to be qualified to be here. It wasn't just a matter of money. It was also a matter of taste.

Only after one passed through seventeen linked evaluations would one receive the Skyfire Badge. But of course, it would cost money as well. The reason was: 'Skyfire Avenue Public Maintenance Fund'.

Lan Jue walked out of Zeus, his face returning to its normal, faint smile. The events in the shop apparently hadn't impacted him at all.

He walked to the opposite side of Skyfire Avenue. There was an ancient, French-style gothic building there.

Tall, sharp towers, arched doorways, stained glass windows depicting stories from the Holy Bible, gothic arches, flying buttresses, slender columns…they produced a light yet lofty sensation, as though one was flying in the sky. The framework provided the entire structure with abundant support and strength, with the directly rising lines contributing to a grandiose and spacious appearance.

Compared to Lan Jue's Zeus Jewelry Store, this Gothic structure was like a leviathan. In the entire Skyfire Avenue, in fact, it was the most arresting sight.

Pushing open the door and going inside, Lan Jue rubbed some of the stubble on his face. He couldn't help but let out a hint of a bitter smile. He was about to be criticized again by that strict fellow.

"Jewel Master, you came." A tall, slender, beautiful young lady, with long golden hair, dressed in an ancient French full-length court dress, came to welcome him. She gave Lan Jue an absolutely proper French curtsey.

Lan Jue nodded at her slightly. "Eva [Yi'wa, hello. Is the Wine Master here yet?"

Eva smiled slightly, displaying those eight pearly white teeth. "He's here. The Gourmet and the Coffee Master are here as well."

"Oh?" A hint of surprised delight flashed past Lan Jue's eyes. "The Gourmet is here as well? That's wonderful."

Eva smiled. "I'll bring you there."

A luxurious, long French palace table that could easily seat twenty for dinner. Several people were seated next to it. In the head seat, there was an old man who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties. He was dressed in an exquisite French suit, with a wig on his head. He sat there, upright yet graceful, his face very solemn.

On each side of him, there were two others seated as well. One was tall and thin, dressed in a white shirt and a black vest. His short hair was exquisitely done. He was around forty or so, and there was a gentle smile on his face.

The other person was around thirty-five, of ordinary stature. He wore a white suit, and his long golden hair was perfectly brushed, falling from both sides of his temples to his shoulders, dazzling to behold. His eyebrows were quite thick, and his eyes were very large, but in his eyes there was an undisguised hint of laughter, making him look a bit 'naughty'.

Three men were seated on the other side of the table. An old man, a middle-aged man, and a youngster.

Compared to the three people in the host's seats, they seemed to be slightly uneasy.

"Hey, is it the evaluation time again today?" Led by the young lady, Eva, Lan Jue arrived at that long table. He pulled a chair next to the man in the white suit.

"Jewel Master, you didn't shave or comb your hair." The old man in the head seat said with a frown.

Lan Jue slapped his forehead. "I knew you'd say that. Fine, I'm at fault. Even though I just came because I wanted to show that I'm making changes, and wanted to draw a bit closer to you old fogeys."

The Wine Master said coldly, "If you are at fault, then you need to accept the punishment. You understand our rules."

The man in the white suit next to Lan Jue lowered his head, and said in a very 'cool' manner, "Support."

Lan Jue glanced at him sideways, then looked at the Wine Master. "What's for dinner?"

The lips of the man in the white suit trembled. In the end, he couldn't refrain from laughing.

The Wine Master laughed as well. "We can talk about what we'll eat later. Since you are at fault, then you'll handle the interviews for the next few people. You are more skilled in this regard than I am."

Lan Jue shook his head. "No. That'll cost me too much brain power."

One of the seventeen evaluations in order to be admitted into Skyfire Avenue: Wine.

The Wine Master said, "If the results of your interview are satisfactory to me, tonight's wine will be on me."

"Done." Lan Jue said.

The man in the white suit pursed his lips. "Can't you be a bit more reserved?"

Lan Jue said calmly, "Then don't drink."

The youngster dressed in a black vest on the other side of the man in the white suit spoke for the first time. "Support."

The man in the white suit said unhappily, "Gourmet, why are you always on his side?"

Gourmet said, "Because he has more taste than you."

The Wine Master, in the head seat, nodded as well. "He does."

Lan Jue cast his gaze towards the front. "The three of you, let's begin. First one." To him, the opportunity to sample fine wine was something he definitely didn't want to delay if at all possible.

The face of the old man seated in the first position immediately grew solemn. "Please ask."

Lan Jue said, "This is the Old Gothic Winery. Do you know where the wine from here comes from?"

The old man clearly had prepared early on. He immediately responded, "The Old Gothic Winery was one of the very first businesses opened on Skyfire Avenue when it was first developed. It engages in the sale of fine wine from various former nations of the previous era. These wines are preserved through spatial technology and can essentially be preserved in the state they were originally in year 2020. Actually, the most valuable thing about them is that once a bottle is drank, a bottle will be gone forever. Thus, the price is extremely high, but the ability to enjoy and sample these ancient wines is the mark of a true noble."

Lan Jue neither assented nor disputed. He continued, "What is your favorite type of red wine?"

The old man spoke with seemingly great fluency. "Chateau Lafite. An ancient French wine from 1855, from one of the five first class Chatueaus in the Medoc, the Left Bank of the Bordeaux region."

Lan Jue asked, "If the seven of us were to share a bottle of Lafite today, and you were the host, what would you do? Please explain in detail."

The old man said, "I would carefully open it, then pour out a tiny bit, look at its color, smell its aroma, then taste it. After verifying that it hadn't gone bad yet, I would them divide it amongst everyone, so that we can all enjoy this bottle of fine wine."

"You can leave now." Lan Jue leaned back against the back of the chair and said calmly.

"I passed?" A look of surprised delight was on the old man's face.

Lan Jue shook his head. "No. You've been eliminated."

The old man said with surprise, "Why? I didn't say anything wrong?"

Lan Jue frowned as he spoke. "You've just prepared in advance. You don't actually like wine, nor do you know how to drink. If a bottle of ancient Lafite wine were to be drunk in the manner you described, that would be an absolute waste."

"Lafite, no matter what year it is from, is stored in a horizontal state. Before drinking it, the very first thing to do is to put it upright and keep it in the wine cellar for three days, allowing it to settle. When opening it, you do indeed have to first test the time, but it isn't just to test for whether the wine has gone bad or not. The more important thing is to determine the status of the wine through tasting it, and determine how long it needs to be decanted for. One of the most important things for connoisseurs of wine is the question of how long the wine needs to be decanted. A normal bottle of Lafite would need to be poured into the decanter to be decanted for at least two hours. Otherwise, it wouldn't taste much better than vinegar. It needs time to release its aroma. If you don't even know that, you clearly don't know how to drink wine. In fact, you've never even drank any fine wine. Thus, stop wasting my time."

Unwilling to accept this, the old man said, "But the books all say…"

Lan Jue quirked his lips. "The people who wrote about Lafite in your books had never tasted it before. They just were writing based on what they had heard. To immediately uncork a bottle of Lafite and drink it is a form of disrespect to it. To drink it like that, you might as well dump it into a humidifier instead."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 3: Previous Era, New Era

In year 2235 of the previous era, the first group of humans migrated to the solar system of the Skyfire Star. From that day forward, humanity entered the era of stellar migration. This was the beginning of a new era, and was thus referred to as the 'New Era'.

In but a hundred short years, humanity, including Skyfire star and humanity's mother star, in total administered a territory of twenty three star systems.

Skyfire Avenue. The Old Gothic Winery.

The old man had left with his head hanging down. The expressions on the faces of the middle-aged man and the young man became even more nervous.

Lan Jue turned his gaze towards the middle-aged man. "In the previous era, France's red wine was primarily divided into which two production districts?"

The middle-aged man replied, "Bordeaux and Burgundy, with Bordeaux being divided into the 'right' and 'left' banks."

Lan Jue said, "The 'Big Eight' chateaus of Bordeaux referred to which eight?"

The middle-aged man replied, "They refer to the five great 'first class' chateaus of 1855 in the previous era, located on the west Left Bank of the Medoc, and the three major wineries of the Right Bank of the Medoc. The five on the Left Bank are Château Latour, Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Château Haut Brion, and Château Mouton. The three on the Right Bank are Château Ausone, Château Cheval Blanc, and Château Petrus."

Lan Jue said, "Excellent. Just now, we discussed how generally speaking, around two hours would be needed to decant the wine of Château Lafite from the Left Bank. In that case, generally speaking, how long would the top-tier red wine of Burgundy need to be decanted for? For example, the 'La Tache' wine produced in the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti?"

"This…" The middle-aged man hesitated, then said probingly, "Decanting depends on the state of the wind as well as the storage conditions, so it's hard to say."

Lan Jue laughed. "You must think you are quite clever."

The middle-aged man's heart tightened.

"You can leave now." Lan Jue said.

The middle-aged stood up with a bitter smile, then said, "What was my mistake?"

Lan Jue said, "Burgundy wine and Bordeaux wine are completely different. It only needs a little bit of decanting; generally speaking, no more than half an hour. What's more, the finest Burgundy wine actually doesn't need any decanting at all. The point of drinking it is to enjoy the taste it has once it encounters the air and begins to constantly transform. You might have drank Burgundy wine before, but you definitely have not drank much."

The middle-aged man nodded seriously. "Thank you for the lesson." He nodded towards Lan Jue and the other three, then left.

The youngster who had been seated next to the middle-aged man stood up as well, a bitter smile also on his face. "I think it's best if I leave as well. I'll come back after I come up with a way to drink a bit more wine."

The Wine Master looked at Lan Jue. "Each time you administer the interview, you are able to resolve the situation in the shortest period of time. Although you do rather take it hard on them."

Lan Jue smiled. "But it gets straight to the heart of things, right? You don't want to be too unkind, because that's your style. I'm the Jewel Master, not the Wine Master. Which is to say, I'm nothing more than an alcoholic who wants to drink some fine wine as fast as possible. Today, what do you plan to treat us to drink?"

The Wine Master said, "Go to the spatial wine cellar yourself and pick a bottle casually. Limited to one bottle, though. If you take more than one, please pay for it." While saying these words, he placed a piece of silvery-white metal on the table in front of him.

"Fine." Lan Jue immediately stood up, and as he passed by the Wine Master, he picked up that silvery-white piece of metal and walked to the rear.

After passing through the thirty meter high walkway, he went down a flight of stairs, circling down another thirty or so meters until he arrived in front of a large, ancient, unadorned brown door.

Before entering, Lan Jue opened his palm. The piece of metal in his hand seemed to have sensed something, and flew into the air, agilely pressing itself against the door.

The door 'rippled' as though it was made of water. It didn't emit any light, instead just bizarrely disappearing into nothingness, as though having evaporated.

Lan Jue smiled slightly, then slowly walked in.

When he stood without moving, everything around him seemed to be gently contorting and distorting. After walking straight for roughly half a minute, the sense of distortion finally disappeared, and everything returned to normal.

This was an extremely large underground wine cellar. The wine racks were made from the finest quality French white oak of the previous era, and they were laid out neatly, stretching so far into the distance that one couldn't see an end to them. Nearby, countless enormous oak barrels were heaped atop each other, taking up an entire section of the wall.

Although this wasn't his first time here, Lan Jue still couldn't help but sigh in praise. He really had no idea how the Wine Master had originally procured so many fine wines of the previous era and brought them to Skyfire City. And then, the Wine Master had used such incredible spacetime manipulation techniques to store them all here. Just the white oak wine racks alone were each worth over ten thousand New Era Dollars. The normal salary of a family living in Skyfire Star would generally only make a thousand New Era Dollars each month.

In this place, both space and time were frozen. If Lan Jue didn't have that piece of metal floating atop his head, which constantly cast a soft glow around him, he would have been a frozen part of this place as well.

Only by freezing both time and space was it possible to keep these fine wines of the previous era in perfect condition.

Lan Jue slowly walked deeper inside. While walking, he stared at the rows of antique wine bottles and labels.

"Every single bottle here is top class! Truly, one bottle drank is one bottle gone forever." While inspecting the bottles, he sighed in praised.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something. Halting, he raised his head to stare in front of him.

There was a small lamp there, casting off a dim yellow glow. To an ordinary person, it was nothing more than a lamp. But Lan Jue was able to notice something tiny and minute regarding that lamp.

It was just a lamp, but halo of light it cast seemed to be a bit too large.

A faint layer of soft blue light began to shine in the area around Lan Jue's body, and he began to levitate off the ground. When his body came into contact with that yellow halo of light, space suddenly began to distort itself once again.

"Swoosh!"

He arrived in a different room. Compared to the outside room, this room was a bit smaller, roughly around five hundred square meters or so in size. The layout was identical to the outside.

The walls were lined with rows of standalone wine racks, filled with bottles of red wine.

When Lan Jue saw this, his eyes suddenly turned blue, a blue that was filled with electric light.

"What a fine fellow. This is the Wine Master's treasure room! What a pity that I can only take one bottle."

He, normally always so calm and graceful, couldn't help but speed up his footsteps as he moved towards a wine rack. He lifted up a bottle of red wine and looked at that pure white wine label. His eyes were filled with infatuation and adoration, as though he were staring at an absolute beauty who had moved his heart.

Turning, he walked towards the yellow halo of light, but after but a single step, he halted.

A slightly evil smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "For its sake, the Wine Master might actually be so stingy as to renege on his word. I can't give him that opportunity." With a flip of his hand, from some unknown place, he retrieved a corkscrew specially designed for removing red wine corks.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 4: Romanée-Conti

She looked like she was eighteen or nineteen. Her skin was as white as jade, and her neatly combed, long wine-red hair flowed down her head. She wore a white French Romantic-period palace-style flower dress, which perfectly showed off her figure.

Only, this young lady was panting just slightly. Her head was lowered. Her fair white face and her neck, as elegant as that of a swan, were all slightly red. Her long eyelashes were trembling slightly, and she had a look of embarrassment on her face.

"Forgive me. I came late."

The Wine Master stared at this young lady with a severe look on his face. He said calmly, "You can leave. Tardiness is an unpardonable mistake."

"Why not give her a chance?" Lan Jue's voice rang out.

The Wine Master sat there, unmoved. "Tardiness represents discourtesy."

Lan Jue said, "When we were young, we also cared about spending time on our appearance. Why not just give her a chance. Consider it as just giving me some face."

The Coffee Master, dressed in a white suit, said, "He's calling us old." He had a faint smile on his face, as if to say, 'I'm not the sort of person to cause trouble.'

The Wine Master furrowed his forehead.

The Gourmet spoke. "Jewel Master, for the sake of that bottle of wine in your hands, I'll support you this time."

The Wine Master unconsciously turned to glance towards Lan Jue, but when his gaze fell upon the bottle of wine in Lan Jue's hand, he was no longer able to remain calm.

The normally always sedate, solemn Wine Master rose to his feet. Both his lips as well as the finger he was now pointing at Lan Jue began to quiver at the same instant. "I told you to pick a bottle casually!" He all but ground out these words, gnashing his teeth.

Lan Jue said seriously, "But I've never been a casual person."

"Give it back to me!" Like an arrow, the Wine Master shot towards Lan Jue, immediately grabbed the bottle of wine in Lan Jue's hands.

Lan Jue didn't dodge. The bottle of wine arrived in the Wine Master's hands, but in Lan Jue's hands, there was an undamaged cork, a cork which emanated with the faint, fragrant scent of wine.

"You bastard! You actually opened it!" The Wine Master said with frantic fury.

"Cursing is an unpardonable mistake for a noble." Lan Jue waved the wine cork in his hands admonishingly at the Wine Master.

The young lady in the white dress raised her head as well, and saw the bottle of wine. Her sky-blue eyes seemed to flash with brilliant, gem-stone like light.

The Wine Master's breathing as rather ragged. After taking several mighty breaths, he snatched that silver piece of metal in Lan Jue's other hand. "Eva, warm water and slices of white bread. Spanish Iberico ham, cured 72 months, shaved into slices."

"Yes, m'lord."

"Wait a moment." The Gourmet called out to Eva, rising to his feet. With a smile that wasn't a smile on his lips, he looked at the Wine Master, still clutching that bottle of wine tightly. "So you have something as fine as Iberico ham that has been cured for 72 months. Only, you normally were too stingy to bring it out."

The Wine Master said viciously, "The old master had only brought over to here nineteen hams in the past. There are only fourteen left. I was planning to enjoy them myself. You are taking advantage of me."

The Gourmet smiled. "Don't be angry. Sampling fine wine and delicacies requires one to be in a good mood. In addition, a single ham will last for many eating sessions. Eva, bring the entire ham over, and also a larger serving platter, as well as twenty candles. I'll handle it."

Eva looked at the Wine Master, who nodded at her. Perhaps because of words of the Gourmet, the anger on the Wine Master's face was slowly subsiding.

Lan Jue walked towards his seat and sat down, then glanced at the young lady, who was secretly drooling. "Do you recognize this bottle of wine?"

The young lady immediately nodded vigorously.

Lan Jue smiled. "Tell me about it."

The young lady didn't hesitate at all. "This is one of the finest types of wine, Romanée-Conti. It is the 'king' of the wine production area of Burgundy of France. It was the pride of Burgundy, and a wine master once said that Burgundy, just by relying on Romanée-Conti alone, was superior to all eight of the chateaus of Bordeaux. In the previous era, it was the most exalted red wine in the world."

Lan Jue said, "Tell me about its taste."

The young lady's eyes suddenly revealed a hint of intoxication. "This is a sort of flavor that can sink into your taste buds and your teeth. It is a flavor that feels as though it could burrow into every single cell of your body. The fragrance of it is a long lasting one, and it is both exquisite and heavy, both delicate and strong, both balanced and condensed. It has the smooth, graceful texture of velvet. It is virtually the distilled essence of the finest strengths of Pinot Noir grapes. It is an inimitable, fantasy-like wine. After entering the New Era, due to the environmental changes and damages in our home planet, no more true Romanée-Conti was ever produced again, after year 2025."

Hearing the young lady's words, Lan Jue, the Wine Master, and the Gourmet all revealed looks of surprise on their faces.

The Wine Master said. "You've drank it before?"

The young lady nodded gently, somewhat embarrassed. "I was once lucky enough to sample a cup of Romanée-Conti of the 1981 vintage. Although that wasn't the finest year for Romanée-Conti, the flavor of that wine still lingers in my soul."

The Gourmet smiled. "This is a girl with fine taste. It seems the Jewel Master is right yet again."

Lan Jue looked at the Wine Master, who nodded and said, "For the sake of Romanée-Conti, I'll consider you to have passed the interview. Remember, in the future, no matter what you are doing, as a noble, you cannot be late, regardless of the reason."

The young lady made a deep curtsey. "Yes."

The Wine Master said, "You can go now. Eva will take you through the procedures."

"Thank you." The young lady curtsied yet again. Pausing for a moment, she finally summoned her courage and asked, "In the future, after I obtain the Skyfire emblem, can I come to your place to purchase Romanée-Conti?"

The Wine Master, his face cold, waved dismissively towards her. "Romanée-Conti is only for my friends to drink."

A hint of disappointment appeared on the young lady's face. She curtsied yet again, then turned and left.

Several servers came, bearing four Pinot Noir wine glasses, a platter of white slices of bread, four cups of warm water, a square white tray, and an enormous ham that was a meter long and thirty centimeters thick at the thickest part.

The Wine Master stared coldly at Lan Jue. "In the future, I will never let you help me interview again."

Lan Jue smiled. "Wine Master, you need to learn to be more charitable. Fine things need to be shared with friends."

The Wine Master snorted. He picked up the Romanée-Conti bottle with one hand, his thumb pressed against the neck of the wine bottle and his other four fingers pressing against the other side.

Looking at the label on the bottle, he murmured to himself, "Romanée-Conti from year 2005 of the previous era…you punk, you are too vicious."

Lan Jue stared at the wine glass in front of him. "I saw that you also had Romanée-Conti of year 1990."

The Gourmet's eyes bulged. "Then why didn't you take it? Although 2005's product was top-tier, 1990 was a legendary year for Romanée-Conti!"

Lan Jue said seriously, "A person can never go too far. I don't want to be blacklisted by the Wine Master."

A not-quite-smile on his face, the Gourmet arranged the twenty candles into place. "Don't worry. Perhaps others might do that to you, but we definitely wouldn't."

The Wine Master said unhappily, "Are you getting revenge on me for some reason?"

Lan Jue and the Gourmet shared a look and a smile, and said in almost the exact same breath, "Drinking buddies are hard to find."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 5: Heavenly Treasure

The scarlet red wine that had been poured into the cups were very tranquil, not a hint of a ripple to be seen. The fragrance of the wine wasn't too strong, as though all the flavor had been tightly locked into that sparkling, translucent, blood-red, ruby like wine.

The Wine Master's hand didn't tremble at all. He filled all four cups to an exceptionally equal level, up to two fingernails height in each cup. Just by looking at the cups, couldn't tell the difference between any of the cups at all.

Lan Jue stared at the wine, but the Gourmet was staring at the enormous ham in front of him. Both sets of eyes were mesmerized.

Twenty candles were set up in orderly fashion, just slightly smaller in total size than that square serving tray. The Gourmet swept his right hand towards the wicks of the candles, and at the same instant, all twenty candles lit up at the same time. The flames didn't burn very high, but they were very bright.

Holding the serving tray by the edges, the Gourmet held it at a straight level above the candle flames, allowing the heat of the candle flames to evenly heat up the tray.

The Coffee Master said, "Isn't that too much trouble? Why can't you just use your own fire?"

The Gourmet didn't even look at him as he spoke. "That's why we say you have no taste. If it weren't for the fact that you are extremely lucky, there's no way you would have the chance to drink this wine today, or eat a ham like this. My flames are positive energy flames, but of a dry and explosive type. Candle flames are positive energy flames that are gentle, soft, and evenly distributed. The latter is what I need right now."

The Coffee Master said somewhat argumentatively, "Why is there no way? I don't believe it! Wine Master, is he telling the truth?"

The Wine Master didn't say a word. He lifted up the long-stemmed wineglass in front of him by its long, crystalline stem. Raising it high, he caught the light of the candles within it and stared at the scarlet red wine within.

The Coffee Master next turned to look at Lan Jue. "The Gourmet looks down on me! On what basis did he criticize me like that?"

Lan Jue's gaze was focused on his wineglass as well. His movements were almost identical to the Wine Master's. He lifted up his wineglass, staring at the ruby color within.

"He speaks the truth, and he has a very good reason. The reason the Wine Master didn't say anything was because he didn't want to hurt you. However, I can tell you the reason. We'll just treat it as my revenge for you stirring up trouble earlier."

"Fine. Tell me." The Coffee Master said in a dissatisfied way.

Lan Jue laughed calmly. "If you want to learn something, you have to pay a price. Give me the wine in your glass, and I'll tell you the reason. Otherwise, where's the 'revenge' part?"

The Coffee Master said with some anger and embarrassment, "Fine. If your reasoning convinces me that I'm not worthy of drinking this Romanée-Conti, then I'll give you my glass."

Lan Jue put down his own wineglass, then turned to look towards the Wine Master. "You aren't allowed to fight with me over it. He asked me the question. It's your own fault for not saying anything earlier."

The Wine Master let out a sigh. "For him to be willing to give up this glass of Romanée-Conti, in and of itself, is already a sufficient reason why he isn't qualified to drink it."

Lan Jue smiled as he spoke. "But this isn't enough to convince him, because he could always make up the excuse that his desire for learning exceeds his desire for delicacies."

Lan Jue raised the glass of water and took a sip before finally turning to look at the Coffee Master.

"Actually, the reasoning is very simple. It is because you are the Coffee Master. Although you know how to appreciate wine very much, and you also know how to appreciate gourmet food very much, in the end, you are a Coffee Master."

The Coffee Master, somewhat bewildered, said, "How can this be considered a reason?"

Lan Jue said, "Of course this is a reason. Compared to red wine, you like coffee better. Might I ask, how many cups of coffee do you drink every day?"

The Coffee Master said, "Three cups."

Lan Jue said, "Drinking coffee has already become the most important habit you have in your life. The better the coffee, the stronger and the longer lasting its flavor is. However, it will also dominate your taste buds. Before sampling a truly top-class red wine, in order to be able to enjoy all of its fragrance to the fullest, one has to avoid eating anything with strong flavor for at least three days in advance. Coffee, tea, chocolate…these are all definitely forbidden. Otherwise, your taste buds will have already been occupied. Although you can use white bread to try and absorb those flavors from your mouth, there will be at least a little bit that remains. It will impact the sublime feeling which this fine wine will transmit to your soul. This is a form of blasphemy towards the wine."

Pausing a moment, Lan Jue smiled as he looked at the Coffee Master. "Then, in the past three days, have you drank coffee?"

The Coffee Master laughed bitterly. "Of course I have."

"Thank you." Lan Jue gracefully picked up the glass of wine in front of the Coffee Master, pouring all of the wine within into his own glass, then returned the empty glass to the Coffee Master.

The Wine Master let out a sigh. He gently swirled the glass in his hand, then delivered it to his nose for a sniff. Instantly, the solemn look in his eyes disappeared, and was replaced by an intoxicated, mesmerized look.

He took a rather large sip, keeping it in his mouth for a rather long moment before swallowing it.

Lan Jue also took a drink. Lowering his head, with a gentle sip, the gentle sound of liquid entering his mouth could be heard. And then, he once more lifted his head up, swallowing the wine.

Only a long moment afterwards did the Wine Master's expression return to normal. "A pomegranate glow makes clear its quality; the fragrance of classic Romanée-Conti, the smell of roses and sweet peppers; gentle and harmonius, in the mouth, one can sense how the strength of the taste is rather reserved, but an extremely long aftertaste remains.

As he spoke, he turned his gaze towards Lan Jue. "You picked very well. This bottle of Romanée-Conti is right at the perfect time for drinking."

Lan Jue let out a soft breath. "It fuses both a spicy fragrance and a floral fragrance, is refined and joyous; in the mouth, it shows off its astonishing suppleness and harmoniousness. The taste of haw fruit mixed with cherries, plentiful and exquisite. This existence of this wine and its exquisiteness is a sort of pleasant surprise to us! It indeed lives up to its reputation as being acclaimed as a 'heavenly treasure', the king of wines! I think, in the next three days, my taste buds and even my teeth will still be filled with this wondrous flavor. I can't drink wine for the next three days."

The Coffee Master looked at the expressions on their faces. He couldn't help but say, "Is it as good as all that? Wine Master, give me a little bit more."

The Wine Master let out a sigh. "I originally had prepared that plate of white bread especially for you. I wanted to have you use it to absorb some of the flavors saturating your taste buds. After doing that, given how powerful the flavor of Romanée-Conti is, you should be able to just barely appreciate the flavor of it as well. However, you've already lost it to the Jewel Master. I had only intended to offer you a single glass to begin with. Thus, I'm very sorry, but today, you don't have a share."

The Gourmet removed the tray from above the candles and placed it on the table. He patted the Coffee Master on the shoulders and said, "This is what the revenge of the Jewel Master is like. This fellow really knows how to hold a grudge."

The Coffee Master turned his head to shoot a vicious glare at Lan Jue.

Lan Jue once again took a sip of that heavenly treasure, that wondrous wine. "The other day, Miss Camille [Ka'mei'er] went to my store. Although she didn't buy anything, from her eyes, I could already tell what she liked."

The Coffee Master's face frozen. He let out a gloomy sigh. "You win."

Lan Jue inclined his glass towards him. Slowly, the Coffee Master's face returned to his previous calm. "But I won't leave just like that. Although I didn't have the chance to drink fine wine, I'm still going to eat some of this ham."

The Gourmet had, at some point in time, taken a slender, long, yet narrow knife into his hands. With a gentle cut, a paper-thin slice of ham drifted down into the plate.

His hand suddenly transformed into a blur, and soon, several dozen slices of ham filled up the plate.

"Why did you have to roast it a bit first?" The Wine Master asked the Gourmet.

The Gourmet said, "This so-called 'black pig' should actually be called an Iberico boar. Generally speaking, in the previous era, they were raised in the mid-west forests of Spain. That place was one of the most classic, natural environments. It included wide pastures, oak trees, and the acorn trees which made up most of the foliage in Spain. The pigs which were raised in these wide pastures primarily ate the seeds of the oak trees and acorn trees. As for oak seeds, true oak sees were an indispensible part of the feeding for true Iberico ham."

"This is the manufacturing process; Slice open the pig, then chill the pig meat to six degrees Celsius; cure it; clean it; after the curing for one section is complete, use cold water to wash away the remaining salt of the ham, then place it in a storehouse for two months while salting it evenly; it will naturally dry. Afterwards, hang it in a natural cave for at least twenty four months without disturbing it, and it will be ready to eat. The finest of Iberico ham actually needs to be quietly cured for at least forty eight months."

"This ham that you brought out is an exquisite specimen even amongst Iberico hams. Only a 100% pure Iberico pig that was completely fed on oak seeds can possibly be cured in a mountain cave for as long as seventy two months. Even in the previous era, this is something that one cannot buy with money alone."

"But this sort of ham has a problem. The problem is that its natural fat is too thick. Although the flavor is pure and beautiful, the fragrance will be somewhat masked by the fat. While chewing it over, although you'll be able to taste it, in the end, it will still be flawed. I first heated up the tray, then chopped the ham into slices, so that the temperature of the tray will cause the fat to melt, allowing it to permeate into the meat and for the fragrance to completely come out. Look. The white fat has already turned translucent."

Indeed, in the originally white-and-red ham, the white fatty parts were already translucent, looking like frozen crystals. A faint fragrance came out from the platter which thickened but did not dissipate.

Lan Jue reached over to take a slice, delivering it to his mouth. Instantly, his face changed. The flavor was strong and pure, and it lasted a long time in the mouth. After taking another sip of Romanée-Conti, he was utterly intoxicated.

The Wine Master also ate a slice, and his reaction was almost the same as Lan Jue's. And then, he let out a bitter laugh. "It seems my previous manner of eating it was a waste."

The Gourmet smiled as he ate the ham while drinking the wine. "I'm eating your food, drinking your wine, and being praised by you as well. How wonderful."

Lan Jue sighed leisurely. "Heavenly treasure, a top-tier Iberico ham. Wine Master, in the future, I will often come."

The Wine Master didn't look at him, but his eyes had a bitter look in them. He knew that the Jewel Master wasn't by nature an immodest person, but when he decided to act immodestly…

The Coffee Master also had a bitter look on his face. The aroma of the Iberico ham far exceeded his imaginations, but unfortunately, he didn't have the 'heavenly treasure' to pair it with.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 6: Letter, Pearl, Hera!

Walking out of the Old Gothic Winery, Lan Jue's mouth was still filled with that abundant, meaty flavor, as well as the pure fragrance of that 'heavenly treasure'. The Coffee Master, having received a satisfactory answer from him, had left earlier.

Turning his head, he looked at the Gourmet who had left alongside him. Lan Jue couldn't help but want to laugh.

In the previous era, Iberico ham truly did have rather thick fat. But the method which the Gourmet had selected for them to eat had another effect; it reduced the amount of grease. After reducing the amount of grease, naturally it was a little bit tastier.

At this moment, Lan Jue's mind was still full of that look of hidden bitterness in the eyes of the Wine Master when he stored away the remaining ham.

"I'm off." The Gourmet waved at him, then merged into the night.

Lan Jue passed through Skyfire Avenue. He saw, to his somewhat astonishment, that the lights in his store were still lit. It was already very late at night.

Pushing the door open and entering, he saw Xiu Xiu, standing there with a smile.

"Xiu Xiu, why haven't you gone home to rest yet? It's very late." Lan Jue looked towards her questioningly.

Xiu Xiu smiled as she went to welcome him, handing an envelope over to him. "Boss, this is the letter which that young Miss Mao left behind. I was afraid of delaying some important matter, so I waited until you came back. Ke'er originally wanted to wait alongside me, but she was sleepy, so I had her go home first."

Lan Jue gave her a courtly hug. "You are always so thoughtful."

Xiu Xiu smiled. "Then I'll go home now?"

"Right. Good night. Be careful on the way home." Lan Jue lightly kissed her on her cheek.

Xiu Xiu walked to the door, turned her head towards him, smiling beautifully. "The wine fragrance you are wearing today smells very good."

Lan Jue laughed. "If I smelled this good every day, the Wine Master would try to kill me."

Xiu Xiu shut the door after walking through it. Lan Jue stayed at the store at night. Not for the sake of standing guard or working at night, but because this was his home.

Holding that letter, Lan Jue strolled into the VIP room. He pressed a button on one of the side walls of the VIP room, and the wall slide away, revealing the room behind it.

Lan Jue's residence wasn't very large, only a hundred square meters or so, but it had all sorts of necessary equipment. Every day, Xiu Xiu and Ke'er would volunteer to help him keep it clean, so this place was always spotless.

The room still had the faint, natural fragrance left behind the two girls. Lan Jue didn't like the smell of strong perfume, which Xiu Xiu and Ke'er both knew.

Sitting down on the sofa, Lan Jue pulled open the envelope. He actually didn't want to read it at all, because he didn't want to ruin the good mood the 'heavenly treasure' wine had given him, but…all people are affected by curiosity. He was no exception. In addition, he had the faint sense that this letter wasn't a simple one.

Opening the envelope, he only saw four words, but these four words caused him to instantly forget about the flavor of the 'heavenly treasure'.

Lan Jue's eyes, slightly intoxicated after having drank wine, suddenly turned blue, and electricity crackled within them. The originally bright lights in the room began to flicker and turn dim, sometimes bright, sometimes dark, while emitting a nonstop crackling sound.

Hera! Is! Not! Dead!

Those were the four words on that piece of paper.

Hera was a name. In the previous era, on the home planet, she was the Queen of the Gods in Greek mythology.

Zeus was the King of the Gods. His wife, naturally, was the Queen of the Gods, Hera.

In the New Era, Hera Mao was Lan Jue's wife. The wife who had disappeared in what was, to him, an utterly calamitous event. The explosion which had ended the event had destroyed an entire star. No one believed that Hera could have survived.

It had happened three years ago. After it happened, he had arrived here and settled down here.

Dragons have their weak points. Zeus did as well.

Lan Jue sat there for a full quarter hour, not moving at all.

After the quarter hour passed, he flipped the letter over. On the back, he found a contact number.

With his left hand, he pressed down in mid-air. The electronic screen on facing the sofa immediately lit up, and a holographic 3D image appeared. The image was that of Skyfire Star. Lan Jue's left hand was now covered with a layer of light as well.

His elegant, agile finger transformed into a blur as he entered a lone line of numbers, and the holographic image in front of him rapidly moved.

Seconds later, the image of Skyfire Star disappeared. The woman who had come to the store before appeared in front of him, still dressed in white. But of course, this was just her digital hologram.

"Zeus, can we have a chat now?" The woman had a smile on her face as she spoke. She was very confident; perhaps even a bit coy.

Lan Jue's face was very calm, and the blue color had vanished from his eyes. "Do you know what the price of lying to me is?"

Although they were separated by a great distance and only speaking through a communications device, upon hearing those words, the woman's face couldn't help but change. Strong heart palpitations caused her to suddenly feel as though her chest was under great pressure. Still, she quickly managed to calm down. "When Zeus is angered, the heavens and the world will know it. I know. My name is Pearl [Yue]."

Lan Jue said coldly, "Show me the evidence."

"Alright." Pearl agreed easily. Raising her two arms, she made pulling motions in mid-air, and an image appeared.

The image was that of a picture. It seemed to be a classroom in a school. The students were all dressed in school uniforms, and they were walking in line, preparing to go to class.

Suddenly, Lan Jue stood up. The blue light which had just disappeared from his eyes appeared yet again.

He saw a person. A person who, for him, had been engraved deep into his soul long ago.

The first thing he saw was her head of long, black hair. Her black hair was somewhat naturally wave, utterly black and glossy, rolling down to her waist. Her school uniform revealed her orchid-like, pure white arms, long and tender. Because the table obstructed the view, one couldn't see anything lower than mid-skirt.

The most shocking thing was, her eyes had pupils that were different from that of ordinary people's. They were sky blue, like the color of the sea, without a hint of impurity. Her long eyelashes blinked, and those sky-blue eyes became the most soul-stirring part of her exquisite features. Anyone who she looked at would feel that their soul was enchanted by her two beautiful eyes.

Black hair, blue eyes. It was her!

The picture disappeared, and Pearl's voice rang out once more.

"Zeus, can we talk about our partnership now? The school uniform which Hera is wearing, in the area of Skyfire Star alone, is used by the students of over two hundred schools. In addition, the star she is at isn't necessarily Skyfire. I can tell you a secret beforehand. Within the next ten days, if you aren't able to find her, then, you will definitely regret it all your life."

Lan Jue, or, to be precise, "Zeus" Lan Jue, said, his eyes flashing coldly, "Terms!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 7: Leng Lingxi

Pitch-black and boundless. Two phrases that shouldn't be put together. But if you were to use them to describe the universe, it would be appropriate.

But even in the pitch-black universe, on occasion, there would be some beautiful sights. For example, right now!

A ray of silver light streaked past the dark space, flying off into the distance.

This was a spaceship. A passenger spaceship that was quite frequently seen in the New Era, also known as an interstellar shuttle. It was usually around 534 meters long, 168 meters wide, and colored white. This was the color of the Northern Alliance, the most powerful of the three great powers which arose after humanity entered the New Era.

This interstellar shuttle was capable of simultaneously carrying both passengers as well as large amounts of cargo. It had a pre-determined route. It would jump through the safe wormholes which humanity had discovered during the past hundred years which led to each of the stars which humanity governed.

Not too far away, an enormous planet was visible. This was the capital planet of the Northern Alliance, the planet of Luo. This was an administrative planet which was even larger than the planet of Skyfire, and half of its surface was suitable for human life.

Drawing near its target, the interstellar shuttle's speed began to lessen as it prepared to make an atmospheric entry into the planet of Luo.

When entering the atmosphere, the speed couldn't be too fast, as otherwise, even an interstellar shuttle would break apart.

Just as the interstellar shuttle was slowly down to roughly three times the speed of sound, the empty space to its left suddenly distorted slightly, and a faint shadow suddenly, silently attached itself to it.

What was even more astonishing was that the interstellar shuttle didn't react at all. Its sensitive radar seemed to have been completely unable to sense the presence and arrival of this shadow.

Suddenly, the interstellar shuttle shook powerfully. Its left side began to reveal traces of faint blue electric bolts, and the entire shuttle began to shudder violently.

"DIIIII! DIIIIII! DIIIII!"

Within the interstellar shuttle, ear-piercing warning klaxons were going off!

Bosen [Bei'seng] was an interstellar shuttle pilot of thirty years, who had over a hundred thousand hours of piloting experience. This captain was an old pro. Hearing the warning klaxon from the ship, he picked up the communication tool in an unhurried, unpanicked manner.

"All employees, please take your seats and fasten your seat belts. We have encountered some static electricity in the atmosphere, and will temporarily postpone our passage through the atmosphere. Everything will be fine soon. At the same time, please temporarily refrain from engaging the procedures for waking our passengers from deep sleep."

Captain Bosen's judgment was extremely accurate. Moments later, the interstellar shuttle's vibrations halted and everything returned to normal.

Most interstellar shuttles had roughly 70% of their renovated space reserved for holding cargo. Only the remaining space was used for holding employees, and of course the passenger cabin.

The passenger cabins were divided into three types. The first class cabin, the middle cabin, and the economy cabin, which was also known as the commoner class.

The three different cabins naturally had astronomically different prices, and each had their own services.

Each person in the commoner cabins only had a square meter of personal space, a simple seat, and were locked in place by metallic bonds, as though they were being chained up for punishment. When reaching light speed, the only support their heads had for when they were in deep sleep was a helmet which definitely couldn't be described as comfortable.

The middle cabins was slightly better. At least, it allowed for a person to lie down while wearing the helmet. Thus, when waking up out of deep sleep, at least they wouldn't feel as miserable as those people in the commoner cabin, whose entire bodies would feel sore, as though they had been beaten.

As for the first class cabins, it could only be described using the phrase 'lavish'. Every single first class cabin had twelve square meters of space, including a proper, comfortable sleeping berth, a lavish seat that could be sat on or reclined on, and a shower as well as a changing room.

When sleeping within these sleeping berths during interstellar travel, not only would they receive the best rest, more importantly, these sleeping berths were equipped with nutritional liquids that could allow their bodies to be in a state which used up very little energy, to the point where the aging process was greatly slowed. After all, every single long-distance journey would take perhaps more than a month. Compared to those in the commoner cabins who over the course of the journey would perhaps lose at least a terrifying ten pounds of body weight, the first class cabins would actually help their passengers be in peak condition.

The price of a first class cabin was ten times that of a middle cabin, and a hundred times that of a commoner cabin!

Most standard interstellar shuttles only had around thirty or so first class cabins. After all, very few people would choose to pay such an astronomical price. The middle cabins were already enough to satisfy the needs of most ordinary people, who only wanted their bodies to not be damaged during the passage.

Leng Lingxi, undergoing the deep sleep awakening protocols, slowly escaped from his deep slumber.

"Uhhh….what a wonderful sleep." She murmured, then looked through her mask and found the green button which opened and closed her cabin. With a gentle push, the cover above her sleeping berth opened.

Leng Lingxi sat up from the middle of the viscous nutritional fluid, revealing her slender, fine lines. She removed the mask on her face and took a deep breath of fresh air. Instantly, she revealed a relieved look on her face. However, she immediately began to brush off the liquid on her arm with a look of some disgust.

"Sleeping in a first class cabin is comfortable, but these nutritional liquids are really unpleasant. Can't they improve it to something which is similar to clear water?"

There were partitions to every single first class cabin. Even if the first class cabins were all full, as long the partitions weren't pushed open, nobody would be able to see anyone else.

Climbing out of her sleeping berth, she rinsed off the rest of the nutritional liquid in the shower, then put on a clean set of clothes. Leng Lingxi immediately felt much better.

She made several stretching motions and did a few yoga movements, then walked towards her seat while opening her partition.

The partition next to her slowly opened with a gentle, metallic sound, revealing the walkway for her cabin as well as the outside scene.

Hey, someone was even faster than me? Leng Lingxi looked with some surprise towards the left partition. That partition was also opened, and there was someone sitting on a seat.

This was a young man with short black hair, deep blue exercise clothes, and an extremely handsome face.

Someone seated in first class was wearing exercise clothes? This discovery caused Leng Lingxi to be unable to retrain her curiosity. This was the first time she had seen a guest like this in first class. Generally speaking, shouldn't most people change into crisp suits or chic apparel, so that they would be ready to start working as soon as they disembarked the shuttle?

Leng Lingxi herself was an exception, because she herself was wearing a set of white exercise clothes. Thus, another exception easily attracted her interest.

"Hi, how are you. I think I didn't see you when we boarded the ship?" Leng Lingxi's temperament was completely different from her surname Leng, meaning cold. Not only was she not cold, she was very warm and generous.

A faint smile drifted onto the face of the young man. In a very gentlemanly manner, he inclined his head towards her. "Greetings, beautiful young miss."

What proper etiquette, and not seeming affected or pretentious at all. "To be able to see such a handsome gentleman by my side as soon as I woke up truly is a happy event. My name is Leng Lingxi."

The young man seemed to have been somewhat intrigued by the ambiguous meanings in her words. His lips curved upwards. Smiling, he said, "My pleasure. I am Zeus!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 8: Womanly Secrets

"Zeus?" Leng Lingxi laughed, revealing a beautiful smile. She was beautiful, delicate, with wine red hair that was cut short and brown eyes accompanied by an exquisite body. Enough to garner the attentions of any man.

"What an interesting name, I think I've heard it before," Leng Lingxi said though her smile.

"Oh?" The young man watched her with interest.

"Ever since the first time someone was called the name, many have since imitated. Only, though the name is Zeus, it certainly doesn't mean you are he!"

"Haha," the young man chuckled.

The expression in Leng Lingxi's eyes abruptly grew sharp. "This space shuttle is fitted with thirty-two first-class cabins, and they've managed to fill fifteen, including my own. I know clearly the identities of the other fourteen passengers. Can you tell me, where are you from? Choosing this time, recently awakened from deep sleep to sit beside me, it seems as though you have a reason. Don't think because you're attractive you can flirt with me. In this case, you have no opportunity to flee. And yet I merely must acknowledge, you're quite amazing. On this trip we have more than twenty people, separated in to different cabins, and you come from Middle Class to sit beside me specifically. But unfortunately, you've encountered me. And if you think us women are easily bullied, you have another thing coming!"

"Ha ha!" The young man laughed again.

Leng Lingxi leaned casually in her chair. "You're in such high spirits, but let's see how long that lasts. Tell me who you are, your rank, then give yourself up without a fight and at least I wont have you executed. I'll have you remanded directly in to the custody of the Luo Interplanetary Police. If you don't want to get hurt, you'll obey!"

"HAHA!"

Leng Lingxi's smile melted away. "Hey, ass! If you'd have avoided this in the first place, I'd have let you off. However, you deliberately called yourself Zeus. If I can't beat you until you're senseless, I can't call myself Leng!

The young man looked at her in astonishment. "Why?"

Leng Lingxi unfastened her seatbelt and, standing, shot him a cold glare. "Because you have the audacity to try and pass yourself off as my idol, calling yourself by his name!"

"Haha!" The young man again let loose a peel of laughter.

Leng Lingxi responded scornfully, "I've seen through your ruse, and still you laugh?"

A small smile spread across the young man's face. "You want to know why I'm laughing?"

"Why?" Leng Lingxi retorted rashly.

The young man replied earnestly, "Under certain special circumstances, the sounds 'Ha Ha' mean something different; stupid!"

The stupefied expression on Leng Lingxi's face gradually darkens to a thunderhead. "You want to die? Then I'll help you!"

"HAH!"

It has been ages since Leng Lingxi had been this furious. She had to admit, the man before her had expertly stoked her rage!

An icy chill suddenly filled the air, and the border of Leng Lingxi's eyes instantly became white. Her right hand groped toward the man, five fingers extended, and five streams of white air burst forth to surround him. A close examination of the white blasts would reveal their icy constitution. Instantly, the temperature of the First-Class cabins dropped more than ten degrees.

Frozen in ice! A crystal prison!

Power is the root of confidence, and Leng Lingxi was nothing if not confident. She questioned herself, but knew that even a large elephant she could freeze almost instantly. She detested this stupid fellow, and decided to teach him a lesson he'd remember for the rest of his life.

Looking on, Leng Lingxi saw that hateful smile soon to be frozen in ice, and at once ceased. Now there was no evasion, no defense – there was no way for him to run! Nor was it permitted to carry any weapons on to a space shuttle.

She was clearly pleased with herself, but in the midst of her gloating suddenly her beautiful brown eyes shot open, their depths full of disbelief. Because that man, the one who had called himself Zeus, suddenly broke in to pieces.

Indeed, shattered!

In the instant before the Ice Disciplines' power fell over him, the man's body unexpectedly fractured in to countless bolts of bluish-purple lightening that forked through the ice prison, and swept over Leng Lingxi's body.

How could this be? No!

As she grew conscious of her mistake, Leng Lingxi lost control of her body and began to shake violently before she gently collapsed. A slender, strong hand fell upon her shoulder, arcs of lightning racing along it's length.

The young man, recently smashed to fragments, stood behind her in perfect condition, allowing Leng Lingxi to rest gently in his arms.

Leng Lingxi's eyes popped open, feeling as though her brain had crashed like a computer system. I lost? I actually lost this quickly? Even so badly that I don't know how he did it.

No, it can't be!

An adept in the Ice Discipline, a Level 6 Genetic Talent. Escort for the Luo Heavenly Auction House of the Northern Alliance. Me, the most talented Chief-Ranked Mecha-Pilot in the Northern Alliance. And yet.. and yet I lost like this?

At three, the Ice Discipline awakened within me, and I was evaluated as a Level 6 Genetic Talent, a genius among geniuses. I piloted my first mech by eight, and by twelve enrolled in the Institute of Mecha-Aeronautics despite their regulations. At fifteen, became the sixteenth youngest Rank Three Mecha-Pilot on Planet Luo, Rank Two at seventeen, and Rank One at eighteen. At nineteen, a Special Grade. Now I, twenty-one, Chief First-Class Mecha-Pilot.

How could I have lost?

In her heart Leng Lingxi screamed, but outwardly she could not say a word. From behind, a slight hint of top-grade Giorgio Armani Triple Crown eau de toilette filled her nostrils, not thick, containing West African incense and Somalian frankincence to leave quite an impression.

"You're so young, so delicate." The young man's voice reverberated in her ears, and at the same moment his slender fingers find their way to the slipper of her track suit.

Gently he began to pull the zipper down, the chill air eliciting an involuntary shiver from Leng Lingxi.

Within the track suit, aside from an sapphire-bordered brassiere, was also…

"I have no intention to offend you, only… you've hidden something in your cleavage. I can only say I'm sorry." The young man's voice whispered in her ears, no different from that of a demon.

Those slender fingers pulled forth a silver necklace, inevitably brushing against her white unblemished skin which blushes in response, blossoming like a peony flower.

It was the first time in her twenty-one years a man other than those of her family had lain a finger on her, it was…

The silver chain bore a pale golden pendant of exquisite craftsmanship, and in it's center a chestnut-shaped transparent gemstone.

Supporting her body, the young man placed Leng Lingxi back in her seat, and considerately fastened her seatbelt. His finger remained on the pendant, gently stroking the gemstone.

The atmosphere began to distort slightly, and a small wormhole no greater than a foot in diameter opened in the air before them. Inter-dimensional technology!

Leng Lingxi struggled desperately, yet her body still would not comply to the demands of her mind.

Extending his hand searchingly in to the hole, the young man produced a small box from it's depths.

The box was not large, composed of black ferrous metal, three coded locks on it's surface. The electronic locks were among the most precise, requiring input of three thirty-two character passwords within one minute to open. One mistake, and you'd have to input them all again. Three mistakes, the destruction mechanism would activate.

The young man once again held the pendant between his fingers, the portal behind him closing, and with it the pale light emanating from the pendant ceased. He moved closer to Leng Lingxi's face, replacing the necklace upon her neck, going to far as to replaced the pendant upon her cleavage. He moved to zip up her track suit.

Ferociously did Leng Lingxi glare at him, anxious to destroy the man so near.

"Don't think you'll get my password," Leng Lingxi frigidly spat. Saying this, she realized suddenly her capacity for speech had returned.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "You understand nothing, of course I won't get it from you."

"How do you know?" Leng Lingxi nearly blurted out.

"Ha ha!"

"Bastard!" Leng Lingxi, in her twenty-one years, had never hated this word so much!

The young man was not angry, and looked upon her with eyes filled with pity and regret. "I'm sorry our encounter had to be this way. You're a girl of quality, a girl of vision. Goodbye."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 9: The Four Divine Monarchs

The room was exquisitely decorated, a hundred square meters, and yet uncomplicated and luxurious.

Decorations lined the walls, fine examples of old French décor, sporting hand-polished copper wall sconces plated in gold which bathed the lavish quarters in light. The large pendant lamp hanging from the ceiling was itself copper and plated gold, but with the addition of gold inlay, enamel and more. Above it's oval make burned over a hundred candles, their stems veined with pale gold coiled dragons, and each topped with a gentle flame.

In the middle of the chamber was a long table, capable of accommodating twenty people. The head and foot of the table were curved, becoming straight as they drew towards the ends and extending.

The table top sported a simple decorative pattern, bestowing a vivid and lively sensation. Under closer inspection, the pattern didn't appear burned into the wood, but rather raised. In fact it was composed of various splinters of bark, of many different colors, polished and joined flawlessly into the surface to create the beautiful and classical pattern.

The twenty chairs on either side of the table were made of a single piece of wood, the backs of each deliberately carved into arches to completely conform with the human figure. Even after sitting for lengthy periods, one would not feel exhausted or uncomfortable. The hollowed-out decorations of the chair were carved into the likeness of two standing eagles, their eyes and feathers detailed perfectly, and like the tabletop composed of polished bark fragments fused together.

The table came from the Francesco 'Black Dragon' line. In the previous era, the brand was Italian, and produced a myriad of furniture exclusively for European royalty.

At present, many of the chairs lining the table were occupied. At it's head sat an elderly gentleman in his sixties, with sleek and meticulously kept long silver hair. His black formal attire delineated him as nobility.

The atmosphere of the room was oppressive, no one spoke, with only the faint sound of breathing in the air. Upon the table sat seven cups of water, untouched.

Bang, bang! resonated from the door of the chamber.

"Enter," the old man's deep voice responded.

The door opened and a scholarly middle-aged man entered, clad in a white Armani suit, a rim of gold around his eyes. He moved quickly to the elderly gentleman's side, and placed a piece of paper before him on the table.

"Did you find out?"

The scholar nodded his head slightly. "Yes, President Luo."

"Tell them." The old man waved his hand for him to proceed.

The middle-aged man stood beside the elderly gentleman, sweeping his eyes over those gathered at the table. Ultimately his gaze landed on a beautiful, pale face, with pity in his eyes.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I am Guo Xin, Head of the Heavenly Auction House Intelligence Bureau. In regards to the theft of the Cipher Box, we've completed our preliminary investigation."

Upon hearing this sentence, the previously inattentive Leng Lingxi suddenly bolted to her feet. Grinding her teeth she growled "Who? Who was it?"

Guo Xin looked sympathetically upon Leng Lingxi, her first important mission and she was robbed. He understood well this special young woman's feelings.

"Please be patient, Miss Leng."

Director Luo raised a hand towards Leng Lingxi, indicating she sit. The young woman took several deep breathes before returning to her seat.

Gui Xin continued. "From our analysis of the scene, the Number T-25 Space Shuttle ferrying Miss Leng Lingxi and her twenty-two person convoy suffered no damage, but for a temporary malfunction in it's internal controls. Thanks to meticulous attention to detail and a faint trail, we were able to issue a preliminary report."

"The culprit likely approached the shuttle mid-flight via Mecha, drawing near under cover as the ship decelerated for atmospheric entry. Then, through some unknown means, he simulated an interplanetary magnetic current which permitted him to enter the shuttle's hull without a trace. The Mecha itself was attached to the shuttle's frame."

"Our suspect then entered the ship, moving directly to First-Class. His sense of timing must have been exemplary, as he arrived just as the First-Class passengers were being revived from Deep Sleep. Employing electric current, he managed to incapacitate everyone with the exception of Miss Leng. He then proceeded to paralyze Miss Leng, and abscond with the Cipher Box."

"In the process of the robbery he engaged in combat with Miss Leng Lingxi. None of the other passengers were hurt in the process. At present the only thing we aren't sure of is how he managed to pass through the shuttle's hull, enter the ship and leave without haste."

Director Luo tapped the tabletop with a finger, interrupting Guo Xin's report.

"You're conclusion. I want to hear your deduction."

Guo Xin paused, his previously impassive expression becoming more serious. "At present, our conclusion is that what the culprit told Miss Leng Lingxi was no falsehood – he truly is Zeus. Zeus, of the Divine Monarchs."

The previous silence of the chamber became a cacophony, with shock clearly written on nearly everyone's face.

"Impossible, it's impossible! That bastard… how could that bastard possibly be Zeus?" Leng Lingxi sprung up once more, like a cat who'd had their tail stomped on. "How could Zeus have done such a despicable thing, robbing like a common Space Pirate! Inconceivable, my Zeus would never do such a thing!"

Her voice was nearly hysterical, drawing everyone's eyes to her.

"Your Zeus?" Director Luo looked at her quizzically.

Leng Lingxi's face grew red. "Zeus is my idol. How could he know…" It was then it seemed, before her very eyes, that detestable laughing face appeared.

Guo Xin interjected. "Zeus' sphere of control is Electricity. If someone wanted to covertly enter a shuttle to commit a crime, and overpower you, I'm afraid it could only be accomplished by someone of his Level."

The expression in Leng Lingxi's eyes was lifeless. She suddenly remembered the young man's words as he departed.

"You're a girl of quality, a girl of vision."

Sure… Surely it couldn't be true? But… but he kept saying I was an idiot! The scoundrel!

"Silence!" Director Luo's commanding voice brought stillness once more to the chamber. "With the loss of the Cipher Box, my Heavenly Auction House has suffered greatly. The envoy responsible, Leng Lingxi, is demoted to Rank Two. Cancel all protection missions, and suspend all escorts for three months. As to the identity of the culprit, I will proceed with verification. Dismissed!"

Director Luo was the first to leave, followed by Guo Xin. The others followed afterward.

Leng Lingxi sat, unmoving.

Her left index finger gently rapped the tabletop, and in her heart she thought, He is Zeus!

Her right index finger gently rapped the tabletop, and in her heart she thought, He is NOT Zeus!

Over, and over, and over.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 10: Red-Haired Chu Cheng

Planet Luo, Astro-Continental Hotel, Executive Suite, Balcony

Lan Jue quietly leaned against the balcony balustrade, peering into the distance. As a platinum member of the hotel, he could enjoy the executive treatment from any Atro-Continental while only paying a pittance.

Held between the thumb, middle and index finger of his right hand was a Former Era Cuban cigar from the El Laguito factory. A 6.5 inch, 56 ring gauge Cohiba cañonazo extra, also referred to as a 1966 Edición Limitada, a rare and precious limited edition. While red wine required different spaces and techniques to properly store, this cigar needed only a humidifier to last for a few hundred years, with a pronounced smell like nanmu. In reality it's date of production wasn't 1966, but was in fact 2012 of the Former Era. As to why it was called 1966, no one knew for certain. One flawless, limited edition 1966 was worth one-third a bottle of Romanée-Conti, King of Wines.

Lan Jue had never known poverty, but this sort of precious, rare commodity he rarely deigned to partake in. But today, the end of this 1966 Edición Limitada glowed intermittently with fire. A deep inhalation, the smoke never passing the throat, remaining in the mouth to roll from the tip of the tongue to the root, savoring, then gradually exhaling.

The intense flavor of coffee beans and the marvelous, burning taste in his mouth was mesmerizing. The entire cigar was covered in cream flavor, and the taste of leather, but once smoked for a time became full of the sweet taste of milk chocolate. It was irresistible. A moment of intense satisfaction filled his heart.

Though the high-grade cigar would mean abstaining from wine for at least a week, to immerse himself in the taste of the 1966 Lan Jue was as ever powerless to resist.

"So fragrant, so fragrant, only… 'tis better to enjoy together than partake alone, Third Brother*. Surely you don't plan to keep it all to yourself?" a languid voice wafted forth. Suddenly there was another beside Lan Jue, bent over the balustrade and peering with him out over the distance.

The man appeared comparable in age to Lan Jue, with medium-length red hair that hung freely to his shoulders, and pink eyes that made him look like some evil spirit. The corners of his mouth were turned in a impish grin. He wasn't as handsome as Lan Jue, but his features weren't without their own charm. Black shirt, black jeans, black shoes; it was as if he intended to blend in with the night, only his red hair bobbing like a flame through the darkness.

"If you really want me to call you by this method also, keep calling me Third Brother." Lan Jue didn't look at his companion, his voice faint.

The grin upon the red haired man's face suddenly slipped away. "Why would I possibly want to be a few months older than you? Why would I want to be second? Fine, A-Jue, I wont call you Third Brother!"

At last Lan Jue turned to face the red haired young man, who was of similar height to him. "A-Cheng, I apologize."

The red haired man shook his finger in admonishment. "You meant to let your feelings slip, just as you meant to stay on Planet Luo to wait for me. You aren't sorry. If you wanted to conceal your feelings no one would be able to guess them. I'm just curious… You've lived in seclusion for three years, what price inspired this legend of the mercenary world to come out of retirement?

Lan Jue took another drag of his cigar, then gently exhaled the plume of smoke. He then said the four words on that piece of paper that inspired him to leave Planet Skyfire. "Hera is not dead."

The red-haired man's body shook visibly, and he unconsciously stood a little straighter. "Really?"

Lan Jue nodded his head. "This price that drew me out, is her whereabouts."

The red-haired man took in a breath, raising a hand to pat Lan Jue's shoulder. "Right. Your older brother will help."

Lan Jue looked up at him and smiled, warmth in his eyes. "How bad was the loss?"

Casually the man responded, "My family only holds a thirty percent stake in the Heavenly Auction House." As he said this, the man snatched the 1966 from Lan Jue's grip, placing it in the corner of his mouth. "And this is mine. When you do wrong, there's always a price!"

Lan Jue's face twitched. "I only brought the one."

"Nonsense." The red-haired man reverently puffed the cigar.

Lan Jue lifted a hand to his forehead. "Chu Cheng, ya nothing short of a bandit!"

Chu Cheng's eyes grew large. "Ya JUST stole from my family, and you call me a bandit? Aren't ya a noble? What kind of noble says 'ya'?

Lan Jue puffed out his chest. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Hera's there, do you need my help?" Chu Cheng said.

Lan Jue shook his head.

Chu Cheng let loose a peel of laughter. "Yeah, if you couldn't manage, neither could I."

"Joining me tonight?" Lan Jue shot him a glance.

"Alright." Chu Cheng took another drag from the 1966, nodding emphatically.

Lan Jue returned to the room, while Chu Cheng leaned against the balustrade once more, the smile on his face never wavering.

After a short while Lan Jue returned, bearing a bottle of brandy and two glasses. He stood beside Chu Cheng, placing the glasses on the ledge between them before pouring. At once a heady, fragrant aroma wafted forth.

Chu Cheng's eyes shone. "A-Jue, luckily you still remember your older brother's fond of spirits, brandy especially. This bottle of Hennessy XO isn't the highest caliber, but it'll still go down well."

Lan Jue offered a small smile. "Aren't you always on about the disadvantages of being older? How are you going to drink this in one gulp. Do you think this is the Former Era? Finding an XO bottle of brandy is already very difficult. The X means 'exceptionally', and the O means 'old'. Exceptionally old brandy is already quite rare.

As he spoke, he poured approximately thirty milliliters in to each glass.

"Bring some ice cubes!" Chu Cheng said, lifting his glass.

Lan Jue shot his brother a disdainful glance. "We of the nobility always appreciate brandy a little warm."

"Brandy can be heated?" Chu Cheng said with astonishment.

Lan Jue indicated the glass before him, saying nothing.

Chu Cheng flicked his left wrist, and two small flames appeared beneath the brandy glasses. After a moment, Lan Jue extinguished the flames with a flourish.

Lifting the glass in his fingers, Lan Jue lightly sniffed the contents, the full-bodied mixture of grapes and alcohol filling his nostrils. Taking a sip, the aromatic grapes and warm current slipped past his throat. Indeed you couldn't enjoy wine after a fine cigar, but pairing it with brandy was beyond compare.

"Not bad at all!" Chu Cheng praised the brandy while taking a drink.

Chu Cheng continued. "A-Jue, you know… When I'd learned a person named Zeus had stolen from the Heavenly Auction House, my first reaction was joy. But seeing you here now, makes me even happier. My brother's back."

Lan Jue drained his glass in one gulp. "I'm sorry I worried everyone."

Chu Cheng looked shocked. "Oh I was fine. But Elder Brother… you haven't kept in touch with him at all? Surely you don't still blame him? You must know he realizes what you did."

Lan Jue trembled, and shook his head. "Drink."

"Right, drink! Tonight I'm here with you, let's get wasted!"

Early morning.

Chu Cheng had left, leaving only a slip of paper.

"I know you have the ability to open the Cipher Box, but why go through the trouble of doing it yourself? Find Hera, tell me the good news. Bring her back to drink with me."

Under the sentence was a three-line password.

*Editor's Note 1: For those unfamiliar, oriental families take considerable stock in seniority, with the elder siblings often bearing the brunt of responsibility. Thus, Third Brother Jue is third of his familiar, and Second Brother Cheng must sadly deal with more of the headaches of familial strife.

*Editor's note 2: A-Jue is an affectionate term for a brother or companion, used as one might call their brother Stewart 'Stewey.' It's deceptively difficult to find a cutesie way to say A-Jue.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 11: The Cloudless Storm

Planet Skyfire, Skyfire City, Skyfire Avenue, Zeus' Jewelry Store

Lan Jue sat upon the sofa, quietly looking at the black metal box in front of him. Beside it sat the slip of paper containing the passwords Chu Cheng had given him.

Three years ago Lan Jue, in his arrogance, would never have thought to open the box. He'd have presented it to his employer without question.

Then again if this were three years ago, he also would have absolutely refused the assignment, since the owner and his brother had a relationship.

Now he had to see what the box contained. He had to know what he owed his brother for.

Placing a hand atop the box a beam of light emerged, it's rays creating the image of a keyboard hanging in the air. In the same instant, a sixty-second countdown began.

Lan Jue did not input the password during his first attempt. It was as though he was unaware the three-line code was needed within that minute.

Watching the red holographic keyboard, his eyes betrayed deep consideration.

A minute passed quickly, and it seemed almost immediately the final ten seconds were ticking down.

Ten…

Lan Jue stirred, his fingers stretching forth. They weren't thick, and his hands were smooth and fairer than most women, but also somewhat larger.

Ten fingers began to flutter, as though they were caressing the skin of a lover. The naked eye was incapable of discerning where his fingertips pressed. The three-line code, completed in a single action, appeared upon the Cipher Box's small screen.

Beep!

An electronic ringing arose, the holographic keyboard dispersed, and two sides of the metal box drew out. They opened quickly, retreating layer by layer as the interior rose to reveal the goods within.

On Skyfire Avenue, Lan Jue was known as the Jewel Master – he was no stranger to the exquisite and masterful. But when he spied the contents of the box, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch ever so slightly. Muttering aloud, he said "A-Cheng, how will I ever be able to repay this favor?"

Within the box a pale gold piece of metal rested. It was twenty centimeters long, fifteen centimeters wide, and ten centimeters thick. Though the object was made of gold, it emitted a pale blue halo.

The average onlooker might think it pretty, but Lan Jue knew precisely what it was. No wonder it was protected by password and convoy. No wonder they hired a Chief-Ranked Mecha-Pilot and Sixth Level Adept. What they carried…

Refined Technetium!

Technetium is the byproduct of uranium fission from nuclear reactors. It is a metal that does not exist in nature, and can also be created by heating ammonium pertechnetate (Tc2S7) and ammonium sulfate in hydrogen gas at 500 to 600 degrees Celsius, then using electrolysis in a sulfuric acid solution to extract the metal. It melts at 2170, boils at 4877, and has a density of 11.5 g/cm3. It's characteristics are similar to ruthenium, found in the same chemical family. At high temperatures technetium oxidizes to form Technetium Heptoxide (Tc2O7). It has a half-life of 2.13 X 10 years. It can be used a standard beta-emitter. A small amount (around 5 X 10 mol) of technetium ammonium sulfate used in steel plating can greatly reduce corrosion. Technetium, along with the molybdenum alloys, are also superconductive materials. It can only be produced in small quantities, with prices exceeding 2,800 New Era Dollars per gram.

In addition, refined Technetium is created when the metal undergoes intergalactic compression. One kilo of crude Technetium can produce between ten to twenty grams of it's refined state.

Refined Technetium can be integrated into any alloy, infusing it with two unique characteristics; self-repair, and energy amplification.

Through the special properties emitted by Technetium, or perhaps some capacity of it's morphology, it is capable of producing and amplifying a superconductive state, increasing available energies by a factor of three to five. The purer the refined Technetium, the more excessive it's compression process, the greater it's resulting power and amplification. In addition, a single gram of refined Technetium can endow ten kilos of metal with the capability of self-repair. Once melted and cast, only very specific types of destructive force could render it powerless – but it would never lose it's shape. The lump of refined Technetium certainly didn't look heavy, but in reality weighed more than twenty kilos.

In short, applying this element to the body of a Mech, would render it capable of repairing itself while simultaneously increasing it's survivability and power exponentially.

Lan Jue couldn't guess at the worth of the refined element. On the black market, one gram would fetch ten thousand New Era Dollars. But there was no market for it. The Three Alliances of the New Era together only produced less than a hundred kilos a year. And so, that piece of metal before him was the equivalent of two fifth's a year's output.

In general, refined Technetium was rarely used on Mechs. Due to their massive bulk there wasn't ever sufficient quantities of refined Technetium to produce the desired effects. As a result it saw most of it's use in personal combat weaponry and equipment.

It was no surprise they wanted to sell it, a piece this large was asking for trouble.

This piece of refined Technetium should certainly be given to A-Cheng. On all of Planet Luo, he's the only one qualified to use it.

He closed the box, and the precious metal once more disappeared into it's interior. Lan Jue's eyes were awash in emotion, but his features quickly returned to a flat stoicism.

Lang Jue motioned with his left hand, and a screen lit up adjacent to the sofa revealing a four dimensional menu. Thin and agile fingers moved with deft speed to enter a string of numbers. The image on the screen began to shift.

Pearl appeared upon the screen, smiling as she looked at Lan Jue.

"If Zeus does it, it will be extraordinarily done." Pearl's tone was pleasant, but looking at her through the screen Lan Jue saw only her frigid expression.

"Tell me where Hera is."

"The item?" Pearl's eyes fell upon the box placed before Lan Jue.

Lan Jue responded. "Tell me a place, and I'll have it sent by Interstellar Courier. Once I've confirmed your information on Hera I'll give you the password."

"Fine," she responded without hesitation.

"Where is Hera?" Lan Jue's eyes shone, arcs of blue lightning coiling in their depths. His impatience was clear today, a state he hadn't experienced for a long while. A state he couldn't control.

Skyfire Avenue was rich in shops, but even at the height of it's nightlife there wouldn't be many people. Occasionally a patron would saunter by, clad in finery, but none would break the relative peace of the street much less quarrel or do something uncouth. If they did, they could lose their Skyfire Emblem at any moment.

Thrummm came the dull sound of thunder, and the avenue was suddenly illuminated by lightning. Not a cloud hung in the sky, yet lightning fell freely. The tumultuous roar of thunder filled the heavens.

It began with a single thunderbolt, but before long countless threads of lightning criss-crossed the sky, thunder surging. The sky was an undulating sea of electric blue, melting into a forest of lightning which grew until the entirety of Skyfire City grew stark in the shadows of lightning.

A cloudless thunderstorm. Lightning from an undarkened sky!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 12: The Clairvoyant

It was a building of the late baroque period, it's exterior displaying an array of elegant and distinctive arches, each one unique. The entire structure resembled a giant, open conch shell.

Following the line of the building's crest, a sign hung. A sun, with the words COFFEE scrawled beside it.

The sun represents the day, so it was only natural that this very special structure full with the scent of eighteenth century French art, was called… Daybucks Coffee.

The interior was furnished with delicate-looking and attractive furniture which employed a curious asymmetrical technique. The theme was one which involved conch shells, hillstones, whirlpools and S-shaped arches. Rolling grass and unfurling flowers, lingering and intersecting, creating an organic whole. The ceiling and cambered walls join seamlessly, the rounded edges bearing a mural.

In order to imitate a natural style, the building was also constructed using mismatching materials which resulted in a multitude of inconsistencies. The walls were painted in vivid shades of lime green, pink and rose red. The architraves are mostly painted gold. The interior paneling was made up of delicate wooden lattice, surrounded by lace with a light colored Oriental brocade at it's heart.

There sat the Coffee Master, clad in a white shirt and brown overalls with a cup clutched in his hand. Tenderly he took a sip.

Thrummm!

The sound of thunder rang out, and the coffee in the Master's cup trembled, nearly spilling free. A shocked expression on his face, he hurried to the window and looked towards the skies.

"A cloudless thunderstorm, with lightning from an undarkened sky. What overwhelming ability! Is this his power? I had no idea he commanded a force such as this. I fear to know what he encountered to make him lose control in such a fashion."

ζ

This was a room without any unnecessary furnishings, of a size perhaps half that of what could be found in Zeus' Jewelry Store. If it weren't for the wooden door facing Skyfire Avenue, it was unlikely people would believe it was of a caliber to match the other shops along the street.

The shop wasn't available for public use, instead intended for guests only. Within the room was a single long table of simple construction, square with four straight legs and a disconnected surface, and around it ten seats made of tree stumps.

Whether table or chairs, all shared the same texture, each carved out of a thousand year old preserved wood. If one were to look carefully at the grain, they would see either a multitude of strange faces, or a dense collection of spots akin to leopard skin. Thick, thin, ordered, messy, straight or crooked, all were present. Black lines were in the majority, but chocolate brown and red stripes were also visible. Scented Rosewood, from Previous Era Hai'nan.

The table top, however, was over five thousand years old. The Wine Master once said he would be willing to trade everything he owned – with the exception of what was in his Wine Vault – for that table, but the offer was refused.

Beside the table, by the window, the Gourmet stood looking up at the sky. The incessant bolts of light played across his craggy features. He chewed absently on a soda cracker, his eyes narrowing during a lull in the blasts.

ζ

The Old Gothic Winery.

The Wine Master also stood by the window, Eva dutifully standing at his side. He looked out over the sky, then looked across Skyfire Avenue towards the shop marked with a lightning bolt. He gently shook his head.

"Master, i-is that…" Eva asked in a timid voice.

He lifted his hand, cutting her off. A dull silver light shone, and all sense of foreboding melted away. Eva, too, no longer felt anything strange, walking towards the window and thoughtfully looking towards Zeus' Jewelry Shop.

A streak of lightning raced across the sky over Skyfire Avenue, and the skyscrapers around Skyfire Avenue reflected a dull golden light.

ζ

A palatial building in the baroque style loomed, it's exterior bathed in gold leaf. Schematically it was shaped like an olive, with an emphasis on it's decorative domed ceiling. It's façade exhibited a separated pediment, the entablature curved, and the walls alternatively concave and convex. It's adornments were ample, lending to an intense shadowy effect. It was the largest building on Skyfire Avenue.

The building bore no sign, but anyone with a Skyfire Emblem knew it to be Skyfire Museum. Inside was housed many treasures, available to view for a fee to anyone with an Emblem. However, it was only open to visitors from sunrise to sunset.

Within, an old man quietly stood. He was tall with rugged features, his true age difficult to discern. His eyes were blue, deep, and clear as though capable of reflecting the universe itself.

He was clad in a magnificent robe of white silk. It was covered in silver embroidery, threaded with precious gems. On his head was worn a peaked cap, and his right hand bore a large ruby ring.

A silvery light crept over him, and suddenly another stood beside the old man; the Wine Master in noble regalia.

"You're nervous," the old man said with a smile, his eyes never straying from the window.

The Wine Master nodded his head slightly. "I'm afraid he'll change everything. Three years ago when he arrived, he almost immediately became one of us. He certainly displayed enough taste and ability. In these three years he's blended well, but his power… it's… "

Calmly the old man interceded. "Too strong, yes?"

The Wine Master silently nodded.

The old man turned to face the Wine Master, his sky blue eyes bright and sagely. "He is one of us. When we sanctioned his appointment to the Skyfire Council, he became an inseparable part of us. Regardless of what hardships he faces, we are his family."

"Can you see his future," the Wine Master asked.

The old man shook his head. "No. But I can sense the Thunderbolt's integrity."

The Wine Master continued, "With his disposition, so clearly infuriated, I'm afraid we might encounter some problems. Should we help him?"

The old man chuckled. "There's no need. If he were originally someone who habitually brought trouble upon others, we would not have taken him in. Let nature take it's course."

Finally, a smile crept upon the Wine Master's face. "Being a little bit of a troublemaker isn't such a bad thing, I suppose. At least now he won't come and drink all of my cherished possessions."

The old man laughed. "Next time call on me. Although I can't drink much, the taste reminds me of those olden days. Unfortunately I'm not sure whether I'll be able to help you find where another bottle is kept."

A light shone in the Wine Master's eyes, but soon he asked with helpless tones, "Is it truly alright to use divination to find wine, Master Clairvoyant?"

With a small smile, the Clairvoyant looked at him. "How could it not?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 13: The Beautiful Bride

Tianshan Mountain, situated fifty kilometers outside of Skyfire City, the highest peak of Western Skyfire.

The territory of Skyfire was situated by class and affluence. To the East lived the rich, with the noble class situated on the West. The poor lay to the South, and the ghettoes to the North. As a result the inhabitants of the Western section were Skyfire City's – and in fact all of Planet Skyfire's – political elite.

Tianshan Mountain was said to be the 'highest' peak of the West, but in reality it rose no higher than eight hundred meters. The reason for it's fame was the more than sixty ridgepole villas dotting it's surface, the abodes of Skyfire's most illustrious elite. Here, the higher you lived, the higher your status.

From base to peak there was only one road, it's other face a sheer cliff. Today appeared to be a special day, for the entire length of the twenty-meter wide street had been made pink.

The color was due to the fact that the entire stretch of road had been covered in butterfly orchid petals several inches thick. Stretching for hundreds of meters, the fragrance was intoxicating.

The trees lining the road had been decorated with… wedding dresses. Yes, wedding dresses, not white gauze. Each tree had been fitted with a custom-made dress, white as the driven snow, and wonderfully elegant with luxurious white pearls. They were meant to symbolize flawlessness.

The area three kilometers around the mountain had already been cordoned off. Clearly it wasn't wealth alone that could achieve this, but significant political clout.

Thousands of robo-cleaners had already swept the area the night before, so that not a single mote of dirt sullied the premises.

Some ten-odd Climate-Control aircraft flew overhead dispersing clouds, making the skies as transparent as a sapphire so that the rising sun could shine it's brilliance upon the mountain top.

On the other side of the cordon line a scattered number of people had begun to gather. Half peered toward the mountain, the other half whispered amongst themselves.

"Has it started yet? This wedding has been hailed as the grandest cross-alliance wedding. It's as massive as expected! Look up there, Climate-Control ships dispersing clouds and all!

"Yeah! It's an important day, and I heard that later there will be a joint military parade, with mechs from both our militaries. They're going to hold the wedding here first, then have another in the Western Alliance."

"Ugh… lucky westerner. I heard the wedding is between the Chief of the Eastern Alliance's daughter and the Western Prime Minister's son. That's why it's such a grand wedding."

"How could this be at all regrettable? A political union through marriage, nothing more than posturing. No one's even seen what the Chief's daughter is like, they just don't know. I might even look better!"

"Hmph! The Chief's daughter might be a mystery, but the Western Prime Minister's son is always on the Interstellar Network channel. A young hero of his generation. For a political unification there can't be too big a disparity between the image of either party."

"Enough, don't bother looking for me tonight!"

Unbelievably, on the peak of the mountain nearing the misty skies, rose a palatial structure of layered architecture. It's style was a mixture of East and West, not at all lofty. It was white, in conjunction with the dominant hue of the day, and threads of splendid alabaster muslin were visible everywhere as though the building itself were clad in a wedding gown.

The building took up an area of seven hectares, it's interior facilities absolutely extravagant. An outdoor pool rippled with faint blue water, it's end tumbling in to a waterfall which flowed ceaselessly in to the palace's lower level. Within the giant pool swam one hundred and eight silver arowana.

On the lawn adjacent to the pool, among an array of pure white flowers, milled guests who'd already arrived. A procession of high-end luxury verti-cars docked on the nearby helipad, and a queue of people in formal attire made their way inside the building. Among them were no lack of recognizable faces. Politicians, celebrities, business moguls…

Finely attired attendants shuffled between the guests bearing beverages, alcoholic drinks and delicacies.

In accordance with the traditions of the Eastern Alliance, the wedding must be held in the morning. As one of this century's greatest weddings, it would also be held in the morning without exception.

Within the palace, two stylists nervously worked in an extravagant room. Two maids stood beside to assist them.

In the middle of all of them sat a woman.

The female stylist busied herself with placing make-up on the woman's delicate features, while the man stood behind her. He held her jet-black shimmering hair in his hands, and thought deeply.

"Hehn…" The man held a Pink Finger's Orchid between his fingers, speaking effeminately. "Sweety, you're being impossible! If you wont let me put your hair in a bun, what am I supposed to do with it? With hair this long a bride absolutely needs a bun."

The young woman shook her head. "No, no bun. If you can't figure it out, then don't. Let it hang naturally."

"This…" the man began bitterly. "If you're gunna be like this I simply can't talk to you. How can you suddenly reject the bun? Today is your big day!"

The female stylist hummed. "What's so strange about it. Miss Qianlin was born so beautiful, the most gorgeous I've encountered. Not an ounce of styling and you'd still be stunning."

The man grumbled in agitation. "Hey! What are you talking about, a good stylist can make the beautiful sublime. Fine, fine.. let me think of something. The dual coiling dragon technique will work."

The young girl smiled, like a hundred blooming flowers. "Thanks!"

ζ

Half an hour later.

The female stylist carefully placed the diamond-studded tiara atop the young woman's hair, then clapping her hands together said, "There! Sweety, you are absolutely the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. Stand up and take a look."

The young woman stood slowly, her hair already woven up, the two sides coiled layer on layer to hang down her back. An array of colorful gemstones twinkled in their midst.

The most important aspect of the dual coiling dragon style was to make the hair beautiful while leaving it's length unchanged.

The lily-white dress shone like the Milky Way, twinkling with resplendent light, each diamond on it custom fit by Van Cleef Arpels. Each diamond was flawless, larger than a karat each. The dress bore one thousand and one of them. The largest was set in the center of the chest, and cut in to the shape of a heart. The fifty-karat diamond was surrounded by a circle of small pigeon's blood rubies.

Standing, her body tall and lithe, her wedding dress fitting to her like a glove, there was no flaw or blemish. The arc of her voluptuous chest swept downward, her waistline slender, the ridge of her backside enticing. Moving further down, her dress narrowed until she looked like a mermaid, her tail moving delicately.

The dress had no crinoline, instead setting off her flawless figure, flowing down past her lower legs to spread out in a bloom of white muslin.

The diadem upon her head was made of platinum, inset with diamonds and sapphires. If it were just like this, it wouldn't be sufficiently grand for the occasion, but looking closer it was revealed that each exceedingly hard diamond and sapphire had been carved in to flowers using a special technique.

Peering upon herself in the mirror, Qianlin's beautiful blue eyes began to mist. Her brow furrowed, bearing an echo of worry in her expression.

Her delicate lips parted. "Am I beautiful?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 14: New Bridegroom Richard

The gardens of the magnificent building were swarmed with people, especially around the outdoor swimming pool. The immaculately dressed patrons were sampling the fine wines and beverages, while likewise engaging each other in conversation.

In these sorts of situations no one would dare speak loudly. It was essential to maintain one's demeanor.

As the people milled, an enormous gemstone-blue verti-car appeared in the distance, cresting the mountain.

The airship was easily ten times the size of the average verti-cars docked nearby, comparable in size to a small airship. As it neared the peak of the mountain it began to descend. A reserved section of the parking area had been set aside.

"He's coming," people whispered.

As the vehicle drew nearer, the dual patterns on it's sides became visible; two hearts conjoined, one red and one blue. The red heart represented the Eastern Alliance, while the blue naturally signified it's Western Alliance counterpart. This wedding would have major significance for both.

A man in his forties, his posture tall and straight, pushed through the crowds with an entourage of ten-odd people.

He stood straight in a fine suit, with short hair and a steadfast expression on his handsome features. He was a staple on all of the Eastern Alliance's major television networks. Chief Minister Zhou Xue, the youngest Chief in the history of the Eastern Alliance, first among the Alliance's luminaries.

And today he was the penultimate host. The magnificent estate in which this wedding was held was, in fact, his official residence.

To be more accurate, this residence was the home of all Eastern Alliance chief ministers.

Minister Zhou Xue walked to the distant verti-car, pausing about thirty meters shy. A small smile graced his features as he watched the vehicle's door slowly open.

Average verti-cars had only one door, but this luxurious and enormous vehicle had two. When the doors opened two bodyguards appeared from within, clad in black suits and sunglasses. They took up positions near the door, one left and one right, framing the entrance as a very tall man with grey hair emerged.

He was exceptionally tall, exceeding two meters, and though his hair was grey it was meticulously styled with pomade. He stepped from the car with a smile on his face, but he clearly bore himself with an air of importance.

A young man exited next. He wore a Steven Rich suit, goshawk pattern black crocodile leather shoes, and a black bow tie. His head was covered in fine blonde hair, styled to be aesthetically pleasing. He was a little thin, with two bright piercing blue eyes. He too was tall, very similar to the old man before him.

Seeing the two men, Minister Zhou Xue strode forward to greet them. The elderly gentleman similarly rushed to meet his host.

The two men met with open arms for a large embrace.

"Austin, we meet again. I see you're as statuesque as ever," Minister Zhou Xue said with a chuckle.

"Zhou, you haven't changed a bit. You cheated me the last time!" The elder gentleman grumbled.

The Chief laughed. "This is an auspicious day for our children! Let's not discuss business. We'll talk later. From today, we're one family, how could I cheat you? From now on how about I just call you Sylva, eh?"

Sylva Austin was head of the Austin family, and Prime Minister of the Western Alliance. The Austin family was the single most prominent family of the Western Alliance.

"Of course," Austin chortled. He turned his head to look at the young man behind him. "Richard, come and greet your father in law."

Chief Zhou smiled. "There's no need for formalities. You've had a long and tiresome journey. Come in and rest, everything's already set for the ceremony. We'll wait a little while before we start, yes?"

"Indeed. It's almost that time, you've gone through a lot of trouble yourself Zhou," Austin replied.

From within the sapphire verti-car an entourage of more than ten individuals exited, silent as mice, moving with practiced instinct to surround the man and his son.

Sylva Austin found it difficult to relax. As Chief Zhou lead him through the crowds, the myriad officials and lauded guests lined up to greet them. He met each with poise and grace, returning their acknowledgements with flawless etiquette.

Richard Austin smiled courteously through the process, but concealed in his eyes was anticipation.

Originally, when he'd first laid eyes on Minister Zhou Xue's daughter Zhou Qianlin, he mistook her for an angel. Though his father opposed, he was adamant in his affections for her. Zhou Qianlin herself never paid him any mind, until he spent a vast sum of money to conduct a romantic proposal. From then on she began to respond.

Both were descendents of prominent families, and it involved two powerful alliances. Sylva Austin and Minister Zhou Xue discussed the matter seven times, eventually coming to an agreement both sides could accept, and the grand wedding was set.

Of the three great alliances, the Northern Alliances was clearly the strongest, followed by the West. The Eastern Alliance was considered the least dominant, but the difference between it and the Western Alliance was negligible. Both needed a powerful ally.

Faced with the prospect of embracing his beautiful bride, Richard could hardly contain his excitement. From the moment he'd begun pursuing Zhou Qianlin, their hands had never even touched! In this moment, his brain was filled with images of beautiful black hair, striking blue eyes and an angelic figure. In his heart, this wedding had absolutely nothing to do with the political implications.

Finally disentangling themselves from greeters and well-wishers, the Austins found their way in to the lounge. With little time before the start of the ceremony, Minister Zhou Xue left the two gentlemen to be with the bride's family. He still had a few small things to prepare.

"Richard, I hope you understand the price I paid to help you with this wedding," Sylva Austin said with a sigh.

Respectfully, Richard responded. "Father, thank you for your help."

Sylva shook his head. "There is no need for that sort of talk between father and son. If this woman is as Minister Zhou Xue has said, you mustn't only marry her, you must thoroughly subdue her. Make her a part of the Austin family. The Eastern Alliance has grown swiftly these last few years, and Zhou Xue is a formidable man. Hopefully this marriage will benefit us in other ways.

Richard uttered not a sound. He was the groom, and in his heart, there was only his bride.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 15: I am ZEUS!

Melodious tones reverberated through the area. A round flower-covered archway gave way to a gallery, upon the floor a red carpet stretching fifty meters until it reached the ministerial residence.

On either side of the flowery arch were row upon row of chairs blanketed in white. Every one was occupied, the multitudes of party-goers each with their cameras ready to commemorate this grand occasion.

The Austin family was Christian, while Minister Zhou's was atheist. As a result the wedding was designed to respect the Austin family belief. A priest already stood before the congregation, praying quietly with two others.

Richard Austin stood beside the priest, desperately trying to maintain an air of decorum. With the wedding about to commence, all he wanted was to see his new bride.

The Master of Ceremonies' pleasant voice rang out, "Let the wedding begin!"

An almost musical hiss filled the gallery as ranks of mechas rose into the air from either side of Tianshan Mountain. On the left, the machines had been coated in red, whilst the right was in blue. Twenty-four mechas in all flew overhead.

They spiraled into the heavens, then each broke off to draw ranks on either side. The execution was perfectly uniform, and it was clear each mecha was operated by masterful Mecha-pilots.

The two sets of mechas gathered into heart formations, drawing closer to one another until they merged in to one.

At the same moment, a brilliant flash of golden light shone forth, piercing the two hearts like a golden arrow. In that split instant the two hearts both seemed to shimmer golden light, completing a wondrous pattern in the skies above.

"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests; We are gathered here today, before the eyes of God and men, to join Richard Austin and Zhou Qianlin in holy matrimony. Marriage is precious, a sacrament ordained by our Lord. In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus Christ attended a wedding at Cana in Galilee. It is also written: no matter the man, the holy bonds of marriage are of the highest importance. And so you must not act in haste or neglect, but instead with reverence, with piety, and with faith adhere to the will of our Lord. Then will your marriage be true." The priest's voice hung gently in the air.

"Next, we request the bride make her entrance," the Master of Ceremonies called.

To one side of the assembly a choir let their voices be heard, a group of thirty-six young women between the ages of eight and twelve singing We Are One in the Bond of Love.

Minister Zhou Xue emerged, having changed in to a snow-white suit. Beside him, her face half hidden beneath a veil, Zhou Qianlin held on to his arm. The veil prevented anyone from seeing her fetching blue eyes. Her magnificent dress shone with a hundred thousand starbursts in the natural light.

The bride is the focus of any wedding, and this one was no exception. Zhou Qianlin, twinkling with light, was an unparalleled bride.

The Minister's face wore a slight smile. Gently he patted her hand as they walked in tandem, peering down the red carpet to the priest and Richard waiting at the opposite end.

If it were possible, Richard would have rushed down the isle to meet them, taking his wife from Minister Zhou Xue on the spot. Each diamond on Zhou Qianlin's dress reflected her beauty, and he was absolutely dazzled by her.

But he couldn't, of course. He could desecrate this lovely wedding with his impatience. He was a representative of the Western Alliance. And so he could only wait.

Minister Zhou Xue moved steadily, each step the same as the one before, the expression of his face amiable and reserved.

Thus, with the choir singing beautifully, Minister Zhou delivered his daughter down the aisle. Richard made as though to step forward, but he immediately felt the hard gaze of his father.

Old Sylva was helpless. He was an intelligent man, and recognized the light of obsession in his son's eyes. It appeared it wasn't so easy to force the Minister to lose his daughter and riches.

Minister Zhou led his daughter towards the altar, pausing two meters before Richard.

"Richard, from this day forward I entrust my daughter to you. I hope you will love her truly, look after her, and protect her."

"Absolutely, I promise you." Richard's response was somewhat hurried. He felt as though his heart was going to burst from his chest.

As he looked on in anticipation, Minister Zhou finally relinquished Zhou Qianlin's hand to him.

Quickly Richard advanced two steps, one hand behind his back and the other extended forward, employing the most traditional of Western noble etiquette.

Closer and closer the two hands drew. With baited breath the guests watched, each with their cameras and recorders poised to capture this wonderful moment.

Two hands joined!

Zhou Qianlin's frail frame trembled visibly. Minister Zhou looked on dumbfounded. Richard, his face red, was likewise stupefied.

Zhou Qianlin's diamond-studded, gossamer-clad hand did not embrace Richard's.

It was a slender hand, fair-skinned and forceful.

None were able to tell where he had come from, and to all it seemed as though he simply appeared before their eyes, half a step beside Richard.

Gently did the man stroke the dual coiling dragons of black hair, tenderly saying, "Let's go home."

"W-who are you? Let go of her!" Richard howled, raising his hand to grab the intruder's shoulder.

The man did not move, allowing himself to be grabbed. Serpentine tendrils of blue electricity burst to life, and Richard suddenly felt as though a high-voltage current had torn through him. His entire body was encased in dazzling arcs of electricity which raced over and out of him.

One of the man's hands reached out to embrace Zhou Qianlin's waist, lifting her up.

Now, shaken from their stupor, people began to take closer note of the man.

Tall and thin, his head wash covered in golden hair which hung freely to his ankles. He was clad in brilliant golden robes, with a collar concealing his neck and conforming to the contours of his face. A mask concealed his features below the eyes. But most notable, were those two glittering, impish blue eyes.

His lifted his left hand, over his head and pressing towards the skies.

Thrummm!

The sunny skies rang with the abrupt sound of thunder, one after another, until the sky grew dark. Angry clouds converged from all directions, and lightning surged freely in their depths, as though the end times were nigh.

Minister Zhou had begun to react, the Chief Minister of the Eastern Alliance was surprised but not shaken. Retreating not a step, his deep voice bellowed, "Who are you!"

"I am ZEUS!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 16: The Mecha Epoch

"Zeus?" Minister Zhou veritably quaked.

Without waiting for him to continue, the golden-clad man embrace Zhou Qianlin and began to rise. The wedding site was in chaos.

Who was this person? Who would dare to interrupt a wedding between the daughter of the Eastern Alliance Chief and the son of the Western Alliance's Prime Minister, and further more steal the bride?

Prime Minister Sylva was already standing, his face somber. The body guards who'd arrived with the Western delegation finally burst in to action, two stooping to pick up Richard while the rest flung themselves at the man in gold.

Raagh, Oooagghh! Deafening blasts rang out. Two massive figures rose to cut off the man's escape. Just then two guards of the Austin family, before the eyes of all, began to quickly expand. Their clothing tore, ripped and fell away, revealing the grotesque figures beneath!

The man on the left grew to a massive Gigantopithecus, an towering ape, over four meters tall. The right, too, grew to over five meters, his skin becoming splotched like tiger skin and bulging with enormous muscles. His face even shook and cracked, changing in to that of a tiger.

As the men grew to monstrous proportions the flowered archway burst apart, it's severed petals dancing in the air. Their beautiful trek towards the floor was in stark contrast against the hideous faces of the guards.

Metamorphosis Disciplines! A specialty of the Western Alliance. Judging by the look of the two beasts, the guards were at least Fifth Level Talents.

"Protect the guests," Zhou Xueguan bellowed. The residential guards had already rushed forth, guiding the wedding guests to safety.

"D-don't hurt.. hurt Qianlin!" Richard was unharmed, but his tongue was numb from the shock. His hair had gone from sleek and shiny to dry and cracked. Luckily, the close-fitting protective gear he'd worn beneath his suit had protected him from the brunt of the electric charge.

Ooaaghh–! The Gigantopithecus howled, leaping ferociously towards the man in gold. The guests could not help but scatter and scream in fear at the hellish sight.

"Get lost," the golden man growled.

Crack, crack, crack! A mighty bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking the Gigantopithecus. His hideous body burned and blackened, thrust away by the lightning strike.

Rushing forward to save Zhou Qianlin still caught in the grip of the golden man, the Ailuranthrope – or werecat, as they were colloquially called – staggered to a stop.

In that instant, a terrible rumble tore across the area. Scores of forked lightning bolts tumbled from above, striking everywhere. It looked very much like Armageddon. The blood-chilling bolts of lightning nearly blanketing the entire mountain top.

Tearing blasts of lightning, thunder, unidentified stabs of light… In this chaos, everyone was only concerned with protecting themselves.

The man in gold carried Zhou Qianlin in to the air, and before anyone could react he became a dazzling bolt of golden electricity. The light enveloped Zhou Qianlin, and then vanished in to the distance.

In the midst of that hellish rain of lightning, no one was capable of pursuit. Even the ten mechas hovering in the air were powerless, forced to retreat and land with shields up to avoid destruction.

The landing pad was the worst afflicted. No matter the model, no matter how luxurious, every verti-car sizzled and smoked in an inferno.

Within the mansion, every electrical appliance sparked and flickered. The beautiful surroundings, the fabled wedding, had in just a few short minutes become a hellscape.

The golden light encapsulating Zhou Qianlin soured thousands of meters in to the distance. It was then a flash of golden light appeared before her eyes.

The man in gold, who'd become lightning, stopped suddenly a few meters before the flash. He'd returned to his original form.

As before his arm was wrapped about Zhou Qianlin's thin waist, and in fact it was that violation that gave her the ability to withstand gravity.

Another figure appeared beside them, an impressive mecha entirely coated in gold. Suddenly she realized, this had been Cupid's Arrow – that golden light which pierced the two hearts created by the mechas at the mountain top.

When the other mechas were forced to land, this one had left to prevent the man in gold's withdrawal.

The mecha was eighteen meters tall, sleek and smooth. It was devoid of weaponry, perhaps because it was employed in the wedding.

Aside from standard mechas, each humanoid model was personalized, custom made from beginning to end. In short, each was made the exact specifications of it's pilot.

The mecha hovering before them, with feminine figure and golden battle dress, was clearly made for a young woman.

"Put Qianlin down, or die!"

The icy voice of the pilot crackled from the mechas megaphone. The lower back of the mecha split open, and it's hand reached back to draw forth a three-meter long rod. Both hands gripped the weapon and it's dual ends shot forth an intense golden light, humming as it changed in to a battle spear.

"Make way!" It would appear this man in gold was quite gentlemanly towards women.

"Put Qianlin down, and I'll let you go. You should know, even your Discipline won't have any effect on this mecha." The frigid female voice was unyielding.

As the New Era had approached, changes had occurred to the environment, and the magnetic fields of the planets. People, too, were affected, a small numbered endowed with genetic abilities called Disciplines.

Adepts, or Talents – people with the ability for Disciplines – were far and away superior to the ordinary man. But this, this was the Mecha Epoch.

Adepts were ultimately human, whereas the standard mecha weighed over a hundred tons, ran on a fission reactor, were composed of a high-strength alloy an were fitted with the highest technology. It would be no exaggeration to state that, a mecha placed in the Former Era, could easily destroy an entire city on it's own. And so in this era, to be a Mecha-Pilot was the dream of every young person.

The man in gold didn't care to repeat himself, and only looked toward the mecha and shook his head.

A thick blast of lightning tore forth to strike the golden mecha.

A cold grunt issued forth, the radiant spear in the machine's hands jabbing towards the sky, striking an impressive pose. The bolt reflected harmlessly to one side.

The cold voice shot back again. "You still don't understand. The stronger your Discipline, the more you will kneel in the face of this mecha!"

"Ha!" The gold-clad man shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh?" Suddenly the golden mecha became aware of another figure which had soundlessly appeared behind it. Two massive hands grasped it's shoulders.

Crunch, crack. The two crisp sounds hung in the air.

The armor plating of the golden mechas shoulders shattered beneath the grisly force, and the arms holding the battle spear falling to the side.

With that a powerful blast of energy shot forth, casting the mangled mecha in to the distance.

In the golden mecha's cockpit, two large emerald eyes stared unbelieving to the air. Where she had hovered, the golden man and Zhou Qianlin entering it's open breastplate, floated a massive thing. She looked on with red lips slightly parted, and eyes glassy.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 17: Let Me Be Your Antidote

The mecha towered twenty three meters, shimmering a brilliant sapphire blue. From shoulder to shoulder it stretched eight meters, with a tall and slender figure. It's shoulder plates were three affixed layers; the topmost was the largest with spikes which rose skyward, the middle layer was smooth and slightly smaller than the first, and the third layer retracted into the joint.

It's texture was markedly different from average mechas. It was as though it was carved from a single piece of true sapphire, a work of art. As the armor tapered towards it's edges the color became a metallic purple. As lightning flashed in the sky above, the light from the blasts reflected magnificently off of the armor. In the instant it's chest plate closed, it emitted a burst of intense violet light. It grew until it was as a ball of violet lightning rising in to the sky, vanishing in to the forest of arcing bolts above.

"That… that was…"

The golden mecha had already steadied itself where it had been left in the air. The blond-haired, green-eyed woman in the cockpit filled with a shock that was difficult to describe.

"Thor. That was Thor. I actually met Thor. Thor… Zeus? Was that Zeus? I actually… actually told Zeus that the stronger his discipline, the more he'd bow to my mecha? The Zeus who, by virtue of his Discipline alone, bested thirteen top-grade customized mechas!"

The stars shimmered in her eyes, as though she'd already forgotten all about the abduction.

She hovered stupefied for a long while, then again began to mutter to herself. "Why didn't he take me away?"

ζ

Thor had risen with stunning speed, the upper atmosphere rolling past it like water off a duck's back. In minutes it was floating in the vast, quiet expanse of space.

No radar in operation was capable of locating Thor. The special composition of it's armor was legendary in the world of Mecha-Pilots.

The cabin within Thor was somewhat larger than average, but was a little cramped accommodating two people.

Zeus withdrew the mask, revealing his long and handsome face. Only in this moment, he found it impossible to retain his traditional calm.

In this moment he wasn't Zeus. He was Lan Jue.

He hugged his arms tightly around the woman in his embrace, as though afraid she would vanish.

"Jin Yu, we're finally together again. Why… why didn't you come looking for me? You're my Hera!"

"I'm so hot." Locked in his tight embrace, abducted, this was the first thing Zhou Qianlin thought to say.

"Huh?" Lan Jue paused, lifting a hand to press against her forehead.

Zhou Qianlin's forehead was burning up, and her eyes had shut. Her brows were furrowed, and her body trembled slightly.

She had a fever?

Lan Jue's face grew somber, noticing the red flesh of her neck. She was sick, and those people wanted her to suffer through a marriage?

Lifting his head, Lan Jue muttered, "Thor, take us home."

"Affirmative, returning home." The gentle, dignified voice reverberated through the cockpit. Thor began to transform, to wings extending from it's back. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it shot in to the darkness of the universe.

ζ

Zeus' Jewelry Store.

Ke'er was bored to tears, listlessly laying atop the bar.

Xiuxiu sat to the side, idly sipping the cup of warm water in her hands.

The jewelry shop rarely had visitors, a common reality on Skyfire Avenue. But even if there were only one or two customers, it was usually sufficient to keep the shop running.

"Hey Xiuxiu, where'd the boss go? Didn't see him yesterday, still not here today." Ke'er cantered her head towards Xiuxiu and whined.

Xiuxiu laughed. "The boss is a very important man. You think he'd just vanish? Don't be such a nosy little thing!"

Ke'er giggled. "Me? Don't tell me you aren't curious what he's doing. You came so early this morning, without waiting for me to come help. You even cleaned his house!"

Xiuxiu's face grew red, as though she'd smeared it with rouge, adding even more charm to her classical beauty.

Just then, the earth shook beneath Zeus' Jewelry Store.

The girls exchanged glances. "Speak of the devil," Ke'er exclaimed. "The boss must be back, I'll go check."

As she said this, she skipped towards the VIP lounge.

As she pushed to open the door, however, she was surprised to find it wouldn't budge.

"Xiuxiu, Ke'er, I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest for a while," Lan Jue's voice crackled through the speaker by the door.

"Eh?" Ke'er stood confused by the door, while Xiuxiu also drew near.

Ke'er turned to look at Xiuxiu. "The boss doesn't sound quite right. Maybe he snuck a woman in, and is afraid we'd find out…"

Xiuxiu lifted her hand and rapped against Ke'er's head in agitation. "What are you saying. In three years, have you even once…" She trailed off, a dismal look in her eyes. "I-If he really did bring a woman back, then I'm happy for him."

Ke'er closed her mouth, and said nothing more.

ζ

Lan Jue carefully laid Zhou Qianlin atop his bed. Even in her state, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

His brows furrowed in thought. Not half an hour since he discovered her illness and her temperature had already risen sharply. He'd used Thor's onboard diagnostics to run a scan, but discovered no sickness or poison. It was a drug, one that could trigger desire in the victim.

Why? Why today, as a bride, would she need this sort of drug? Judging by the progress of her reaction, it was meant to last until the wedding had concluded.

Those wretches! Was this wedding forced by the Austins? They DARE to force this drug on my Hera.

A thin hand softly rested atop his own, it's heat and soft touch drawing him from his rage.

Zhou Qianlin's body had grown red, and her body began to writhe.

It was a fierce, powerful drug.

Leaning down, he gently took her up in his arms. He felt the heat radiating from her, could smell the familiar scent of her body.

Softly he whispered in her ear. "My Hera. In this life, you are destined to be my bride, and mine alone. Let me be your antidote."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 18: A Place Called A Hospital

She lay against his wide, sturdy chest, the kind that made people feel safe.

Her lily-white, gem encrusted dress; her exquisite tiara; her dazzling tecnicolor veil. All had been cast beside the sofa.

He gently stroked her hair, which had already begun to unravel. Three years of suffering, poured out in a day. Despite her illness, he shut his eyes in relief.

He didn't see her brows furrow, or her bite her lip, but the shift in muscle was felt beneath his fingertips. "What is it, Jinyu. Why knit your brow?"

"Do you know who I am? Who's here to cure you?" Lan Jue's deep voice asked. "It doesn't matter who it was, they'll pay for what they did to you."

"Do you really know me?" Zhou Qianlin quavering voice asked.

"Huh?" Lan Jue turned her over in his arms, looking in to her eyes.

Zhou Qianlin lifted her head to regard him, looking at him in earnest. It felt as though his face had been branded in to her mind.

"Of course I know who you are. You're my wife. My Hera. My Jinyu. Zhou Jinyu."

She shook her head. "I-I'm not Zhou Jinyu. I'm Zhou Qianlin."

"Wha-" Lan Jue started, moving to sit by her side and looking at her closely. No, it was definitely Hera! Black hair, blue eyes… How could she not know who she was? Even her scent, exactly as it was before.

"Beloved… Is it, amnesia?" Lan Jue asked with uncertainty.

Zhou Qianlin drew the covers closer, saying quietly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Lan Jue replied.

Zhou Qianlin's eyes shone as she looked at him. "You said this Jinyu is your wife… then… you've had relations before?"

"Of course! You really don't know?" Lan Jue was unconvinced.

Zhou Qianlin nodded her head, then moved the comforter to the side. She pulled them from Lan Jue's body.

Zhou Qianlin's fair features grew red, and she turned her face to avoid looking at him. Her hand slipped from beneath the sheets and pointed. "Well, then look at this."

A sense of trepidation filled Lan Jue's heart. When he dropped his head to look, he was nearly petrified.

There, he saw a fresh smear of red.

It was quiet, quiet as the grave.

After a moment Lan Jue spoke, his voice strange. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were…"

This time, it was Zhou Qianlin who was speechless.

Her body trembled, her lip quivered, her teeth clenched. It was as though she were afraid a curse would burst forth from her lips.

After some time her mood stabilized. She hissed coldly through gritted teeth:

"This was my first time!"

Lan Jue was dumbstruck. How could this be? He shook his head. No… this can't be true. His heart sunk to the pit of his stomach.

First time? What did she mean the first time? It meant… she wasn't Hera.

My Hera, my Jinyu. She still hasn't returned to me. Lan Jue felt as though he'd been run through with a sword. The pain in his heart stole his breath.

Watching Lan Jue's face drain of color, she too was dazed. The room sank in to a suffocating quiet.

Lan Jue's pained voice arose as he spoke to himself. "Three years. Three years. Why would God play such a cruel trick on me? Why give me hope? Don't you understand… the more you hope, the more crushing when it's gone. My Hera… still hasn't returned."

"So what you're saying is, what you just did to me wasn't intentional." Zhou Qianlin's cold voice interrupted.

"Huh?" Her words snapped Lan Jue awake. Seeing here, this woman an exact replica of his Hera, somehow eased the suffering in his heart.

Yes! She wasn't Hera, but she and her…

And, it had been her first time.

Further, the unification of the Eastern and Western Alliance leaders through this marriage.

Most important was that she knew who she was. Even if she didn't know, her family certainly would. In his arrogance he'd let slip his name, sharing with her father regardless of the situation that his name was Zeus.

What to do?

Lan Jue felt his heart thumping in his chest. In all his life, he'd never encountered such an awkward situation.

But it was done. Other than facing it, what else could he do?

"W-well, Zhou Qianlin, you'd been poisoned. Were suffering from it's effect. So, I was forced… against my will to…"

Zhou Qianlin glared at him, saying not a word.

Lan Jue was incapable of alleviating the situation. He knew of only one solution for the current problem.

The dead don't talk.

Kill her, and the problem would be gone!

And yet, could he do it?

Zhou Qianlin uttered, "I have an older sister… I think her name is Zhou Jinyu. She disappeared when I was young. Where did you meet her?"

Lan Jue stared at her. "An older sister?" She was Jinyu's younger sister, but Jinyu had told him she was an orphan!

A younger sister separated for that long?

He didn't know what to think.

Even if he could do it, silencing her wouldn't actually solve everything.

Zhou Qianlin shot him another cold glance. "You just said I'd be poisoned. That's why you did that to me?"

"Yes, yes!" Lan Jue nodded emphatically.

Zhou Qianlin's expression changed, and she sat up abruptly. With eyes wide she glared at Lan Jue and yelled, "Have you never heard of places called HOSPITALS on this planet? What sort of poison could a modern hospital not cure? You could have sent me to the hospital. If I'm poisoned how does sleeping with me fix anything?

"I…" Lan Jue stared at her dumbly, dropping his head after a moment. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he muttered, "I thought you were someone else."

Zhou Qialin's expression was pained, possibly due to the pain in her body.

"Put your clothes on. I don't want to look at your hideous self. I'm afraid I'll get a stye." She shook her head violently for him to leave.

Lan Jue scrambled to his feet, quickly pulling on his clothes. As he did, his eyes fell upon the wedding dress crumbled atop the sofa. "It was probably your fiancé who poisoned you. To go so far as to poison your own new wife… this sort of scumbag, you're better off not marrying him."

Zhou Qianlin shot him a glare. "How do you know it was him? Before then, he had never even touched me. Scumbag? YOU'RE the scumbag! And even if he was, at least he didn't break the law. You? You destroyed my wedding, and defiled my body. You tell me, what are we going to do about that?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 19: Same Clothes, New Person

Zhou Qianlin glared at Lan Jue. "You tell me, what are we going to do about that?"

Lan Jue took a deep breath. "What's done is done. It was my fault. All of this was because I mistook you for someone else. I don't know how I can make up for this either. You tell me what I can do, and I'll do it." The mistake had been made. He was a man, and had to face up to his wrongdoings, doing everything in his power to make it right.

Zhou Qianlin stared at him, her eyes a tangle of emotions. Lan Jue had changed, no longer dressed in the clothes he'd worn when we abducted her.

He wore a white shirt, and paneled deep blue pants. His neat clothes and his tousled hair gave a strange merger of order and chaos.

That dangerous glint in his eye from before was gone, and he'd assumed a more apologetic stance, like a child who'd done wrong.

Nibbling her lower lip, Zhou Qianlin got up from the bed.

"Find me some clean clothes."

"Right away." Lan Jue spun on his heel and left without hesitation. He'd only gone a few steps before pausing, then went directly to the closet furthest inside the apartment.

He paused before the closet as though uncertain, opening it after a moment's consideration. He quickly grabbed a few articles of clothing from within and returned to Qianlin.

Qianlin regarded him coldly. "You seem awfully practiced at bringing women home."

Arriving before her, he gently placed the clothing at her side. A spark of sadness shone in his eyes. "Your sister's."

Zhou Qianlin stared at him, catching that passing look. Though Lan Jue hid it well, his innermost anguish was too profound to hide completely.

Lifting the clothes by her side, she caught a whiff of a clear and refreshing scent. Each piece had been painstakingly folded. Lan Jue looked on, watching the clothes as though they were precious pieces of jewelry.

Even on Skyfire Avenue, even close friends, none knew that in the Jewelry Master's heart the closet of clothes was more precious than his entire stock.

"Hey!"

Lan Jue was shaken from his reverie. He lifted his head, looking directly in to Zhou Qianlin's hard stare.

"I'm sorry." He pressed his hand to his chest, an unconscious habit of his gentile mannerisms. He turned away and stepped aside.

A quiet rustling could be heard from behind him, but there was no excitement in Lan Jue's heart. In truth it was drowned in disappointment and sadness.

She is not Jinyu, even if she looks just like her. She's not my Hera. Where it not for the grief in his heart, and the fact she was her sister, Lan Jue never would have opened that closet. Of course, it was merely to make amends that he opened it.

Footsteps approached, and Lan Jue subconsciously turned his head.

She wore a long dress, white as snow, and a little thin. Tight-fitting but modest, with no extra fabric. Though the spotless dress was unadorned, the gem-encrusted gown she'd worn to the wedding made it look downright plain.

However, that raven black hair melded beautifully with the white dress. Those deep blue eyes were like the most fetching gems on the planet. Her beauty was almost otherworldly, perfect in every detail. Such beauty that it took your breath away.

"Jinyu…" his voice trembled.

She rose to her feet and moved towards him. In an instant she found herself wrapped in a firm, warm, shivering embrace.

The hug was like a thaw, and though she should have been angry she instead found herself almost automatically returning the embrace.

"Jinyu, my Hera, I miss you so much," Lan jue, his eyes closed as though trying to keep a hold on the past. He seemed unaware his body had grown so feverish.

Zhou Qianlin tried to admonish him several times, her mouth opening though no words came out. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to ruin what she saw in front of her.

What she saw was his intimacy, the fact that he still remembered her favorite color, an unblemished white. Contrary to the common woman she had no taste for fancy jewelry, in fact quite the opposite from Lan Jue. Moreover he kept saying she was the most precious gem he had. If a bottle of Romanee-Conti was considered some great treasure, then she could only be described as the most dazzling jewel in the crown of the gods.

Zhou Qianlin's face softened, the chill leaving her features. In the face of today's events any girl would have her rage clearly written on her features.

But that burning hug, as though magic, melted her cold exterior. Her rigid body eased, and thus so did her heart.

It is common for one man loves one woman, but it was unexpected to see this level of devotion.

The coldness receded from her expression.

One of his hands rested on her waist, the other gently stroking her messy hair. His tender ministrations helped settle it back in place.

This was care, a care derived from the depths of the heart. An adulation more precious than life.

"Hera, Hera…" he whispered. She never gave a response. That familiar body, with that familiar scent, but without her tender voice.

Lan Jue composed himself, suddenly standing straight and looking at the woman in his arms.

Zhou Qianlin looked like a frightened bunny, quickly extricating herself from his arms. She hugged her arms to her chest, features growing red from embarrassment.

Lan Jue looked as though he were in a trance. His clothes were the same, he appeared no different, but the man was changed. The woman before him looked for all the world exactly like Hera. But she didn't have her eyes, eyes which could melt the coldest heart.

A silence fell over the room. Lan Jue uttered not a sound, Zhou Qianlin never opened her mouth. Their hearts each were flooded with conflicting emotion, but the emotions in each were as different as night and day.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 20: You Owe Me

"Where are we." Zhou Qianlin was first to break the awkward stillness in the room.

"My home," Lan Jue responded.

The corner of Zhou Qianlin's mouth twitched. She'd been brought up from a very young age to be cultured and refined, but facing the guy in front of her, more than once she fought the impulse to curse him out.

Lan Jue started, aware of the mistake. "Oh. This is Skyfire Avenue."

"Skyfire Avenue?" Zhou Qianlin certainly knew of Skyfire Avenue, in fact everyone in the Eastern Alliance knew of it.

It was a unique place, a sanctuary for nobility. It was independent from the outside world, the one area where machinery wasn't permitted. An exotic oasis.

Even after many years, in the face of many former Eastern Alliance dynasties, none were able to altar the avenue's rules.

"Take me home," Zhou Qianlin said softly.

"Yeah."

The sky was dark, night had arrived earlier than usual. The two walked along Skyfire Avenue side by side, but with a foot of space between them.

"What do you plan to do?" As they reached the end of the two-thousand forty-eight meter Avenue, he couldn't help but ask.

Of course he knew that after what had happened today, how could she face the stress and troubles.

Had she been Hera, of course there wouldn't have been any problem. He'd have had a good reason for his actions. But she wasn't. So the mistake was his, and a very grave mistake it was.

Zhou Qianlin stopped, turning towards him with a grim look. "It isn't your concern."

Lan Jue shrugged his shoulders. "Now's not the time to pout."

Zhou Qianlin glared at him. "Oh, can you turn back time then?"

"Ugh… you don't need to worry about that." Lan Jue didn't possess that power. In fact, it was exceptionally rare to find someone with that Discipline. At best they were able to roll back time only a very little while, and even then only in a very small location.

Still less, some things simply can't be undone…

Zhou Qianlin's eyes grew cold. "I'll handle it, it isn't your concern." She began to hurriedly walk away.

"I'll send you back." Lan Jue moved to catch up. Before them, they'd reached the end of Skyfire Avenue's scope.

Zhou Qianlin turned her heard to look at him. "Do you want to be a public enemy of the Eastern Alliance?"

Lan Jue stopped in his tracks. That's right! All of Skyfire City could be in turmoil because of her kidnapping.

"I'm not that fragile. I can handle myself. Go back," Zhou Qianlin said.

He stared at her dumbly. From the obstinance in her eyes, Lan Jue could see the Hera he knew, the Hera who was gentle as water and a moment later throwing a fit. It was something he also dreaded.

"This is my interstellar communication number." He produced a slip of paper and pressed it in to her hand. "If you need anything, let me know."

The ambiguity of his statement caused Zhou Qianlin's pretty face to redden. Lan Jue immediately recognized his error, but she didn't wait for him to explain, instead turning and walking away.

"Your wedding dress is still at my place," he called after her.

"I don't want it. You've polluted it."

"Well, when are you going to give me back that dress," he asked.

Zhou Qianlin stopped, spinning to fix him with a burning glare. "I'm NOT!" She turned away again.

The corners of Lan Jue's mouth twitched. This girl's temper is worse than her older sisters, and cold as ice. Damnit! What did have I done?

Zhou Qianlin's voice wafted from the distance. "You owe me, and you better pay me back! When I know what I want from you, you'll hear from me."

As her words dissipated in to silence, so too did she disappear into the dark.

He stood in silence for a long while afterward, staring in to the darkness where she left, stunned.

Gradually his face grew hard, and a pale light flickered in his eyes. A thick anger rose within him, from his very bones.

Zeus, enraged!

That woman.. Pearl!

If not for her information, I never would have arranged such an ordeal. Worse, it brought trouble upon a loyal brother. That precious block of technetium, and this is what I get in return?

"You don't look like you're in the best mood," a deep voice uttered not far behind him.

Lan Jue turned to see the Wine Master at his back, clad in an impeccable and crisp business suit. Lan Jue walked towards him. "New suit?"

"Mm."

"Nice fabric."

"One hundred sixty thread count."

Lan Jue stared at the Wine Master. "I won't bring any trouble to Skyfire Avenue. If something happens, I'll assume all the responsibility."

The Wine Master spoke after a moment. "Have a drink?"

Lan Jue's eyes brightened. "What are we drinking?"

The Wine Master considered. "Your situation… red wine isn't appropriate. Whiskey, I think."

The edges of Lan Jue's mouth curled. "We nobles are certainly capable of self-control."

The Wine Master's lips revealed the ghost of a smile. "You had quite the murderous look in your eye a moment ago. It looked like you wanted to something a noble shouldn't do."

"Compared with drinking, it isn't urgent," Lan Jue replied quietly. "A true noble must be responsible. At the same time, they have a responsibility to help those in need, bear their responsibilities. This benefits society, so how is it something an aristocrat shouldn't do? If someone had taken your 1990 Romanee-Conti, would you be laughing?"

The Wine Master's face stiffened, obviously recalling that unpleasant day.

Lan Jue grinned. "Whiskey then. Talisker, 1985 single malt, what do you think?"

"Henceforth you are persona non grata in the Gothic Winery. You'll not see me again." The Wine Master turned and began to walk off.

Smiling, Lan Jue hurried to catch up. "Take it easy, I'll pay."

"No!" he replied indignantly.

Lan Jue sighed. "I really am not in the best mood. If you want to hear my story I can tell you."

The Wine Master glanced at him. "I don't have 1985. I have a bottle of Talisker 18-year, though. You want it or not?"

"Off we go!" Lan Jue said categorically.

The Wine Master grinned. "Aristocrats have such high moral integrity."

Lan Jue shot him a puzzles glance. "I do! I'm not going just for a drink. The Iberian ham from before has already been cut, if someone doesn't eat it it'll go bad. Whiskey goes well with ham. Yeah, the Gourmet's method of heating it up really was something. In fact let's call him, his meal preparation is deserving of your praise."

The Wine Master sucked in a breath. "You are no noble, you're a damn bandit!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 21: Tang Mi

She moved silently through the gloom, pausing in the shadow of a building. A white figure quietly making her way.

In the distance she'd traveled from Skyfire Avenue, she'd already changed direction several times. Were someone looking for her trail, it would be almost impossible. Walking in the dark night, she'd managed to avoid all of the probes capable of recognizing her. Even the satellites far overhead had no means of detecting her.

Were it not for her wedding, she'd be wearing her communication device around her neck; enough for the satellites to get a lock. As it was she was doing everything she can to avoid detection. And all of it was for that guy.

Upon thinking about him Zhou Qianlin couldn't help but knit her brow. The pain in her body she could endure, but the chaos in her heart was another matter.

Though she walked in the darkness, in her mind the only shadows were his figure.

Everything that happened was only over a short time, but in her heart it felt like it was stretched over a century ago.

She paused, unconsciously looking back towards Skyfire Avenue. Through the emotional tumult in her eyes arose a shimmering tear.

When she stood before him she was strong, even cold. But in the end she was only a little girl!

With tears in her eyes she slowly walked through the shadow, passing under the glow of a streetlamp. From beneath the towering buildings and yawning eaves she was revealed.

Slowly, step by step she moved on, her mind blank, unable to think.

Suddenly, a whistling blast arose, a rapid surge of air swirling past her.

Zhou Qianlin almost stepped aside, her hands pressing down her dress to prevent the air from ruffling it.

A Ferarri verti-car hovered overhead. This sort of car was best suited for high-speed movement ten meters or less above the ground, though not as expensive as a high-altitude verti-car. But considering it's high energy efficiency, it was not expensive.

The window facing Zhou Qianlin descended, revealing a man young man with yellow Mohican-styled hair. He whistled while staring at her.

Zhou Qianlin's white dress hugged her eye-catching figure, especially her shapely backside which moved with her gait.

Her beauty certainly didn't just attract Zeus.

"Hey there pretty, all by yourself?" The young man ran a hand through his blond hair, pity revealed in his almond eyes.

Zhou Qianlin's look was biting, clearly the blast of air that'd startled her was intentional. This sort of obscene behavior towards women was downright detestable.

She disdained to even speak to him, holding that hard glare a moment longer before turning to leave.

"Saucy!" The young man's eyes lit up. Zhou Qianlin's dismissive glare made her look all the more virginal. And to come across such a pretty lady all on her own in the middle of the night, in his eyes lady luck had blessed him.

The Ferarri deftly moved forward to catch up with the retreating Zhou Qianlin.

The verti-car slowed, and the young man opened his mouth to speak further. As he did, he got the sense Zhou Qianlin had somehow grown brighter. It was then he noticed the column of golden light descending from the skies to envelope her.

Boooommm!

Almost instantly after the light washed over Zhou Qianlin, a massive golden figure came crashing down, looking terribly mangled.

The Ferarri was abruptly smashed beneath it. The entire back half of the car had disappeared, while the front had been irreparably warped by the impact. The force of the collision had caused the young man in the driver seat to faint. Luckily, he'd been wearing his seat-belt.

The shockwave tore across the street like a gale. Thankfully there weren't any others on the street. Zhou Qianlin was unaffected, protected by the column of light sent specifically from the golden figure.

The metallic mecha was eighteen meters tall, it's body smooth and streamlined, coated in gold. The sole imperfection were the crumpled armor plates on it's shoulders, traces of the damage the mecha had suffered.

"Qianlin," a tender voice arose, followed by the hatch of the mecha hissing open. A figure arose from within and leapt from the mecha. Unfazed by the eighteen meter height, the woman turned two circles in the air as she tumbled forward. As she did a layer of golden light encased her, and moment before she hit the floor she stabilized and landed firmly.

She was a tall and beautiful woman. Zhou Qianlin herself was considered tall, but this woman stood half a head over her.

Her legs were strikingly long, seventy percent the proportion of her legs and torso, but most gripping was the sense of power her imposing figure commanded.

She wore a black skin-tight flight suit, with a head of long golden hair and jade-green eyes that glittered like crystal.

The flight suit perfectly outlined her figure, and although her long legs seemed almost out of proportion her strong and beautiful posture gave her a tameless beauty.

The golden light quietly dispersed, and the golden haired woman closed the gap between herself and Zhou Qianlin in three long steps. She looked her up and down, asking with concern in her voice, "Qianlin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Little Mi," replied while shaking her head.

"I've said it countless times," the woman grumbled, "Don't call me Little Mi. Say my full name, Tang Mi!"

Zhou Qianlin smiled. "You got here fast."

Tang Mi responded, "Like I had a choice. You know after your disappearance the entire wedding site went crazy. All of Skyfire City now sees danger lurking around every corner. They haven't officially declared martial law, but they've already called for four whole Mecha Battalions to search the entire planet for any trace of you. I was so worried, no one at the wedding was able to protect you. I'm a terrible friend."

Zhou Qianlin shook her head. "No one blames you."

Tang Mi acknowledge that with a nod of her head, her big jade eyes excited. "Of course you can't blame me. That was THOR! And the single greatest Mecha-pilot in our Alliance, no way I could stand against him! Agh, why didn't he grab me! If he had, I'd not have fought back, I'd have gone right along with him."

Zhou Qianlin's brows slowly began to rise. "What do you mean, 'not fought back'?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

"Mm, good stuff." Lan Jue was a little drunk. He breathed in the scent of the alcohol, detecting hints of smoke and peat. His eyes looked dulled.

Before him was a table capable of seating eight and, though small, was quite magnificent with a classical style. It was composed of parqueted wood, inlayed with gold tooling and of very fine texture.

The Wine Master sat at the head of the table, Lan Jue to his left. To his right sat the Gourmet.

Today the Gourmet was clad in a fine black suit and white shirt, though differing from Lan Jue in that he also wore a u-shaped waistcoat. He was the very picture of the gentry.

The cuffs of his shirt had been rolled up. In his right hand he held a long knife, it's blade thirty centimeters long with a sandy beige handle. Were an expert present their eyes would bulge from shock – not from the beautiful moiré pattern on the blade, but due to the fact that the handle was made from mammoth tusk, exceptionally rare even in the Former Era.

The Gourmet's slender fingers moved deftly, cutting the Iberian ham in slices as thin as a cicada's wings and flicking it in to the ceramic whiteware clutched in his other hand. Beneath the plate a candle burned, causing the ham to adopt an almost crystalline texture.

The Wine Master first looked to the Gourmet, then to Lan Jue. "You've had nearly half a bottle of Talisker already, are you ready to share your story?"

Lan Jue swirled the whiskey glass in his hand, picked up a piece of ham and popped it in his mouth. A thick, yet not oily taste filled his mouth. He took another small sip of Talisker single-malt, the fine whiskey like fire down his throat, spreading through his every pore.

"The particular thing about Talisker is the strong taste of peat, a specific trait of an island. It is an untamed and legendary vintage spirit. For those who truly love the flavor, they can't help but partake."

"You want to tell me a story about whiskey?" The Wine Master muttered.

The Gourmet finished heating another plate then sat, motioning with his knife as though he would bury it in the fine tabletop. The Wine Master shot him a glare, to which the Gourmet smirked and replaced the knife to it's wooden sheath.

Reaching out, the Gourmet gripped the half bottle of Talisker in his hand, it's golden contents shimmering with a faint halo in the light.

"Don't give him any alcohol and he'll tell you on his own," he said, pouring himself half a glass. He placed the bottle to one side.

The Wine Master nodded approvingly.

Lan Jue looked disappointed, downing the contents of his glass is one gulp. "I'm a little tired, I think I'll just go home and sleep, so…"

The Wine Master's eye twitched. "Then go."

"Will I be able to come back later?" Lan Jue said with a small smile.

"What do you think," the Wine Master responded, looking at him obliquely.

Lan Jue leaned against the back of the chair, speaking calmly. "I've been here three years, right?"

"Three years, one month and three days," the Wine Master responded studiously.

The corners of Lan Jue's mouth curled bitterly. "I had a beautiful wife. She was gentle, kind, gorgeous… when you were with her it was like a spring breeze. From the moment I saw her I was lost, loved her instantly."

"We were the envy of everyone. Everything was perfect, we enjoyed each other's company, did everything together. It was so natural being together, so natural that we just felt happy with one another. She was my whole world. When she was with me, the entire universe seemed more colorful."

"But they say good days are brief. Three years ago because of an accident, she left me forever. Even now, I don't know if it really was an accident or was somehow orchestrated. According to all evidence she vanished in a giant explosion. I couldn't find her, she left no trace. It was like she never existed in my life at all."

"She was gone so… my heart was empty."

"As a result I came here. I like the tranquility of Skyfire Avenue, like living here. In my early years when I'd visited here I liked it. I'd planned to bring her here with me, but she was gone so suddenly."

Lan Jue related the story calmly, his eyes reflecting his even temperament. It was like he was simply telling a tale, a story he wasn't involved in.

"Not long ago someone came to the shop, left me a note. It said my wife wasn't dead. It contained a video. I believed it. How could I not believe it. Even though I knew I was lying to myself, even though I knew it was impossible, I believed it."

"I helped them, and they told me my wife's location. And they told me she was going to marry someone else. You are men… I think you must understand what I was feeling."

"So I went after her. Took back my wife. I was so happy. She was like a paintbrush, bringing life and color back in to my life."

"But I'd deceived myself. She just looked like my wife. She wasn't… her."

Lan Jue stopped there, the trace of a smile on his face. But the emptiness in his eyes was unsettling.

The Wine Master looked at the Gourmet, beckoning towards him with a wave of the hand. A faint light, and suddenly the Talisker bottle was in his hand.

Removing the cork, the Wine Master quietly poured Lan Jue a glass, then lifted his own.

Lan Jue picked up his drink, threw his head back and downed it. The high-proof liquor burned through him. But the burning in his throat couldn't touch the pain he felt. He felt like he did those three years ago, when he learned of the accident.

"I'm off." Lan Jue placed his glass on the table, and left.

Neither the Wine Master nor Gourmet asked him to say. A man's pain wasn't so easily resolved through talking.

Lan Jue was worn out, dispirited. He'd even lost interest in seeking revenge against the people who'd given him the false news. No matter what he said, they had filled him with a great hope, only to deliver greater despair. But at least, for those few precious moments, he'd thought Hera had returned to him.

The Wine Master and Gourmet said nothing to one another, finishing the drinks in their glass. The Gourmet finished the last piece of ham.

"I'm leaving as well," he said.

"Mm," the Wine Master faintly responded.

As he stood the Gourmet's brows rose. "Eh, he didn't pay for the whiskey did he. I thought he said he would."

The hand with which the Wine Master held his glass froze suddenly, as though by magic, paralyzed.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 23: The Mercenary King

"I'm fine." Zhou Qianlin had already forgotten how many times she'd said these two words. At her side fluttered her frightened mother. Chief Minister of the Eastern Alliance, Minister Zhou, paced back and forth in the spacious room with brows scrunched tight.

Her best friend, Tang Mi, stood not far off.

An hour before Tang Mi had delivered Zhou Qianlin back to the villa, where she gave a very simple account of her capture.

Captured. Passed out. Awoke in the street.

It was just that simple.

The Eastern Alliance hadn't hesitated to block any news of the wedding's upheaval from leaking, but it was already without question a massive scandal.

Everything had changed, the tone of the former political unification irreparably altered due to the sudden events. Sylva Austin was furious, and had already begun dressing down the Eastern Alliance security. A daughter-in-law stolen from her own wedding, this was a great stain the Austin family wasn't prepared to endure.

Regardless of whether his rage was real or born out of political necessity, Sylva Austin had left back to the Western Alliance with his unwilling son.

The Prime Minister's growling voice reverberated in the Zhou Xueguan's ears: "Minister, I am extremely disappointed in the security of your Alliance. This disgrace is not something we will suffer lightly, there will be consequences!"

After he'd said that, he'd stormed off and left.

At the time Minister Zhou had not gone in to an explanation. He'd had the entire planet shut down, searching for any trace of his daughter. To him, there was nothing more important than the safety of his daughter.

But now his daughter had been returned safely. And had changed clothes.

A beautiful woman, captured and taken away, only pass out and return in different clothes. What did that mean? Even if nothing had happened, Zhou Qianlin's reputation had been tremendously affected. And clearly the Austins had broken off the wedding. And what's more, as Chief Minister he was expected to address questions about what had happened from his political peers.

"Darling I'm no stranger, tell your mother, tell me honestly are you alright?" Zhou Qianlin's mother, Bai Xiao, asked quietly.

"I'm fine, really." Zhou Qianlin stood. "Mother, father, I'm a little tired. Let me rest. I never thought something like this could happen. Father, I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble."

Minister Zhou stopped his pacing, and looked thoughtfully at his daughter. A pained sigh escaped his lips. "Who'd have possibly expected something like this would happen. Fortunately you've returned safe and sound. Qianlin, you don't need to worry. Go. Your father will take care of the rest." He was the backbone of the family, and no matter the difficulties it was his responsibility to shoulder what comes.

With everything said, he approached Zhou Qianlin and gave her a light hug.

Zhou Qianlin's eyes had grown red. "Father."

"Don't cry, sweety. Go and rest. Little Mi, please accompany her. She must have been terrified," the Minister warmly requested.

"Don't worry uncle, I'm not going anywhere." Tang Mi quickly took up Zhou Qianlin's hand and led her away upstairs.

Watching her daughter leave, Bai Xiao moved to her husband. "Xueguan, this is very serious matter. The Western Alliance is already applying pressure. The Upper House is dissatisfied with you. Will you be able to find the man who kidnapped Qianlin?"

Zhou Xueguan shook his head. "Qianlin remembers nothing, no news we can use. He was also very powerful, left no trace. I've asked the members of the Holy Eastern Church to take a look at the video. They said they thought it was the mercenary king from three years ago, Zeus."

"Zeus?" Bai Xiao's eye's betrayed her shock. "You mean Zeus of the Four Divine Monarchs?"

He nodded. "In the last twenty years the Four Monarchs have been the most famed Adepts and Mecha-Pilots, mysterious and powerful. According to our data, each of the Monarchs are God level pilots, and at least Ninth level Talents. None are older than forty. Zeus pilots Thor, and holds sway over the Discipline of lightning. Thus his name, Zeus. Seven years ago he entered the scene as a mercenary, taking up an S-Ranked mission for his first job and completing it with no trouble. He was famous from then on. Because of that mission he'd been promoted to B-Rank in the mercenary company. Next he completed seven Triple S-Rank missions in succession, and assumed the reputation of Mercenary King. He's never had a mission he didn't complete."

"But he's very particular about the missions he accepts, only picking those he likes. I've looked in to the missions he has accepted for anything special, and nearly all of them involve vigilante justice. He performs the tasks fairly. But three years ago for unknown reasons Zeus vanished. He hadn't been seen since, not taking any missions. If that truly is Zeus, we have no idea who hired him."

Bai Xiao, her mouth agape, said, "I've heard of this mercenary king. If it really is him then I'm actually relieved. Zeus has never helped evil men. Our daughter really should be fine. Only, we don't know why Zeus would kidnap our daughter. Do you think it was one of your political opponents who hired him, to break up the wedding and ruin your alliance with the West? But judging by his past missions Zeus just isn't that sort of person, he rarely goes in for politics."

"It's hard to say," Zhou Xueguan responded. "If he is from the Northern Alliance this would make sense. It would add up that he'd get involved if it was for his own alliance. Alright, get some rest, I'm going out for a spell. I have to go see the Chancellor of the Upper House. I'll handle this, try to control the damage."

Bai Xiao gently smoothed out her husbands clothing. "Hurry back."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 24: He Doesn't Like Women?

It had been a week since the incident and Skyfire Planet had returned to a state of calm. Interstellar news had reported nothing further about the bride snatching. Everything was back to normal.

Lan Jue returned to his normal life, operating his jewelry store.

Recently business had been slow, with few customers to speak of. Luckily for the shop, it didn't needs very many to stay afloat.

Ding ding ding. The bell above the door chimed as a man in a leisure suit found his way inside.

Xiuxiu smiled and gave a slight curtsey to the man in greeting, welcoming him inside. Ke'er had already dutifully prepared a cup of warm water which she held in both hands.

"What do you need? Speak – no discounts." Lan Jue lazily leaned against the back of his chair as he spoke to the newcomer.

The Gourmet took the glass offered by Ke'er and sat beside Lan Jue. He grumbled, "So stingy. You never paid for the whiskey you drank at the winey, either."

"Oh, really? I don't recall," Lan Jue responded his eyes large.

"Nobles never keep their word," the Gourmet responded disdainfully.

Lan Jue scowled. "What do you want."

The Gourmet responded by lifting his brows. "Do I need a reason to come see you?"

Lan Jue laughed. "With your cool demeanor? You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a reason. You sit in your little shop all day refusing to leave."

The Gourmet sighed. "Well, I guess you aren't too fond of me."

Lan Jue drummed his fingers, grinning at him. "No one likes a debt collector."

He huffed. "You don't owe me money. I just came to let you know I have a whole bluefin tuna coming in in a few days. I wanted to see if anyone was interested in a bite."

"A whole one?" Lan Jue's voice raised an octave, his eyes lighting up.

Of course he knew finding a whole bluefin tuna was exceedingly rare. It certainly wasn't a natural product of Skyfire, it must have come from someone's fish farm.

The Gourmet stood. "Fine, I'm leaving. After they catch it it'll be three days before it arrives, and another two after before it can be eaten. We'll meet in five days. At the winery, it's large and we'll put the space to good use."

"Good, good."

The Gourmet made his way outside, lead by Xiuxiu. As he did he said over his shoulder, "It's a big fish. Bring a friend."

"Boss, bring me!" Ke'er looked peeved, laying atop the counter before Lan Jue with her lower stuck out.

"Ke'er," Xiuxiu said in rebuke.

Ke'er stuck out her tongue, shuffling towards her. "We wont' make the boss lose face, what's wrong with going with him?"

Xiuxiu took her arm, speaking in quiet tones. "He hasn't been in a good mood, lately."

Beep beep beep! Lan Jue dropped his head to look at his interstellar communicator. An unfamiliar number flashed on it's screen.

He answered.

"Thirty-Seven Huayin Street, Luo Yun teahouse." A pleasing but indifferent voice came wafting through the communicator.

At first he listened apathetically, but his features could not help but shift once he realized who the voice belonged to. "I'll be there soon."

As he spoke he rose quickly and exited the shop.

Watching his back as he hurried away, Ke'er gave him a suspicious look. "The boss doesn't seem quite right."

Xiuxiu, on the other hand, looked anxious. "He's seemed like his normal self the last few days, but I can feel he's been pretty depressed. Something must have happened."

"With the boss' abilities what sort of thing could make him so unhappy," Ke'er wondered aloud. "You should ask him Xiuxiu. He likes you best."

Xiuxiu's face grew red. "Stop talking nonsense."

Ke'er snickered, speaking quietly. "Don't tell me you don't like him. Every time you look at him I see it in your face. You got eyes for that goofy guy and no one else."

Xiuxiu laughed bitterly. "You give him too little credit. If you can see it, so can he. He ignores it on purpose."

Ke'er blinked in confusion. "Why? You're so pretty and sweet!"

Xiuxiu shook her head. "I don't know either, but.. do you remember? When the boss had first opened the store he was awfully depressed every day. Like he'd had his heart broken."

"Hey, do you think he's… you know?" Ke'er said cryptically, her voice softer still.

"What," Xiuxiu responded, confused.

"You know, us two beautiful girls, strutting in front of him day in and day out, but no reaction. Only way to explain it, he doesn't like women!"

"Ah?" Xiuxiu looked at her dumbly, the color draining from her face.

ζ

"Atchoo!" Lan Jue rubbed his nose and muttered to himself. "Who's talking trash about me."1

ζ

Huayin Street was located in the Western section of Skyfire City, a significant distance from Skyfire Avenue in the city's downtown district.

Lan Jue sat upon one of the public lev-buses, unaware of his scrunched brows.

His tolerance exceeded that of the average person, and even then it took three years to free himself from the pain he'd experienced. It had been a week since his actions at the wedding, and his mood had gradually returned to normal. But that call, the voice on the other end of his communicator, brought back that night in his memory.

The sorry had already been pressed down, hidden away, but the trouble from that night was far from resolved.

But once he'd heard that voice, his heart beat grew rapid.

He couldn't help it. Not because she and he had been as close as a man and woman could, but because of what that voice resembled.

And so, almost unconsciously, he lept from the bus disregarding all of his normal grace and poise.

The Luo Yun teahouse wasn't large, but quite fine. It bore a classical Chinese style construction from the former era, located on a building with letters written over it.

He was met at the door by a woman in a cream qipao. She lead him inside to a tasteful private room.2

As he entered, he stopped in his tracks. The cream-clad woman behind him had already left and shut the door.

The room was small, only capable of seating two.

She wore the same dress as the night she left, long and white. Her long hair was brushed in to a pony tail, revealing the fair skin of her forehead. She didn't look up, instead staring quietly at the boccaro before her.

The enameled teapot wasn't large, the top set with a raised relief of plum blossoms. The surface was a deep red, and stood out.

The slightly golden, deep red tea water was poured out and the faint scent of it filled the silent room. The brief sound and smell only added to the quietude.

Lan Jue just stood, staring at the elegant women seated before him. Though he could only see those long eye lashes, he felt his heart sink. Just like the first time he'd met her.

1. In China, it is said a sneeze is caused when someone is talking bad about you.

2. A qipao is a traditional Chinese woman's dress, often made of silk. In modern times it sees the vast majority of use in restaurants, worn by waitresses.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 25: Bodyguard?

It was as if time had stopped; white skirt, black hair, slender fingers, plum blossom teapot, the faint scent of tea. If you were to just see the contours, it was as perfect as a painting.

The tea was poured into two matching cups, red as the teapot. Just enough tea for one mouthful.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Zhou Qianlin lifted her head, looking at the frozen man before her.

White trousers, pale green shirt, short black hair, sender build. But his most arresting feature were those eyes, full of reminiscence.

"Oh." Lan Jue was shaken from his haze and approached, sitting in the rattan chair set before her.

Zhou Qianlin motioned towards his drink, lifting her own cup. As the scent wafted towards her, she lifted it to her mouth and took a sip.

Lan Jue lifted the cup to his nose, then took a sip. "Jin jun mei, Lapsang Souchong black tea." He'd always liked the nice things of this world, the ceremonial tea traditions from Former Era China with centuries-old history and culture. It was full of countless principles and traditions, so naturally he'd enjoy it. Contrary to most tea lovers who preferred green tea, he always enjoyed the black.

Green tea was for the scent, black was for warmth.

A small sip, and the aroma washed over him, like his body was transparent. For a moment his worries melted away.

"Good tea," Lan Jue said praisingly.

Zhou Qianlin poured them both another cup. The small containers could only hold a very small amount. One sip, and more must be poured.

He took another drink, and placing the cup on the able before him, looked at the person adjacent.

Bright azure eyes, calm and impassive, quivering eyelashes.

"Let's try this again. I am Lan Jue, proprietor of Zeus' Jewelry Store on Skyfire Avenue." He reached a hand towards Zhou Qianlin to shake.

Zhou Qianlin regarded him coolly, her eyes serene but distant.

Lan Jue awkwardly retracted his hand. In fact he'd barely managed to keep himself from asking how she was. Clearly that wouldn't have been appropriate.

"I didn't ask you here for a fresh start. We should talk about our situation." Her voice was as pleasant as ever, but there was a distinct chill to it. Perhaps her cold nature was the reason she had chosen black tea, he thought to himself.

"Fine." Lan Jue nodded.

Zhou Qianlin fumed. He acted like nothing had happened! Honestly…

"Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, you promised me a favor," she said.

"Indeed. And you've thought of one?" Lan Jue stared at her. Zeus had made that promise, surely her request wouldn't be an ordinary one.

Zhou Qianlin nodded. "I have."

Lan Jue was anxious to resolve this. His face was calm, but it didn't mean he'd forgotten. In fact he had never known this level of guilt.

"I'm a student," Zhou Qianlin began, opening the lid of the teapot. She poured in more hot water and continued. "National Eastern University, National Scholar, Junior."

National Scholar? Amid the beating of his heart he remembered the video they had sent, the first time he'd seen her. She had been moving between classes.

He'd heard of the National Eastern University, a top school in the nation. It was a mecha-piloting university. Everything they taught was related to mecha. However only the mecha branch was famous for combat, so the whole school wasn't named a military university.

Considering the background of the Eastern Alliance, the NEU was the single best institution of higher learning. A four year bachelor's degree and you could find any related job immediately after graduation. With this sort of education background you were guaranteed social progress, and a stepping stone to success in the military. Of the bachelors, the particularly talented were selected to continue their studies. They were the National Scholars.

National scholars, too, studied in a four year program, but they were the elite of the four alliances. They were assured an important position in their field, moreover it was very possible they would see further advancement in a very short time.

In the Eastern Alliance there were only a handful of institutions who trained National Scholars, thus every year less than a thousand such graduates were produced. As a result, National Scholars were highly prized. It was the same in the other two alliances as well.

"I didn't know you were a National Scholar." Lan Jue smiled.

"I haven't graduated yet," Zhou Qianlin replied, "You can't call me that."

Lan Jue said, "If I'm not mistaken, the NEU is a mecha-piloting university. As you're a graduate student, did you want me to train you in regards to mechs? This I can do, though it wont be easy."

It was the first thought that crossed his mind, though she may not know of his identity. However she had seen his capabilities the day he'd captured her, she looked like a smart girl.

But what she said next left him stunned.

"I don't need a mecha teacher," Zhou Qianlin replied dismissively. "You think I'd want a teacher who was rude and boorish to me?"

"Rude.. boorish?" Lan Jue felt the hair on the back of his neck rankle. No one had ever called him that before.

"We're nobility, how could I possibly be boorish?" Lan Jue's breath came uneven.

"Aren't you," Zhou Qianlin snapped back. "You don't even know what a hospital is, and you aren't boorish? If you aren't, what else could I call you…?"

Lan Jue looked like he'd been slapped, his agitation beaten out of him. He frowned and leaned against the back of his chair. He said nothing else – there was never else for him to say – there was nothing he could do to erase his sin.

"What do you want," he asked. He just wanted to leave, quickly. The woman across from him made him feel impotent. He didn't feel like Zeus – he felt like minced meat on a cutting board.

"It'll be some time until I graduate. Two years. Because of what happened a week ago, the Western Alliance is likely to seek reprisal against the Eastern Alliance. Especially my family. I'm worried about my safety. You're rash and infuriating, but you'd do well as a bodyguard. Until I graduate, I'll need you to protect me at school."

"Bodyguard?" His voice raised an octave. He'd absolutely never expected her to ask for something like this. He'd thought Zhou Qianlin would disregard his offer, but now he felt like there were ten thousand alpacas stampeding through his head.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 26: Sat on by a Pig

"Nope." Lan Jue refused without hesitation.

What is guarding? Day in and day out with the client, always by their side, constantly on your toes. The key factor was time, because poor timing could mean someone's life.

Zeus, the untouchable master of the mercenary world, had served before as a body guard for two years. It was intolerable.

Why did he become a mercenary in the first place?

A Ninth Level Talent, God-Ranked Mecha-Pilot, infinite possibilities… why choose the life of a mercenary? It was simple, really – freedom.

Thus Lan Jue rarely returned home, he couldn't stand the constraints.

Simply said this condition set by Zhou Qianlin went against his very nature, indeed he couldn't comply.

He took up the enameled pot, pouring himself another small cup of tea. He replaced it and took another sip.

"Something else," Lan Jue said in ill temper. When in her presence, even if he didn't realize it, he hardly seemed like a noble.

"No need." Zhou Qianlin stood. "A man who fails to keep his promise, what use could I have for him?"

As she spoke, she moved towards the door to leave.

"You!" Lan Jue jumped to his feet, grabbing her wrist. "What on earth do you want?!"

She glared cruelly at him. "What do I want? I told you what I want, but since you can't agree then forget it."

"Then what happened between us…" he began in hesitation.

Zhou Qianlin yanked her hand away and stood toe to toe with him, staring fiercely in to his eyes. Lan Jue unconsciously took a step back.

"It was like being sat on by a pig." She spat the sentence at him, turned on her heel and left.

Lan Jue felt like a victim of his own Lightning Discipline, standing there frozen for a long while.

"Stop!" After a few moments he finally reacted, running outside. He ran nearly headlong in to the waitress.

"Sir, you haven't settled the bill."

He paid hurriedly and hastened outside. He finally caught up with Zhou Qianlin at the door to the Luo Yun teahouse.

"Stop right there!" Lan Jue shouted at her.

Zhou Qianlin lin spun around, regarding him calmly. "You have something to say?"

"Y-you…!" lightning rippled in Lan Jue's eyes, clearly on the verge of erupting.

She lifted her head, scorn evident in her beautiful sky-blue eyes. "What's the matter? Ashamed?"

Lan Jue loosened his tightened fists, stepping back. "Ask for something else!"

Zhou Qianlin turned once again and began to walk off.

This time Lan Jue did not pursue, watching her slender form vanish around a nearby corner. He couldn't stop his fists from clenching once more. He was finding it difficult to contain his emotions.

Around the corner Zhou Qianlin had stopped when out of sight, leaning against the wall. She covered her red face with her hands, gasping headily through her open mouth.

The pressure was immense, and she felt as though in that moment there still burned the heat of those two large hands pressing down on her shoulders.

And then a laugh burst unbidden from her lips. The whole scene was too much! Sat on by a pig!

Hah! He's got to be so pissed! What choice does the honorable and respected Zeus have?

ζ

In the same instant Lan Jue was returning to Zeus' Jewelry Store.

Seeing his infuriated face, Xiuxiu and Ke'er gulped. The expression in his eyes was stranger still.

Lan Jue said not a word, going directly to his room. He needed to think.

"Who's he so upset with? He looks so… ugly," Ke'er said, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Xiuxiu shook her head. "It's the first time I've seen him this angry."

As he entered the room Lan Jue flopped down atop his bed, his head resounding with Zhou Qianlin's pleasant voice.

"Bodyguard!"

"Sat on by a pig!"

The two phrases echoed over and over in his mind. He knew that had someone else spoke to him like that he'd have incinerated them. But not Zhou Qianlin, she was his Jinyu's sister, and he still…

Only, this request was nearly impossible to accept. To be beside her every day as a bodyguard. How could anyone who values freedom live like that? And it was more than two years – the length of her schooling, at least two years and three months.

No, impossible! Regardless of the circumstances, impossible!

Yet to refuse was to go against his own moral code. In the heat of the moment they never discussed terms. Moreover he was the one that had taken her innocence. If he didn't make recompense it would be like a thorn in his heart forever, like a fish bone caught in the throat.

At the same time Zou Qianlin was also lying in her bed, covered by a light pink gauze curtain. Her room was constructed like an ocean of flowers. Lying atop the soft bed, her eyes were hazy, filled with several emotions, her mind in a constant state of flux.

Will he accept? If he doesn't, what then?

Beep, beep, beep!

Zhou Qianlin nearly leapt from the bed, but sputtered when she saw he number on her communicator.

"Little Mi, what is it?"

"Tang Mi!" came the agitated shout from the communicator.

"Fine, fine. Tang Mi," Zhou Qianlin responded helplessly.

"I heard you'll be returning to classes next week. Are you sure everything's alright?"

Zhou Qianlin responded, "What do you mean alright?"

"Your mood," Tang Mi said. "After something like this you certainly can't forget it right away."

Zhou Qianlin snorted. "I forget about it ages ago. I'll return to class next week. Let me copy your notes."

Tang Mi chuckled. "You really want to forget then that's fine. I'm telling you though, you aren't allowed to have any sort of relationship with my idol. I'll be a mercenary myself, the beautiful woman chasing the every step of the Mercenary King, you wont be able to compete with me."

"Go then, meet a man and lose all your friends." She unceremoniously hung up the communicator.

Beep, beep, beep the communicator rang anew.

Zhou Qianlin impatiently answered. "I won't compete with you, alright? He's all yours!"

"Compete with what," a surprised voice answered from the communicator.

Zhou Qianlin sat up. "Is it you?"

The response was low, simple, like it required a great deal of courage to utter.

"You're request… I accept."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 27: Be a Teacher?

"Your request… I accept."

Upon hearing this sentence Zhou Qianlin's eyes lit up, her lips curling in to a smile. "Don't be reluctant. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you could do it."

From the other end of the communicator came a sound like grinding teeth.

"I'm not reluctant!"

"Excellent," Zhou Qianlin said, not seeking to provoke him further.

Lan Jue choked down the impulse to smash the communicator in his hand. He took a deep breath, exhaled through his mouth and continued. "When do you need me, and what will I be doing?"

"I have excellent bodyguards at home," she responded. "You just need to watch over me while at school during the semester. When school's in recess, so are you."

Hearing this Lan Jue let out a sigh of relief. Luckily it wouldn't all the time, and he'd have some time to himself.

"What's my cover while protecting you? Shall I enter in to school as well, be a classmate?" Lan Jue inquired.

The communicator was silent for a moment. "Uncle, have some dignity. At your age could you be my classmate?"

"U-uncle…" Lan Jue's face contorted, and when he could endure it no longer replied indignantly, "I'm that old?!" He wasn't even twenty seven. The average life expectancy in the Eastern Alliance was a hundred and twenty, he absolutely was still a young man. What's more there were certainly post-graduate students who would graduate at his age!

Zhou Qianlin covered her mouth, muffling her laughter, a task she found difficult. "So old. Don't be a student, it'd be too easy for your identity to be revealed."

"I'M TWENTY SEVEN!"

"Way over the hill."

Crunch, came the sound of a breaking communicator over the wire.

"Hahaha!" Zhou Qianlin rolled atop her bed laughing uncontrollably, reveling in the sweet sensation of revenge.

Beep beep beep! The communicator rang anew.

Zhou Qianlin hastened to regain her composure, her stomach hurting, and answered.

"Zhou Qianlin! I'm warning you, if you insult me like that again I'll –"

"You'll what?" she spat.

Lan Jue fell silent. Anyone else, and he'd have a slew of choice things to fire back, but from her he had nothing to say…

"A good man doesn't fight with a woman. I owe you, and I'll pay my debt. After these two years, we'll have nothing more to do with each other. Speak, what's my cover?" Lan Jue tried valiantly to keep his voice under control, for he knew that if he didn't it would only make Zhou Qianlin more pleased. He would not give her the satisfaction!

"Enter as an instructor, you're about the right age. How you do that is up to you. You can do that, can't you? Mr. Zeus?"

She hung up without giving him a chance to respond.

"Instructor?" Him, a teacher? How could he be a teacher?

Although the NEU didn't produce the most famous Mecha-Pilots, it was a proper piloting university and nothing scoff at. To enter as an instructor, Lan Jue felt, would pose no problem for him. He was a God-Ranked pilot, the highest rank attainable in the Three Alliances – more than sufficient for a teacher.

Stop! He couldn't let this impetuous girl get everything she wanted. He had promised to comply, but how he did it was never outlined. A teacher, right? But not a mecha instructor!

Lan Jue had a stroke of genius, gradually crafting his idea. He couldn't stop his mouth from curling in to a mischievous grin, his sour mood swept away.

His right hand suddenly grew hot, and Lan Jue lifted it to look upon the golden bracelet on his wrist. It emitted a gentle golden light, and as the light expanded it revealed the image of an old man.

He was an elderly man, big and tall, his face a landscape of craggy features. His true age was difficult to decipher, but he was possessed of two very clear blue eyes, deep and shining as though they reflected the universe itself. He wore a magnificent white robe, embroidered in silver and encrusted with gemstones. A pointed cap rested upon his head, and a large shimmering ruby on the ring finger of his right hand.

"Honorable members of the Skyfire Avenue Council, please make your way to the Skyfire Museum in one hour. If you have a scheduling conflict, please alert us as soon as possible."

As the voice faded, so too did the image.

The urgency of the Skyfire Council meeting made Lan Jue uncomfortable.

There were a total of one hundred and sixty eight shops on Skyfire Avenue, each with their own management. But the Council itself had only eighteen members.

The Council met bi-monthly for regular meetings to manage the Avenue's internal affairs. It was only when something serious cropped up that they would hold an emergency meeting.

It was also the first time since Lan Jue arrived in the Avenue that such a meeting was convened.

Skyfire Avenue wasn't simply a noble's street. It was also a place of Adepts. When entering the Avenue to be a shopkeeper, you also had to possess at least a Seventh-Level Talent, passing a series of tests. Further the eighteen members of the Council were the strongest among the Adepts present. Though the organization was freeform, the members were some of the most celebrated and illustrious Talents in the Three Alliances.

Were it not for the combined strength of these members Skyfire Avenue never would have survived as long as it had, with it's freedom intact.

Lan Jue rose quickly, donning a three-piece blue suit and slipping a ring on his little finger1 before stepping out.

In the dim light of the room's lamp, the ring seemed to leave behind it a green afterimage that shimmered with a life of it's own.

The ring itself had a peculiar look, forged of a silvery metal. The top half was curious, one side wide and the other side narrow. It created a trapezoid, set with fragments of diamond and sapphire like leopard print. In it's center was set a triangular green gemstone. The ethereal light, full of vitality, originated from there.

Before he stepped out Lan Jue turned the ring inward, hiding the gemstone in his palm.

The ring itself had a name: Thor's Promise.

1. In China, wearing a ring on your little finger represents independence.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 28: Skyfire Avenue Council

Skyfire Avenue. Council Hall

The floor space of the classically beautiful Council Hall was quite large, nearly three hundred square meters. The walls were covered in famous paintings, awash in dark red adornments, lending a simplistic but beautiful atmosphere.

A dozen people sat on either side of a long table. With the Clairvoyant at it's head, the total count stood at thirteen.

The Wine Master sat to the left of the Clairvoyant, and beside him was Lan Jue. The Gourmet took up the third position.

The Clairvoyant lifted his hand and gently rapped upon the tabletop. All eyes turned to him.

"All council members on Skyfire have gathered, the other five away on business in other planets." There was an odd charm to the aging man's features. Every eye was upon him, and though they revealed no emotion a deep respect lay in each gaze.

Elder of Skyfire Avenue, Chairman of the Council, the Clairvoyant was for all intents and purposes the brain of Skyfire Avenue.

He continued. "I've called this emergency gathering in order to resolve an urgent matter. Today, a government official was sent to meet me…"

Hearing this Lan Jue's eye twitched. An official from the Eastern Alliance government? What did he want?

"Diplomatic emissaries have been dispatched from the Citadel of the Western Alliance's Pontiff, and have indicated they wish an exchange with us here at Skyfire Avenue. The government officer intimated that he wished us to agree to this exchange."

Was this revenge from the Western Alliance? Lan Jue was surprised, but quickly banished the thought. The Austin family was certainly influential in the Western Alliance, but they certainly had no means to employ the might of the Pontiff. The Pontiff's Citadel was to the Western Alliance what Skyfire Avenue was to the East, only more illustrious still as all held high stations of power. It was highly unlikely that a political fiasco like the failed wedding would inspire them to make a move.

For the Clairvoyant to attach so much importance to this correspondence, to display apprehension over the exchange, was unusual indeed.

With the onset of the New Era, Mecha sciences and development advanced quickly, soon becoming an integral component of the battlefield. The Three Alliance all spared no expense or effort in creating the latest mechas, or training the best pilots.

Though on the surface the Three Alliances lived in harmony, in practice the border planets between the three often saw conflict.

In addition to the advance of Mechas, on the battlefield each unit required exceptional pilots to dictate the flow of war. A pilot had to be athletic, with high genetic Talent, thus making training an exceptional warrior more likely. As a result Adepts also received a fair amount of attention.

Adepts were separated in to several groupings. Those who possessed awakened innate talents were called Intuitives. Adepts of the Eastern Alliance mostly fell in to that category. All of the Adepts who lived on Skyfire Avenue were Intuitives, and that was in fact a prerequisite for membership.

Those who acquired talents later, through special means designed to manipulate genetics, were called Derivatives. These constituted most of the Western Alliance, and the Alliance was second to none in the study of the medicines needed for genetic manipulation. There were two organizations representative of the Western Derivatives; the Pontiff's Citadel and the Dark Citadel. The two were, naturally, at odds. Though both names indicated locations, in truth it was just the name of their organizations.

Other than these two groups of talents there was a third, wherein machinery was joined with the body to create a high-tech conglomerate of flesh and metal. Gene manipulation and robots joined to endow great power. These were called Converts.

The Northern Alliance was the most technologically developed, thus did they possess the most Converts, who themselves were gathered in to a group they called the Great Conclave.

Of the three groups Inuitives were the rarest, with the other two more or less the same in number.

Derivatives and Converts were quicker to produce, thus saw more use in military campaigns. However, they lacked the limitless potential of Intuitives.

The Clairvoyant began to speak once more. "Were it only a representative of the Citadel's Holy See it would be preferable to respond. However, it is very probable they will be accompanied by a delegation from the Dark Citadel. The situation between these two organizations is tenuous at best, I can't imagine why they would choose to travel together in this instance."

The Wine Master spoke up. "This so-called exchange, I fear it is an indispensible opportunity to learn about the other Adepts and their powers. We should consider our response as soon as possible."

"Representatives from the Citadels will arrive at Skyfire Avenue in one month," the Clairvoyant said. "At present we do not know the names of those who will attend. Be that as it may, we should prepare appropriately. The focus of this meeting is to confirm that we will be responsible for these delegates. As it seems now, we will require three members to participate in this exchange. Naturally they shall have to be shopkeepers, and willing to participate. You may volunteer at will."

The Wine Master, as vice-chairman of the Council, interjected. "Judging by the status of these groups, our standards must be equally high. Such being the case I volunteer to participate."

The Clairvoyant nodded. "Anyone else?"

"I will," Lan Jue stated, rising. Regardless of whether this meeting had to do with the events of the week before, Skyfire Avenue had tacitly agreed to his actions. It was his responsibility to contribute here.

"Very well, Jewel Master," the Clairvoyant responded with a smile.

"And I," came another voice. The hoarse tones came from the young man seated to the Clairvoyant's right.

He looked slightly older than Lan Jue, his hair neatly trimmed and teased up. He wore a leather jacket, and his stocky build and small eyes gave him a lethargic appearance.

"Oh, the diabolical Little Clippers deigns to act?" The taunt came from a woman several seats down from the young man.

His face stiffened in response. "My title is not Little Clippers!"

The woman snickered. "Doesn't the Barber use little clippers? If you used shears like a gardener no one would have anything to say. Our delegation is all big bad men, that wont do. I'll join. Four members will make them look even more important."

The Clairvoyant agreed. "Very well, then the welcoming committee is settled. The Wine Master, the Jewel Master, the Barber, and the Beautician shall be our representatives."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 29: Beautician and the Barber

The Clairvoyant stood. "The welcoming committee has been selected. The rest of you may go. Thank you all for coming."

The remaining council members stood and filed out. Once leaving the chamber they spoke quietly amongst themselves.

"Forgive me, Keeper. If I might bother you for a moment." Lan Jue stood, addressing the elderly man who had been seated to the right of the Clairvoyant.

He looked an age comparable to the Clairvoyant, and wore an ancient Tang Chinese style gown. He looked quite scholarly, but at the same time frail and sluggish – like he had one foot in the grave. Still he was the second vice-chairman of the Skyfire council, and in fact may have been slightly older than the Clairvoyant himself.

Lan Jue moved to the Keeper's side, gripping his elbow to help him stand.

"I must trouble you with something, would it be alright if I met you at the Library later?" Lan Jue helped the old man towards the door, speaking softly in his ear.

The Keeper gave a grandfatherly smile and nodded his head. "Of course, of course."

Lan Jue thanked him, then returned to his seat in the council chamber.

Only the Clairvoyant, the Wine Master, the Jewel Master, the Barber and the Beautician remained.

"I am sorry to trouble the four of you," the Clairvoyant began. "We must choose twenty shopkeepers to participate in the event. Wine Master, if you would."

The Wine Master nodded. "I will choose them."

"Then what about me? Just wait for the reception?" The Beautician looked stunning in a long pink dress. Her figure was breathtaking, the late-twenties beauty smiling alluringly towards the Wine Master.

"The reception itself will be handled by the government of the Eastern Alliance," the Wine Master stated. "We are only responsible for the exchange."

The Beautician shot a glance towards Lan Jue, sitting across from her at the table. "Little Brother* Jewel Master hasn't said a word since joining our little committee. Come on kiddo, participate!"

Kiddo…

Lan Jue's cool features stiffened for but a moment, but he did not respond. He wasn't entirely familiar with all the members of the Skyfire Council, but he did know the Barber.

The Beautician's taunting moniker of the Diabolical Little Clippers wasn't baseless. According to what Lan Jue knew, the Barber had been an accomplished assassin in the Northern Alliance before coming to Skyfire. The most wanted man in the North. Not even thirty, but she teased and taunted the Barber in public. And he didn't retaliate. Despite her young, sweet appearance, she wasn't someone Lan Jue had any inclination to tussle with.

When compared to the Northern Alliance's Great Conclave, even Skyfire Avenue and the two Citadels together couldn't match their numbers. However, they did possess the most universally acknowledged top-grade Talents.

A member had to be at least a Ninth-Level Talent to be considered for entry in to Skyfire Council. Because the Avenue was only loosely managed, members coveted their specific abilities as a secret, and even the most senior members did know the abilities of the others.

It was frightening to think of a ninth level Talent one knew nothing about.

In the last year the only person who'd been able to make him loose his temper, to fail to control his emotions was that blasted girl who'd asked him to be her bodyguard.

The Wine Master spoke gently. "Know your enemy as you know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will have a hundred victories. Three will stay in the event they will be needed as comrades in arms. As a result, I ask that each of us clearly reveal our abilities so we can be familiar with them."

The Beautician fiddled with her constellation-encrusted fingernails. "No problem. I don't believe we know much about Little Brother Jewel Master either. My ability; Illusion. How about you, kiddo? Hehe."

Looking upon the Beautician's cunning and sweet smile, Lan Jue's heart rate increased in trepidation. Illusion! To the average person the word held no special significance. But to his ears it was like a peel of thunder.

He'd heard of this ability once in a story. Twenty years ago a small girl's family had been murdered. As the evil men approached the girl to finish the job, her innate Talent had awakened. Illusion.

Just awakened, a Ninth-Level Talent, she was unable to control her own powers. But in the blink of an eye her assailants were caught in a dreamscape of heavenly bliss and hellish terror. The young girl's fears bubbled up from her mind. In the end, the ones who'd killed her family all succumbed to the phantasmagoria. None survived.

Shattered by the experience, the young girl then wandered out in to the streets of the city. There she enveloped the entire place in her dreamscape, inflicting upon it horrendous damage.

Later she had been overpowered by the forces of the Eastern Alliance. She was tested, the extent of her illusion powers determined, and then taken away. It is said she was quietly executed.

When Lan Jue was younger he'd once read several secret reports on Adepts, and this story was the one that stuck most in his mind. He still remembered clearly. He also recalled that illusion was a rare Discipline. To his knowledge it was only seen that once. Was this coyly smiling Beautician…

"Hey, kiddo? You?" Her elbows were perched upon the armrests, her face in her hands. She smiled as she watched Lan Jue.

"Lightning," he said simply.

The Barber shot him a glance. "My ability is speed."

Speed?

Lan Jue did not look down upon him for his simple speed ability. Any Discipline could be terrifying at the highest levels. Speed was no different. The Barber was considered one of the best among Skyfire Avenue, thus his speed certainly wasn't anything to scoff at.

The Wine Master nodded. "Good. We'll finish here for today. We are all now more or less familiar. In accordance with our customs, remember that what is said in the council remains with the council, or the culprit will become an enemy of Skyfire Avenue."

The Beautician, the Barber and the Jewel Master each nodded their head in agreement.

The Clairvoyant smiled. "I am possessed of a simple prediction. This situation is threatening but not dangerous. It should be interesting."

Lan Jue walked slowly from the Museum, making his way towards the Keeper's Library when suddenly he heard the Barber's voice from behind him.

"Jewel Master."

"Hm?" Lan Jue uttered, turning around.

The Barber fixed him with a pair of gleaming eyes. "Let's spar!"

*Little Brother is a sort of emasculating term, used for familiarity, to marginalize, and sometimes both.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 30: Another Skyfire Avenue

"No thanks," Lane Jue replied. He wasn't in his best mood, and as a result wasn't the least bit interested in the Barber's challenge. He turned to face the library and made to leave.

Whoosh, a figure rushed passed him. The Barber appeared before Lan Jue blocking passage forward.

Lan Jue stepped aside, but the Barber matched him, denying progress. It didn't matter where he turned, the Barber would surely be in front of him.

"I'm not in the mood," Lan Jue said, stopping.

The Barber, in contrast, smiled. "But my mood is just fine."

Lan Jue gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Well now that we're done sharing our feelings, I guess we'll get on with it."

"How amusing, I'll judge!" The Beautician's giggles wafted towards them.

The three returned to the museum, each feeling for the emblem pinned to their chests. Each badge was silver, inlaid with eighteen colored gems. Together they made the image of a flame which glittered majestically in even the slightest light.

They made their way to the unimpressive elevator set beside the museum's spiraling staircase. The Beautician lifted her hand and placed it on the marble to one side.

Instantly a light emanated from the top of the elevator, sweeping over their figures, glittering off of their badges. Afterward it issued a slight di di of approval.

Soon the doors opened, revealing the five square-meter interior.

The three entered, and though there were no buttons the doors shut behind them.

An electronic voice fills the elevator. "Welcome Councilman Jewel Master, Councilwoman Beautician, and Councilman Barber."

A slight sensation of weightlessness overtook them, indicative of the elevator's speedy descent. The sensation lasted a good minute before dissipating, then the doors opened soundlessly. Immediately a cacophonous ruckus met them from outside.

Before stepping out, the three almost in tandem removed the badges from their chest. The emblem represented their membership in the council. In a place like this it held an impact, It was a status symbol. None of them had any desire to draw undue attention to themselves.

Exiting the elevator they were met with another sort of street, wide and comparable in many ways to Skyfire Avenue above. Both sides of the street were lined with numerous buildings. Looking up, eyes were met with a blue sky and lazily flowing clouds. Closer inspection, however, would reveal that the sky and clouds contrasted with the free and natural world outside by having their own set rules – that it was in fact the backdrop of a massive dome.

In further contradiction to the Skyfire Avenue above, this place was bustling and lively. Scores of people wandered back and forth among the busy shops.

Indeed this was also considered Skyfire Avenue, another Skyfire Avenue, a world of Adepts. Any Third-Level Talent, be they Intuitive, Derivative or Convert was permitted to enter so long as they paid the fee.

Here, there were Cultivation Areas, high-grade Adept products, specialty Mecha items on auction, a fighting arena, a casino, shops, and a mission board. You name it, it was here. But this place had it's rules, and declined any criminal enterprises. It was, after all, run by the Skyfire Council.

Of course no one dared to violate the rules, for no one wished to upset the combined might of the best Adepts the Alliances had to offer.

Every shop topside had an elevator leading to the underground, but only shop owners possessed the badges necessary to use them. Outsiders needed to find other channels in order to enter. Even if you were a shop owner, you could only enter through your shop's personal elevator. Only the eighteen members of the Skyfire Council were permitted to use any elevator they saw fit.

Exiting the elevator, the Barber, Beautician and Lan Jue tacitly made their way towards the left. Unlike the avenue above, the buildings on either side of the street were even more elaborate, but still retained that old world charm. In it's infancy the two avenues had been the same. You could go so far as to say that the Skyfire Avenue situated above them came about through the one underground. It was the Adept's Utopia, and countless Talents arrived to gain power, earn money, and realize their every desire.

The trio proceeded unabated, until they were faced by a brawny bald-headed figure coming their way. The massive man was over two meters tall, and wore only a vest to show off his physique. His bulging arms were larger than the Beautician's waist. When he walked down the street it was like being confronted by a road roller. Strangest of all, however, was the metal casing that covered his head and half his face. The red glow from his metallic eye was particularly unsettling.

The rule of thumb was that pedestrians were expected to stick to the right whilst walking. The giant, however, walked contrary to the foot traffic with a palpably threatening demeanor and long strides. Every Talent present almost subconsciously moved out of his way.

In this place people didn't look for trouble. Skyfire Avenue didn't permit public conflict. If you wanted a fight, it had to be in the arena. However, it seemed like Big Baldie wasn't familiar with this particular rule. It was only a few short moments before he was standing before the trio.

Lan Jue, the Barber and the Beautician, of course, weren't in the habit of getting out of people's way. Seeing the three unwilling to part, his metal face twisted in to a sadistic leer. He moved towards the Barber, situated directly in front of him.

The Barber straightened and, turning his head towards the Beautician, muttered, "There's always that one who thinks the rules doesn't apply to them."

Crash! before he'd even finished his sentence, Big Baldie had smashed right in to him.

However, by the time the surrounding Adepts had stopped to look, Big Baldie's enormous bulk went flying dozens of meters and crashed in to the ground like a sack of garbage.

Lan Jue had watched as speed and power in equal measure collided, and in that moment it was like the Barber had become some ethereal glimmer, his shoulder smashing in to Baldie's stomach.

The Beautician covered her small mouth with a hand, her eyes wide and full of faux astonishment. "Why Little Clippers, you brute! That looked like it hurt!"

The Barber rolled his eyes. "You really shouldn't, Big Sister. My body count pales in comparison to yours."

Lan Jue looked on impassively, but hearing the Barber's words he could help but feel a shudder. For an assassin of his caliber to say something like that…

The Beautician's eyes fluttered towards Lan Jue just in time to catch his reaction. Giggling, she said, "Don't listen to his nonsense, Little Brother. A cowardly little woman like me, how could I possibly murder anyone!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 31: Harlequin Silver

The hulking man struggled to get to his feet after the Barber had thrown him aside. He knew precisely how strong he was, but he wasn't stupid – if the Barber had been able to chuck him aside so easily, he knew better than to start anything else. He turned glumly, seeking to continue on.

"Halt," The Barber called harshly.

Big Baldie turned back. "Whadda ya gunna do about it," he said threateningly, but the fear was in his eyes.

The Barber regarded him listlessly. "I should be asking you that. Do you know where we are?"

An ominous glint lit Big Baldie's eyes. "Skyfire Avenue."

"So you do know," the Barber said, "And yet you deliberately break the rules."

Big Baldie growled. "I broke no rule. Where's it written you can't walk down the opposite side of the street?"

The Barber's face adopted a shocked expression. "So you knew you were going against the crowd! That's good. In fact you're right, there isn't any rule expressly forbidding walking against the flow of traffic. But that was before. From now on this street indeed has that rule. Because I said so. I'll submit the provision when I return to the Skyfire Council. And likewise you will pay for your malicious disregard for the rules."

Big Baldie's features blanched. "Yeah right, how you gunna prove it!" As he spat this, he turned and ran down away down the street.

The Barber sneered derisively. "These thugs of the Great Conclave are as stupid as they come. Let's go."

As he spoke he started to move onward, seemingly losing interest in Baldie. Neither Lan Jue nor the Beautician bothered to follow the man's departure either.

Big Baldie, meanwhile, pushed is way wildly through the crowd. A few moments later, he turned his head to ensure he wasn't being chased by that little guy with the evil eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come with us," a voice directed. A middle-aged man stood near him, hands tucked in to the pockets o f his grey suit trousers.

"W-who are you?" Big Baldie stammered. All around him half a dozen other grey-suited men had silently begun to draw closer.

"Skyfire Avenue Enforcement," the man replied impatiently.

"What proof do you have to take me away?" The muscles all over Big Baldie's body began to swell menacingly.

The middle-aged man heaved a sigh. "You're blind, then? Do you know who you bumped in to? You probably could have caused trouble for anyone other than the Barber and been fine, you know. You're lucky he was in a good mood, too, otherwise there'd be no need for us to come collect you."

As he spoke, his hand shone with light. Big Baldie tried to call out, but the only thing that emerged was a chocking gasp before he collapsed to the floor.

"Take him away."

Lan Jue saw the geodesic dome rise before him, his face betrayed his interest. "It's my first time here. They call it the Reaper's Arena, right?"

The Barber looked at him with a grin. "That's right."

The Reaper Arena, the place where Adepts brought their enemies for duels. It was as fair as you could get. Both parties signed a waver absolving the other of their death. Combatants fought to the finish, fate deciding who lived and who died. Revenge wasn't permitted. Sometimes the Skyfire Council would host fights between combatants with particularly deep-seated hatreds. On those days gamblers came out in droves. Business was surprisingly good.

Lan Jue chuckled. "Suddenly my mood has improved. I'll tell you what, Barber – we're both respectable men, nobility, and have never fought before. What would you say to a wager?"

The Barber blinked in surprise. "You want to bet me?"

"Naturally!" Lan Jue grinned.

The Barber clapped his hands, their sound thrumming though the area. Smiling, he replied, "Excellent idea! How'd you know what I was thinking. Ahhh, I'm not worthy of being a Councilman – you understand me too well. Fine, to tell the truth I've had my eye on that Soulfire diamond in your shop, the fifty karat one. Unfortunately I'm embarrassingly short on funds. Seeing as we were never that close it would have been improper to ask you for it directly."

Realization dawned on Lan Jue's face. "You should have said something earlier. We're all Councilman, and the shop's discounts are at my discretion. But seeing you like this, I assume you hadn't intended to spend the money anyway."

The Barber nodded his head.

The Beautician stood nearby, smiling pleasantly. "Since you both have invited me to be the judge, I have to make sure the scales are even, and make this a fair contest. You want the Soulfire gem, Little Clippers, but you'll have to offer something of equal value in return."

"Of course," the Barber replied. "I'm a fair and equitable businessman. What do think of this, Jewel Master?"

The Barber's hand searched his jacket as he spoke, retracting a moment later with something in his grip.

A metal roughly the size of his palm emitted a ethereal glow, as though sunlight bloomed from within. It shone with the whole spectrum of color.

Lan Jue's eyes grew wide. "That's a fair bet," he said, without hesitation.

The metal held in the Barber's hand was called Harlequin Silver. Like Technetium it was superconductive, but rarer still. In addition to transmitting the vast majority of power used with it, mixing only a small amount in an alloy would produce a weapon that would greatly amplify any Adept's power. A piece that size was worth far more than the Soulfire gem the Barber had requested.

There were several planets where technetium could be mined, but finding Harlequin Silver came down to luck. It was exceedingly difficult to gather, only traces could be found accompanying special metals. Very difficult to get indeed.

The Barber handed the Harlequin Silver to the Beautician. "Then it's decided."

As he spoke, he entered the Reaper's Arena.

The Reaper's Arena was in fact many arenas together. From outside the building itself didn't look so large, but the arenas inside were all built with specific characteristics. Whether one entered to fight or spar, a fee was always required. This provided a professional referee, registration, and record keeping. Only then could you fight.

Of course, for Lan Jue and his companions as members of the Skyfire Council, they had no need to pay. They also had free use of the best arena. Necessary for such a top-level fight.

The Barber registered them for a sparring session. Despite their status as Councilmen they were still required to register and enter in to the records. As for bets, however, that was up to them. If they wanted the arena to act as arbiter, they would have to put down a ten percent deposit against the value of the winnings.

"You want to make a deposit with the Arena, Jewel Master?" The Barber asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Lan Jue responded with a small smile. "Up to you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 32: The Sparring Arena

The Beautician gathered two badges from the staff, handing them to the others. "Let's go on in. I can't wait."

Peering at Lan Jue, the Barber pressed the badge in his hand. Instantly a silvery light enveloped his body, and he stepped through a barrier of light with the number 23 above it.

Lan Jue, in turn, bowed towards the Beautician. After giving his regards he employed the badge and entered the arena.

With a flash of light, the scenery changed before his very eyes.

The arena was circular, with a diameter exceeding three hundred meters. The Barber had already made his way to the far ends of the arena. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling.

As it was Lan Jue's first visit to the Reaper's Arena, he took it all in earnestly.

The circular arena's floor was fabricated with a special material. It was surrounded by walls that rose a hundred meters in to the air. It was like the entire arena was covered in a some sort of case.

A robotic voice filled the air.

"Welcome to the S-Rank Sparring Arena. There are no rules: surrendering, or activating your Arena Badge will terminate the match. Whoever terminates the match is declared the loser. The results will be entered in to record."

"Participants are; the Jewel Master; the Barber. This match will not exceed sixty minutes."

"Match, begin!"

The series of announcements repeated, going over the rules.

"From the look of you, it really is the first time you've been here Jewel Master," the Barber said, in no hurry to attack.

Lan Jue nodded in affirmation. "That's right, first time."

The Barber smiled. "I'll make sure to leave you with a good impression. No crying, though!"

Lan Jue returned the smile. "We are nobles; fair, modest, astute, intelligent. We certainly aren't puerile."

He stood about a hundred and fifty meters from Lan Jue. The smile fled from his face. "Are you calling me childish?"

"Heh."

The Barber glared at him, and lifting his right hand palm upward. Without any clear motion, the Barber caused the entire arena to warp , and a strange buzz issued forth.

Boom! A violent blast was heard. All that could be seen was an orb of crackling blue light that surrounded Lan Jue. The barrier undulated like it had been struck by some great force.

It flickered, undulating like choppy seas, and shimmered from the pressure.

"Quite the display, not bad at all," Lan Jue praised, honesty in his voice.

And it was. The attack had come from the Barber slapping his hand, the impact causing an explosion. A blast of a hundred and fifty meters, produced only by a palm – it must have been nearly the speed of sound.

"Not bad yourself, though it's the first time I've ever seen a blue turtle shell," the Barber taunted. In the next instant, he'd disappeared.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom… ! A succession of thunderous blasts erupted, and the lightshield surrounding Lan Jue shuddered like it had been fed through a wood chipper. Countless bursts of light appeared where the invisible attacks landed. The terrifying attacks left deep ravines in the arena floor.

Lan Jue's brows had drawn together, and he stood quietly never moving from his spot. It was like he didn't react at all, or he had no way to react. He only suffered the mad blows of the Barber, who'd disappeared in to thin air.

Whoosh! The Barber appeared anew, this time fifty meters in front of Lan Jue.

"Are you planning to sit there and defend until I run out of power? We'll see just how strong your defense really is." The Barber glared at Lan Jue.

Bzzt bzzt bzzt! A deep hum wormed from around the Barber's body. The power coursing through him covered him in a dim cyan light.

Looking on, Lan Jue's face took on a strange expression.

Cyan represented wind-element Disciplines. The Barber's power was derived from wind.

The Barber's body shimmered and flashed, suddenly dropping down from the skies. As he began to descend a dull blast filled the air.

He broke the sound barrier! Sound!

In the space of an instant the Barber's fist appeared before Lan Jue's face. His luminous shell began to cave, crack, then shatter with a loud crash in to countless motes of light.

But it was the Barber's scowling face that froze in shock. A large, powerful hand was gripping his fist.

"How could you be this fast?" The Barber looked at Lan Jue, stupefied.

Lan Jue looked at him, shaking his head apologetically. "Your genetic Talent just barely reaches the Ninth level. Your ability has only reached sound. I'm guessing the best you can achieve is four times the speed of sound. Once you've reached the ninth rank, your strength doubles with each subsequent degree. You're just a first degree Ninth-Rank Talent, and though your control is excellent it isn't enough. I once knew a ninth degree Ninth-Rank Talent, also a wind-element Adept. Not only could move at the speed of sound. He could move at the speed of light. Your Talent is quite good, but you've used too many drugs, and they've limited your potential. Continue to work on your foundation, keep striving. After all, you're still young."

Though he certainly appeared younger than the Barber, in the midst of his lecture he looked for all the world like a professor.

"Ninth degree Ninth-Rank? It's impossible for the Wind Discipline to grow that high!" The cyan light surrounding the Barber bloomed suddenly, employing all his power to wrench his fist free from Lan Jue's grasp.

"It brings you no shame to be uninformed, but I didn't want to say anything. You've lost, and I appreciate your gift of the Harlequin Silver." Lan Jue offered a small smile, and the power surrounding the Barber became a deep blue. In the next instant, his entire body sparked as bolts of lightning spat out from him.

Clap, clap, clap. The sound of applause prefaced the Beautician's arrival, though no one knew how long she'd been in the arena. "Splendid, Little Brother! I hadn't expected you'd be so strong! You certainly opened your Big Sister's eyes. It's just, you only said his own power wasn't sufficient. How is it as a Lightning Disciple you are so fast?"

Lan Jue spotted the Barber struggling to catch his breath, freeing himself from the incapacitating lightning. He looked up at the grinning face of the Beautician. "Both of you now."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

---

Read Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 33: Never Told a Lie online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 33: Never Told a Lie

"Both of you now," Lan Jue said.

"Huh?" The Barber and Beautician looked at him, stunned.

Lan Jue asked flippantly, "Wasn't that your plan from the start?"

The two exchanged a glance, surprise evident in their eyes.

The Beautician ran her hand through her hair and smiled. "And how'd you figure that out, Little Brother?"

Lan Jue shrugged. "It wasn't difficult. I knew you two were a team once he started his attack. You're always calling him the Diabolical Little Clippers, but his style of confrontation is always head on. Clearly you'd been trying to deceive me from the start. Moreover, were you two not a team why would you come in once the fight was finished? It may be my first time, but I know the rules don't permit noncombatants to enter during a bout."

The Beautician glared at the Barber. "I told you! You should have held back, don't rush in guns blazing. You don't listen. You've shown your hand."

She turned back to Lan Jue, that devilishly cunning smile once more lighting up her features. "Little Brother, you really are something. I simply must know what degree ninth-rank you are."

Lan Jue blinked his eyes. "I'm not sure what degree I am myself."

The Beautician pursed her ruby lips, malcontent written across her face. "Little Brother, don't be so dishonest."

Lan Jue sighed. "I've never told a lie. In fact, Sister Beautician, I must tell you that my degree isn't menial."

She responded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, and in that moment a pink light exuded from the center of her body. In the space of an instant, the arena had become a world of pink.

The air filled the shrieking howls, bloodcurdling cries, as a host of wraiths clawed their way out from the ground with bony hands. The world of man had become hell, adrift in the river Acheron*

The Barber disappeared, and the hellish shrieking of the wraiths lapsed in to silence. He had become the deadly blade in the bowels of hades.

Lan Jue, meanwhile, simply lifted his hand and shouted. "That Silver's mine!"

ζ

Skyfire Museum.

"Ahh," the Clairvoyant sighed, and gave a halfhearted smile.

The Wine Master grinned at him. "What's all that noise about?"

The Clairvoyant replied. "Are we going about this the right way?"

"What's wrong about it," the Wine Master inquired. "If we didn't do it this way, they would find a way. In this case to do is better than to restrict. It will take more than a day or two before they accept the Jewel Master. After all, when he'd first arrived in the Avenue we broke our fair share of rules. But these three years he's kept a low profile, gained prestige in the council. These are good things."

"This morning I saw the Barber, his face sour," the Clairvoyant said. "Like he'd lost something valuable. The Jewel Master's face, meanwhile, was aglow – like he had a hot date, a good sign."

Smiling, the Wine Master rejoined, "Let them work it out among themselves. Though the Jewel Master's heart isn't entirely pure, but his actions are measured."

"I wouldn't call that measured. Economical so as to avoid shortage, maybe. Take care of your precious liquors."

The Wine Master snorted. "The guy's quite rich, but exceptionally stingy. I haven't the slightest idea what he's planning with all of that money. And when choosing alcohol he's even more sinister than the Beautician. In these three years he's opened up more of my treasures than I care to count."

The Clairvoyant responded with a full-bellied chuckle. "The fault also lies with you, good drinking buddies are rare! Were you to give me fine liquor I wouldn't know what to do with it. No, it seems you quite like the boy. Although he takes advantage of you, there will certainly come a day when he'll pay you back double."

"Oh?"The Wine Master raised a brow in curiosity. With the Clairvoyant, this sort of talk was never to be taken lightly.

ζ

Skyfire Underground.

It felt incredible to switch up his mood. Lan Jue toyed with the Harlequin Silver in his hand, throwing it up and catching it. As he left the arena all his worries, his anger over Zhou Qianlin, melted away. It was like taking a long drink of ice water after leaving the sauna.

Not long after he left, the Barber and Beautician followed.

The Beautician had become like a peasant woman, her reddish-brown hair tousled and tangled.

She looked like a lion after viciously defending it's territory.

She ground her teeth as she watched Lan Jue leave.

The Barber looked even more wretched. He lurched with a hand over his stomach, and his face looked like he'd been constipated for more than a month. He looked like he wished he were dead.

"Shameful loss, that guy trounced us," the Barber nearly bellowed, flustered and frustrated.

"It's your fault," the Beautician hissed, trying in vain to get her hair under control. "Who made you so useless! My Harlequin Silver!"

The rage painted across the Barber's features gradually disappeared, replaced with a stern and dignified look. "The Jewel Master was far stronger than we had assumed. By my estimation he's at least a fourth degree Ninth-Rank Talent. What do you think?"

The beautician nodded in agreement. "Seems about right. I'm a second degree, and you're a first. Our powers complement each other. No one but a fourth degree or higher could crush us so quickly and easily."

The Barber's face twitched in anger. "We weren't crushed. We'll persevere one day."

"Oh absolutely… ONE DAY!" The Beautician spat sarcastically.

Lan Jue, meanwhile, had paused in his route to escape the Skyfire Underground and walk towards a shop.

In the center of Skyfire Avenue, there was a rather unremarkable little store. The reason why it was described as 'little' was only because it was little by comparison to the enormous, noble structures surrounding it. The storefront was only seventeen meters wide, and it was designed in accordance with a combination of the luxurious, classical style with the simplistic neo-classical style. The mirror-like deep blue walls, the brilliant display windows, all showed off several dazzling, gleaming jewels. In the middle of the top of the store, four letters, glowing with a sapphire light, formed the name of the store.

Z, E, U, S.

The door was made from some sort of unknown deep blue metal. It didn't have any decorations, save for an imprint of a jagged lightning bolt.

Indeed it was Zeus' Jewelry Shop, a mirror image of the one that sat above them on Skyfire Avenue.

He pushed open the door and entered.

Ding ding ding, the pleasant ringing of silver bells heralded his entrance, and a young girl greeted him. "Boss, you're here!"

The young woman wore a black skirt that fell to her knees, revealing thin fair-skinned legs. Her torso was hugged by a snow-white blouse, and her short green hair framed her shimmering viridescent eyes. A sweet smile spread across her face.

"Guoguo… how's business been lately?" Lan Jue called at her in greeting.

Goguo responded with a charming giggle. "Bad."

"Bad?" Lan Jue responded, slightly taken aback.

She snickered. "The boss hasn't been around to see us! Of course things have been bad! Really though business is alright."

"Not great, but at least there's peace and quiet!" A disgruntled voice interjected. Another shop assistant appeared, fresh from entertaining a customer and clearly not in the best mood.

She wore the same clothing as Guoguo, but the two were as alike as apples and oysters. She rose a hundred and seventy centimeters on long thin legs. Her deep breaths caused her figure to strain against the confining blouse. Her fiery red hair was tied in a bun, and the black rimmed glasses perched on her nose lent her titillating aura an decidedly intellectual flavor. Her pink eyes glinted, like a pair of captivating gemstones.

*Acheron was one of five rivers in the Greek myths of Hades, the River of Woe. Here, it may also refer to hell in it's entirety.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 34: The Power Gem

"Mika, you didn't miss me even a little?" Lan Jue smiled charmingly, leaning against the counter. His eyes swept over the fiery salesgirl.

Mika huffed. "A boss who neglects his duty for over half a month? What's to miss?"

Lin Guoguo also spoke up, her own voice somewhat grouchy. "If you keep this up, boss, Mika and I'll apply to work with Xiuxiu and Ke'er. We're down here all day long, dead tired with no sunlight and you don't even come to see us. It's heartbreaking!"

Lan Jue rubbed his forehead and smiled. "Fine, fine, girls. My mistake, alright? I'll change my ways, and definitely come more often to see you."

Mika's anger turned to delight, and she fixed him with a softer gaze. "That'll do."

"Ah, right. You showed up just in time boss. There a matter you need to tend to." Lin Guoguo's changed gears, all businesslike. Even like this, with her sweet flushed face, it could almost drive a man to bite her.

"Oh?" Lan Jue asked. "What is it?"

"Yesterday a guest came in with a gem to sell," Lin Guoguo began. "Mika and I both had a look, but it was hard to tell. He wanted a lot for it, and we didn't want to proceed without asking you."

Lan Jue nodded. "Let me see it."

Zeus' Jewelry Store didn't only sell jewelry, but also purchased some, though of course at a lower price than they would at the market place.

The shop above offered the flashy, the opulent, the magnificent. The Avenue underground, however, was different. Jewelry was also sold here, but they weren't only for looks. In fact each was fitted with a power gem for practical use.

With the onset of the New Era humanity proceeded to excel at planetary development. Eventually they discovered a number of special gems which possessed special qualities. Their specific abilities were as various as the stones themselves, but they all became known as Power Gems.

Regardless of whether they were affixed to mechas or forged in to weapons Adepts used directly, they advanced the abilities of whatever they touched. Particularly rare were the giant Power Gems, which often fetched exorbitant prices.

An example was the Soulfire Diamond he'd bet against the Barber's Harlequin Silver. The diamond's function was energy compression. In condensing energy by a factor of five the original volume was reduced by a fifth, but it's power was increased three-fold. The greater the size of the diamond, the greater it's one-time use. The gem held in Zeus' Jewelry Store was sufficiently large to compress the entire power of a ninth-level Talent in to a single blow. Although the Power Gem would fracture after use, it was certain that single blow would be the deciding factor in any battle.

In truth single-use gems like the Skyfire Diamond weren't exceptionally valuable. Of much higher worth were the re-usable gems. Generally speaking, power gems of equivalent effect compared to precious metals increased functionality by a factor of ten. In terms of price, the difference could be a hundredfold.

Therefore, the highest level mechas were often a combination of precious metals and power gems.

After a short time Lin Guoguo returned, bearing a silver metal box. The box was small, and unadorned, but Lan Jue knew at a glance it was composed of heavy lead. This sort of box was only used for intense, radioactive gemstones. And most of those gems were harmful to people. Of course it would also be capable of stimulating an Adept's genetic abilities, strengthening their Discipline. That sort of gem was invaluable.

"Boss, we've already analyzed the radiation. It's emissions are strange; they aren't harmful, but also don't seem to have any benefit. But, the intensity of the radiation itself is quite large. It has a high metal penetrability. The man seemed like he desperately needed the money. If you wait a little while he'll probably return. He'd said that if we didn't take it he'd go sell it to someone else.

Lan Jue took up the box, opening it gingerly. A gentle blue light crackled around his hand, growing until it coated the box. Lin Guanguan and Mika had long ago grown accustomed to Lan Jue's power, and so were not surprised by the display.

A precious stone the size of a ping pong ball rested in the box. It was a light brown, and clearly unrefined. Still, it's crystalline façade displayed no impurities, and light flowed easily through it's center. But it's surface appeared somewhat opaque. All in all, it didn't look worthy of much attention.

The radiation it emitted was indeed strong, and his body tingled from the sensation.

"How much did the man want for it?" Lan Jue muttered.

The saleswomen had reverted to a more professional demeanor, retiring their playful smiles. "He wanted fifty thousand NED," Li Guaguan replied.

"Give it to him," Lan Jue said eagerly.

Mika's eyes glinted in the pale glow of the stone. "Boss, you know what this stone does?"

Lan Jue, in turn, shook his head. "No idea. But judging from the strength analysis, his power gem is at least a-rank. This radiation is directly derived from it's power. It's power is quite pure, and it seems the compression abilities in it are hidden deeper in. The power itself doesn't come to the surface to dissipate, instead presenting as radiation with no distinguishable power fluctuation."

A-rank? Hearing this, the two women's eyes shone like luminous diamonds.

The value of a Power Gem, from high to low were S-, A-, B-, C-, E-, and F-rank.

The discrepancy between rankings was tenfold. Generally, It was accepted that a gem's value and rank were directly proportionate to it's volume.

Only a few s-ranked gems were uncovered a year in the Three Alliances, and nearly all were subsequent favorites at top-level auctions. It would be fair to say that a-rank gems were the best the average man could hope to encounter. The Skyfire Diamond, by comparison, wasn't even considered d-rank. The capabilities of a single A-ranked Power Gem could rival that of an elite mecha. In fact any 'elite' mecha that wasn't fitted with an A-rank power gem wasn't elite at all.

Mika and Lin Guanguan were both quite experienced in the industry, and new all S- or A-rank power gems on the market. Neither had seen this one before, but that didn't shake their confidence in their boss. If it was indeed an A-rank gem, then the thing was worth a hundred million dollars.

"I'll contact the seller," Mika stated promptly. She turned on her heel and left.

Lan Jue wasn't in a hurry to leave, confronted with the A-ranked power gem. He played with it in the palm of his hand. Fifty thousand NED meant little to him – the cost of a fine bottle of wine – but even if this gem was a fake, it still required some investigation. And in the event it was real, this was the deal of a lifetime. But above all, since this gem wasn't known on the market, it could mean he's found information on a new vein. And a place to build a mine. Of course the possibility was extraordinarily remote. Gems of power were almost never found together.

*New Era dollars. Future translations may refer to them as 'bucks' or NED unless otherwise specified.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 35: Mika's Fire

The owner of the brown gem was a tall man, who wore a green hoodie to conceal the majority of his face.

"The gem belongs to you?" Lan Jue queried.

The man nodded in affirmation.

Lan Jue's face spread in a slight smirk. "You're aware of Skyfire Avenue's rules," he said, not really asking.

Again the man nodded, but said nothing.

"Then we can proceed with the deal. Mika, give the man his money."

"Yes, sir," Mika replied. She produced a handful of yellow notes; the highest denomination of NED available, ten thousands dollars a note. She gave the man five.

The hooded man took his money, his face hidden in shadow. Wordlessly he turned, and made to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lan Jue called after him.

"Our business is concluded," the man replied. His voice was strange, clearly altered by a voice modulator. "According to the rules of Skyfire Avenue, we have no further association."

Lan Jue nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, but if I offered to pay you for information about the origin of that stone, we'd be entering in to another business arrangement."

The hooded man seemed to sigh, and shaking his head pushed open the lightning-emblazoned door of the jewelry shop. However, he did not pass through it. In the contrary, he retreated several steps, his body rigid.

From without three men entered through the door he'd opened.

The foremost man was clad in black leather, a hooded jacket over all and a black mask. All that was revealed was a pair of shining, intelligent eyes. The two men behind him were dressed similarly, though they wore no hoods.

"Where is it, Oliver?" The resonating voice of the leader asked the man in green. Though he asked, his eyes caressing the box set before Lan Jue revealed the question as rhetorical.

Without warning, the man in green side-stepped the leather-clad intruders and threw a single punch at the leader, trying to knock him out.

Bang! The black-hooded intruder raised his arm to block the attack, and in that moment a squall of wind tore through the store.

"Enough!" Mika's clear voice rang through the shop, and she approached them indignation clearly written on her face. "Are you not aware of the rules here?!"

The two hooded men dropped their hands. The one in black growled, "Mind your own damn business. I know you can't fight in Skyfire Avenue. But we aren't on the Avenue, are we."

Lan Jue, sitting a short distance from them, sighed faintly. "It would appear our safeguards against rule-breakers have been insufficient of late. Where are all you troublemakers coming from. Mika, if you would please show them the door. Have the enforcers deal with them."

"Absolutely, sir!"

Her right leg shot out. In her tiny skirt, the gentlemen thought they might be granted a quick peek. However, before they could have the opportunity to appreciate the view, they found the world before them engulfed in red.

All of them, including the man in green, found themselves enveloped by the flame-red light to the point where they didn't even have room to struggle before collapsing to the floor.

Mika waved her left hand, and in response the door to Zeus' Jewelry Shop opened of it's own accord. One by one, she literally kicked the four prostrate men from the store.

Mika strode towards the door, hands on her hips. She shouted out in to the street. "Are the enforcers all on lunch break? Come fetch this garbage!" She turned, disregarding the host of stares earned from the Adepts wandering the street, and walked back inside slamming the door behind her.

"So fierce," Lan Jue teased, covering his face with his hands in feigned discomfort.

Lin Guanguan giggled. "You've spoiled her, boss!"

Lan Jue chortled. "A little fierce is good! You have to protect yourself from bullies. I must say though, Mika, you should employ a different method next time. Kicking your legs in such a short skirt is so unbecoming of a lady."

Mika responded with a flirtatious look. "Oh boss, they didn't see anything… I just wanted to give you a show."

"No thank you," he said, standing. "I'm terrified you'll burn me too. I'm heading out, but by the way I ran in to Chu Cheng a few days ago. You know he thinks about you all the time! Would you not give my poor older brother some consideration?"

Mika's playful expression shifted, a bitterness crept in to her voice. "If you aren't interested don't throw me away to just anyone. If you force me to go with him, I might as well die right now."

"All right! Pretend I didn't say anything," Lan Jue said, rubbing his forehead. He felt pity for his brother. But more, if his brother was just 'anybody', what did that make him? Ugh, this girl!

Lin Guanguan and Mika accompanied Lan Jue to the surface elevator. Mika spoke to her counterpart. "Look after the store, Guanguan. I'll go to the enforcers and follow up." For many things she was able to make the proper decisions and didn't require Lan Jue's direct instruction. Among Lan Jue's four employees, she was certainly the most qualified in all aspects.

Lan Jue returned topside, the lead casing clutched in his hands. This power gem would require some careful research to verify.

The elevator went directly to Zeus' surface shop, but didn't stop, instead moving on until it reached the Library. He and the Keeper had made an appointment.

Despite his good disposition from obtaining the gem and Harlequin Silver, his mood darkened when he remembered what he wanted to speak with the Keeper about. More than two years he thought, two years of my life!

The Library situated on Skyfire Avenue's upper level was very small, about the same area as Zeus' Jewelry Store. But compared to the Winery, or the Museum, it was miniscule.

What the unaware would never suspect, however, was that what lay beneath the surface was a building dedicated to the cultivation techniques of all the Avenue's Adepts. And it was massive.

The Keeper sat upon a recliner, rocking back and forth before the door of the Library. A rattan tea table was situated beside him, and on it sat a dark red teapot. In comparison to the pot Lan Jue'd used at the Luo Yun teahouse, this one had a thicker and smoother lacquer coating, making it clear it was used quite often.

"Come, take a seat. Now what reason would you have to come talk to an old man like me! A young fella like you, I doubt you'd come knocking for no reason." The old man smiled amicable towards Lan Jue as he spoke. No matter the guest, the Keeper always greeting everyone with a smile.

Lan Jue offered a small smile of his own. "Originally it had been only one thing. Now I'm afraid there's a second matter I need to ask about."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 36: You don't get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?

"Two things," the Keeper rejoined. "Go on."

He handed the box in his hands to the old man. "This is a power gem I've recently acquired. It emits a rather powerful radiation, and after some investigation I found that it's internal power of compression is A-ranked. But this gem isn't in any record. You are the wisest man on Skyfire Avenue. I was hoping you could offer some insight."

The Keeper took the box in his hands and opened it without hesitation. A faint light pulsed from the box, shimmered, and then ceased completely.

The Keeper relieved the box of the gem and examined it closely. After a moment had passed, he frowned. "If you aren't in a hurry I suggest you leave it here. I'll examine it more closely. It's nothing like I've seen before."

"Sure," Lan Jue responded without hesitation. After all, the Keeper didn't simply sell books. He was also an accomplished scientists, and the stone had clearly piqued his interest.

"And the second matter," the Keeper inquired, replacing the stone and setting the box absently upon the tea table.

Lan Jue began, "I remember you have a good relationship with the greatest schools of Three Alliances. Do you happen to be familiar with the National Eastern University?"

The Keeper shot him a glance. "What. Are you planning to get your doctorate? Don't bother, you can't teach an old dog new tricks – and they have nothing to teach you anyway! Hehehe."

Lan Jue' face scrunched in exasperation. This old guy, just a few Alpacas short of a herd.

"Well you're not wrong, I'm old hat. I was hoping to enter the University as an instructor."

"An instructor?" The Keeper blinked in astonishment and the smirk slipping from his face. He stared at Lan Jue in amazement. "You want to be a teacher? Did I hear that right? You aren't going there to corrupt the youth of our nation, are you?"

Lan Jue forced a wry smile. "Keeper, is that honestly what you think of my character?"

"Oh not at all," The Keeper replied, "It's just that not long ago I saw something about a man stealing another man's wife. Terrible business."

"Eh…" Lan Jue's face grew rigid. He'd certainly blocked Skyfire's Satellite Network at the time. Had the Keeper been there?

"I've some connections," The Keeper continued nonchalantly. "Getting you a job as an instructor wouldn't be a problem. It's just an old man like me who's spent his life enlightening the inquisitive, I hope the teacher I recommend doesn't end up being a poor influence."

Lan Jue once more smirked towards the old man. "In fact I'm really not a good teacher. I'm actually going there to act as a bodyguard, so some official post with no real responsibility would be best."

"Then what were you looking for," the Keeper asked.

Lan Jue, in response, leaned close to whisper in to the old man's ear.

When Lan Jue had finished speaking, it was as though the Keeper's craggy face had deepened. "You're serious?"

Lan Jue rejoined with serious countenance. "It's an area I'm skilled in, and I can promise you I wont be a bad influence or shoddy instructor. Students who learned these skills certainly wouldn't be at a disadvantage."

The Keeper gave him a strange look. "Interesting," he muttered. "Very interesting. Very well, then you go ahead and give it a shot. But be assured, if you hurt my relationship with the university, I won't forgive you."

"Be at ease. I know the implications." Lan Jue dare not offend the man before him. He'd heard stories about the old man from the Wine Master. He had apparently perfected science to the point of a Discipline, becoming an Adept of science. Rarely did he deign to act, but when he did it was world-shaking. A mad scientist capable of firing positron explosions from his hands while suspended in mid-air, probably not the best idea to make him mad. The Wine Master had once told Lan Jue that Skyfire Avenue had only known two synthetic Tenth-Level Adepts. The Keeper was one of them. He was also considered Skyfire Avenue's ultimate weapon. His power was considered synthetic because it was not derived from genetic Talent, but from intense learning and cultivation. His natural Talent didn't exceed Sixth-Level.

The second Tenth-Level was naturally the Clairvoyant. On the surface the two looked incapable of holding their own in a fight. Only the inner council members knew the truth; they weren't bad at fighting, just bad at skirmishes. When they fought they couldn't help but rip the heavens and drown the earth…

"Remember young man, when the time comes to show your powers don't hold back. Sometimes, the best way to avoid trouble is letting people know exactly what you're capable of."

ζ

Three days later, a letter of appointment from the National Eastern University arrived at Zeus' Jewelry Shop.

"Boss, you're really going to be a teacher?" Ke'er's bright eyes watched Lan Jue closely.

Lan Jue nodded his head half-heartedly. "Uh-huh."

Ke'er sighed wistfully. "Then you'll definitely be the most handsome teacher there! It's just… why?"

Lan Jue smirked. "I've got nothing to do in my spare time."

"Blach!" Ke'er seemed to be choking on her own saliva. "I'll send you, okay! Oh and by the way, the gourmet wanted me to remind you that the Bluefin Tuna will be ready to eat in two days."

"Mmhm," Lan Jue said, his eyes lighting up. It was certainly good news. "I'm going in to the back to rest for a while. I have to prepare to report for duty."

"Do you need me to start packing some things?" Xiuxiu's gentle voice inquired.

Lan Jue shook his head.

Returning to his room, Lan Jue extricated his interstellar communicator and input a number.

After a moment, a pleasant voice rang through the speaker. "What are you doing?"

Softly, Lan Jue answered. "At your request, I will be reporting to your school this afternoon. Do you need protection?"

The fair-sounding voice on the other end fell silent for a moment. "Keep in touch. This afternoon I'll take you around the campus. After you're more familiar with the place we'll talk more."

"Fine," Lan Jue torpidly responded.

"Oh right, and what's your name?" Zhou Qianlin asked.

Lan Jue truly didn't understand why it was so easy to upset this girl. "Didn't I tell you, that day?"

"Did you? I forgot. I tend not to bother with unimportant things or people."

"My name's Lan Jue," he growled through the receiver.

Zhou Qianlin continued. "I was thinking, it would be better if we pretended we didn't know each other in public. You can protect me from behind the scenes. How you do that is up to you, it shouldn't be my job to tell you how."

Lan Jue was confounded. "Why? What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"Because," she said, "If my classmates discovered I knew you, they'd be bound to question my taste."

"By the way, I wanted to ask you a legal question," Zhou Qianlin said. "You don't get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?"

"Zhou Qianlin, do you happen to know what I'll be teaching at your university," Lan Jue said, the indignation eating away at him suddenly dissolving and replaced with a sly grin. Annoy me to death? Sh*t, you haven't even seen what I can do.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 37: Etiquette Teacher

"Zhou Qianlin, do you happen to know what I'll be teaching at your university?" Lan Jue's question confused Zhou Qianlin. Wasn't he going to be a mecha instructor?

Lan Jue unfolded the acceptance letter in his hand, and read from it's contents. "We are happy to accept Mister Lan Jue as an associate professor of National Eastern University, hereby responsible for the ad-hoc curriculum of… Etiquette." The communicator clicked off, his words still hanging in the air. Expected a mecha teacher, eh? How quaint.

Zhou Qianlin stared at the quiet communicator in her hand, her once proud demeanor now dumbfounded. "Etiquette? Since when did the University have this course? What is he even going to teach?"

Lan Jue saw the communicator strapped to his wrist hum, but all it accomplished was to make him laugh and shake his head. Since when did these mood swings become so common, he thought. Probably because she looks so much like Hera.

His memory conjured up that charming face, so like Hera's, and he couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest. And yet, at the same time he was looking forward to taking his post in the University.

He knew very well she wasn't Hera, but in the deep recesses of his heart he still anticipated seeing her. At the very least, seeing her will remind him of his time with Hera.

Looking at the map, the University didn't appear too far from Skyfire Avenue, but it would be quite a distance on foot.

Tomorrow I report to school. Think, when was the last time I enrolled in any classes? Ten years or more now. I was in my teens, and I was a pretty well-known problem child!

A smirk spread unbidden across his face. His memories were precious, recalling his wild and carefree youth like it was yesterday. And tomorrow he'd enter in to university again, but as a different person. The student had become the teacher. But what sort of teacher would he be?

The depression that had had accompanied Qianlin's request had dispersed, what with the happenings of the last few days. He was adjusting to the rigors of life, or perhaps, it was the beginning of a new chapter. It was the desire of every man to shed the veil of sadness.

He pressed a few digits in the to the communicator on his wrist, and soon a lethargic voice arose on the other end.

"Eyy, A-Jue, what's happening! Did you find Hera?"

A crooked smile split Lan Jue's face. "The greater the desire, the greater the disappointment."

The voice on the other end seemed to awaken. "It sounds like someone cheated you."

The muscles of Lan Jue's face jerked. "And it sounds like you're gloating."

"I'm not, really!" Chu Cheng's voice solemnly swore from the receiver.

Lan Jue smirked. "Fine. I'll deal with my own business. Give me an address, I have something for you."

"What's that," Chu Cheng asked curiously.

"Some Harlequin Silver. You know the kind of person I am."

"You know you don't have to repay me," Chu Cheng responded in agitation.

"Unacceptable," Lan Jue stated categorically. "If I take too long to repay a debt I wont be able to. Besides, I don't want to cause you any trouble. Although the silver isn't as significant as the refined technetium to you, you might be able to use it to trade for a batch."

Chu Cheng's voice rejoined. "A-Jue, you really need to get out. It's no good being shut in all the time."

Lan Jue acquiesced. "I know. I'm trying, I even found a job."

"A job? You coming out of retirement, back to being the Mercenary King?" Chu Cheng's excitement was apparent. "That's excellent! We've got a few missions that need tending to, all S-Ranked. They're yours if you want 'em. Price is no object. I remember your rules, you only need to ask. Whatever gem you need you'll get, I'll have the whole family out looking."

During his time as a mercenary, Lan Jue never accepted money. He preferred to be remunerated in the form of power gems. It was the take from those days that allowed him to corner the gem market in Skyfire Avenue.

Lan Jue chuckled. "I said I was looking for a job, not that I was going back to merc work. I'm going to be a teacher!"

ζ

"Te.. teacher…" Chu Cheng's mouth dropped open, and the cigarette that had lazily burned in his mouth tumbled to the floor instantly burning the shag carpet.

"Mmhm, a teacher. An Etiquette teacher, actually. Come on, give me an address."

As if in a trance Chu Cheng muttered the address, and even when Lan Jue's communicator went silent, he still didn't know how to react.

Teacher? He'd said teacher, right? He wants to be… a teacher? Why did he sound so relaxed?

After a few moments of blind confusion Chu Cheng gradually came back to his senses. A wry smile spread across his face by degrees.

It appears A-Jue was finally letting go of what had happened the last few years, he thought. At least he's getting out and letting go of his pain. It doesn't matter what he's out doing, so long as he's doing something. And with his abilities, he's sure to make an excellent teacher.

But what did he say he wanted to teach? I suddenly can't remember…

"Chuuuu Cheeeeeng!" A wild voice suddenly rang out, full of bile.

" You DARE smoke in my house again?! AGH! MY CARPET! You abhorrent little punk, do you have any idea how rare this carpet is?! Your father just bought it at auction. Don't go running you awful degenerate, time for a whooping!"

"My fault mom. Pretend I don't exist!"

ζ

National Eastern University.

It was one of the top ten schools in the Eastern Alliance, situated right here on Skyfire, in the city itself. It was particularly known for it's mecha program, and though it wasn't a military institution it's piloting curriculum was known through the Alliances. Not only that, it was first among the Alliances in alloy research and application.

The school itself was enormous, constituting a tenth of the Western part of the city. At it's back was the Western mountain, which itself had been incorporated in to the university. It provided the mecha students with a place to train.

Rays of early-morning light splayed across the campus, setting the morning dew to twinkling and bringing with it a vividly fresh scent. A figure slowly approached from the distance.

He was tall, clad in a three-piece azure blue suit. He wore a white shirt, pink neck tie, and a pink handkerchief folded in his breast pocket. And he came rolling in on a two-wheeled bicycle.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 38: The NEU

The bike leisurely meandered towards the school, Lan Jue sitting straight atop it so as not to wrinkle his finely pressed suit.

The fine black bike had been procured for him by the The Wine Master. He had always been a fan of antiques. Apparently this bike the Wine Master had been riding was a relic from Former Era China. The brand name – Forever – could be made out on it's crossbar. It was a good name, denoting it's quality. The bike was veritably soundless as it rolled along.

A soothing, cool breeze caressed his face. Occasionally he would ring the bell, and the crisp ding ding ding would waft upon the wind. It was certainly a novel experience for Lan Jue.

Today, in order to appear more the professor, Lan Jue had chosen to wear a pair of black-rimmed spectacles. Naturally they were lens-less, but they lent a certain air of culture and gentleness. His clean and kept face wore a genial, elegant smile. It was a scholarly look, contrary to what one might expect.

From far away he could make out the towering sign of the National Eastern University. The front gates of the campus were tall, and made of fine wrought metal. In fact, they were composed of an alloy, though it was difficult to determine which with the naked eye.

The National Eastern University. The letters were bold and brazen, written in a forceful hand that demanded attention. They caused Lan Jue to think back on that old geezer, reclining easily on his deck chair. He couldn't of been the one to write this, could he?

And yet Lan Jue knew clearly that though the man looked older than God, he'd probably go another hundred years before kicking the bucket. He was the world's greatest scientist! Was there anyone else who understood the workings of the human body better than he?

It wasn't long before Lan Jue and his antique Forever bike arrived before the campus' lofty gates.

He'd arrived just as the students were showing for morning lessons. The school's gates were thrown wide to accommodate the occasional maglev vehicle. As the levitating cars drew near they would slow, rapidly shifting from speeding bullets to full stop. Before the gates they would be scanned, and only then were they permitted entrance.

Aside from the maglevs, pricey high-altitude verti-cars were also seem from time to time. Like their inexpensive cousins, they also had to stop and get scanned before they could enter. In fact, the air above the university was entirely devoid of verti-cars or other traffic. At least, not on the campus. Such were the rules, and any who dared break them ran the risk of being shot out of the sky.

ζ

A number of the maglevs arrived at the gate and went no further. Parking on campus cost a pretty penny, so most of students were sent to school by family. They would be dropped off at the gate and walk in from there.

Dumb-mutt Jin was such a student. His family's maglev arrived at the gates and descended until he could jump out. He slipped his backpack over his head and walked towards the gate.

The backpack was something that survived the inevitable march of progress. Personal inter-dimensional pockets existed, but only for those students whose families were particularly well off.

Dumb-mutt Jin's family was middle class at best. A maglev itself was an achievement.

He made his way through the gates, nodding his head to the rock and roll blasting through his headphones like he did any other day.

He wore a black school uniform that was fairly well kept, but the white shirt beneath was undone to the third button revealing his underwhelming pectorals. He wore a diamond earring in his left ear that lead the eye to his pink spiky hair. It made him look rather like a rooster. He certainly didn't look the part of a model student.

Mecha Pilot. Junior. Problem child. Those were the words to describe Dumb-mutt Jin. His name was actually Jin Tou, but his emphatically miserable behavior earned him the moniker Dumb-mutt. He was like a cur, they said, biting anyone he came across. And with his current academic record, graduating was starting to look like a crazy pipe dream.

As he made to traverse the gates Dumb-mutt Jin looked up in time to see something that stopped him in his tracks.

A man in a pressed suit rode towards the school on an ancient two-wheeled bicycle. He was a few meters away from the school when he threw his right leg over the back of the bike, balancing on his left foot perched atop the pedal. He swept by like that, standing to one side as the bicycle rolled on. His casual entrance, fine suit and gaunt stature was quite the attention-grabber.

Dumb-mutt Jin had fostered an interest in novelty items, and his eyes grew wide at the sight. He immediately pinched thumb and forefinger together, placing them in his mouth to produce a shrill whistle.

The man soon pulled up the university's gates and dismounted.

"Hey brother, not bad! Where'd you get the wheeler? Pretty sweet ride. All mechanical, right? Manpowered?" Dumb-mutt Jin appeared a fan of the past, and walked a circuit around the man.

The man offered a refined smile, and gave a reserved nod of his head. "It's called a bicycle. All manpowered."

"It's got character! Lemme get a ride on it." Dumb-mutt Jin moved closer still in zeal.

"I'm afraid not," the suit-clad mad responded with a shake of his head.

"Pfft," Dumb-mutt spat disdainfully. "Well that's not fair, ya stingy bastard. Whatever." As he spoke, he turned and entered the campus. He wasn't a good student, true, but making trouble before the university gates was just plain stupid.

ζ

Lan Jue followed the chicken-head punk depart with his eyes, a laugh bubbling unbidden from his chest. Memories of his own time as a student came rushing back, and it appeared this university had it's own problem kids. The exaggerated hairstyle reminded him of a young A-Cheng, who'd experimented with something similar. But, sadly, that ended when his mother came storming into the school with a pair of scissors. Snip, snip!

"Beep! Attention unregistered vehicle, you are prohibited from going further." An emotionless digitized voice pulled Lan Jue from his reverie. Two men in uniform were already watching as he approached.

The two men were clearly campus security, and were clad in uniforms made to look like military fatigues. Both were quite tall, and quite burly.

"Unregistered vehicle, you are not permitted to enter the campus grounds. Please await processing, and produce your student identification for inspection."

Lan Jue certainly wasn't as old as Zhou Qianlin had tried to assert. Freshly shaved he looked quite young, no different than a post-graduate student.

Lan Jue smiled, and spoke to the uniformed guards politely. "Good morning, to the both of you. Please excuse me, but I haven't got a student ID. This is actually my first day reporting to the university. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the rules." As he spoke, he pulled out a dark blue envelope from the basket affixed to the back of the bicycle. He opened the document and produced the letter of appointment.

One of the guards took the red paper from Lan Jue's grip, while at the same time whipping free some instrument from his waist. He drew the apparatus over the document, scanning it. Only afterward did he open it to read.

"Etiquette teacher? What's an etiquette teacher?"

*I don't know about the other places in the world these days, but rimless glasses are a 'thing' in China. A fashion statement aimed at making you look cute or scholarly. I mean, you forgot to put actual glass in your glasses, so I dunno how smart you are, but that's just me showing my age I guess…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 39: The Office

The letter of appointment was real and, despite the query as to his curriculum, he was permitted to enter the university unmolested, along with his bicycle.

As was expected, students and teachers operated under different rules, and teachers were given a designated area to park their vehicles free of charge. Lan Jue decided, by the way, to register the antique bicycle for entry.

In contrast with the strange alloy of the university's gate, the interior gave the distinct impression of communion with nature, all fresh and new.

Old trees grew together in to a towering canopy that shaded the campus grounds, guarding the roads and walkways. Each area was unique in it's foliage, and it was clear even at a glance that they were all painstakingly kept. The fragrant smell of mowed grass, the heady fragrance of fresh flowers, both mingled together and filled the nostrils. Walking the meandering paths of the campus was like reconnecting with nature.

What a wonderful place! Lan Jue silently praised.

The buildings, layout and tenets of the school were all in line with it's teaching ideology. And, of course, the preferences of the administration.

But more than that Lan Jue felt drawn the National Eastern Campus and it's adherence to nature. If he had to describe it; tranquil. That would do it.

Earlier whilst being directed through the campus he'd easily found the teaching affairs office where he'd registered. He was given his office key, as well the key to his apartment. He was indeed treated like an honorable associate professor.

Stepping out the teaching affairs office, laden with his things, he freed a hand to push his glasses up on his nose.

"I guess I'm a teacher!"

The quality of the NEU was well appreciated, and the pursuit of knowledge was rigorous. The dean of the teaching affairs office had subtly hinted that it didn't matter what connections got him in to the university, and he didn't know how he'd managed to get the administrators to agree to the so-called Etiquette Classes, but he wouldn't be paid for doing nothing. As a result, his first class was scheduled for this afternoon, and the school would broadcast the advertisement for this elective course. Further the Teaching Director himself would attend the class to determine for himself whether Lan Jue had what it took to teach. If he didn't, he'd have to face the administration, and have his class cut.

Simply put, his first test at the National Eastern University was just around the corner!

Recalling the stony visage of the dean, Lan Jue's face couldn't help but suffer a brief twitch. Why was it all deans of the world seemed exactly the same – or, at least, shared the same face, like they were cut from the same mold.

The thought turned over in his mind, although it was none of their business he certainly couldn't allow himself to be dismissed. Otherwise he'd never hear the end of it from Zhou Qianlin.

It had been ages since Lan Jue had felt this eager about something. He still had the morning, how would he prepare?

The NEU was vast, and separated in to numerous areas. The most significant of these was the RD Department, a place only teachers and graduate students were permitted to enter. Three large, white, circular buildings sprawled across it.

The rest of the campus was standard, separated in to various area like the Mecha Combat department, and the Mecha Manufacturing and Service department.

The departments themselves were separated in to many smaller units. To put it simply, the Mecha Combat department had units dedicated to combat exercises and mecha application.

Mecha Manufacture and Maintenance, meanwhile, dealt largely with research and mecha building.

The NEU was laid out so that the further reaches of the campus were considered of higher status than the front. After all, it's how they displayed worth.

These two departments took up an area of roughly 150 hectares, and was separated in to the teaching building, research labs and so on.

Lan Jue had been assigned an office here, in the third teaching building with all the other elective courses.

What were known as elective courses here where all after school courses, mostly set up by students according to their interests and needs. Things like art, music and others. And now, etiquette.

The students themselves you could separate in to various ranks, and the difference between the status and future prospects of exceptional and average students was tremendous.

Teachers were no different. The income inequality and status of normal course instructors versus elective teachers was just as vast. This was especially true for post graduate and research instructors.

And so it was that all elective teachers were huddled here in the third teaching building. It was an open office, shared among some ten or more teachers. Their dormitory was nearby as well, in a small building behind the one their office occupied. It was without a doubt the shabbiest structure in the entire university.

Compared to teachers of normal subjects elective instructors weren't treated very well, but when examined against other normal professions outside of the campus they still were paid quite handsomely. After all, of all the universities in the Eastern Alliance the NEU enjoyed the most appropriated government funds. Teachers benefited from that.

In the end, though, it wasn't the salary that was an elective teacher's greatest source of income. It was bonuses. How much was earned depended on how many students attended the class. Joining an elective required payment, of course, and a portion of those profits were given to the teacher in question. The better their class, the more students they got, the more money they earned. It was a decent incentive method.

As for the dorm, Lan Jue didn't much care. He had no intention of living there. And so he went directly to the offices.

The door of the Number Three Teaching Building's offices was cast open. It had been a difficult place to find in the round campus, and his bicycle required a fair amount of effort to maneuver.

Knock, knock. Lan Jue rapped his fist against the office door. He smiled at the milling instructors as he made his way inside, nodding in greeting.

"Hello everyone," he began politely. "I'm the new etiquette teacher, Lan Jue."

Few occupied the office at the moment, and to Lan Jue' surprise the majority were women. The office was approximately three hundred meters with a few dozen desks. Nearly half lay empty. Of the occupied cubicles only eight teachers were present. Two were male, the rest women. Most appeared in their twenties, but for one older woman.

Every eye turned to Lan Jue. Regardless of gender each took in his tall, lithe frame and gentle demeanor. His gentle smile and elegant conduct immediately set people at ease.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 40: Mr. Lan

Lan Jue had made a good impression with his polite and gentlemanly introduction.

Closest to the door, a pleasant looking woman rose to greet him. She gave him a friendly smile. "Hello, I'm Jin Yu. You're the new Etiquette teacher?

Jin Yan was small, but had an excellent figure. Paired with her delicate facial features she was definitely the best looking teacher in the office. She looked about the same age as Lan Jue.

"Hello, I'm the new Etiquette teacher. Is there somewhere I can place my things?" Lan Jue asked.

Seeing that graceful smile Jin Yan's face reddened visibly. She had known some very handsome guys, but she couldn't quite place it… The man before her had a certain special quality, noble but accessible, an elegant demeanor that made him seem almost perfect. Her heartbeat quickened, and so lost was she in her reverie that she forgot to answer.

"Mr Lan, you can pick anywhere so long as it isn't occupied," a middle-aged man stated politely.

Mr. Lan… Lan Jue ruminated over the title for a moment. He nodded towards Jin Yan and found a table near the corner. He organized the office materials given to him by the school atop the small desk, then sat before them in silence.

The other teachers in the office gave him curious glances, but none chose to speak. They were content to busy themselves with their own things.

"I'm sorry about just then, Mr. Lan, I was distracted," Jin Yan's pretty voice intruded. Her station wasn't far from Lan Jue's.

Lan Jue smiled, and shook his head. "It's fine, I found a place."

Jin Yan's curiosity grew stronger. "I'd heard yesterday from the teaching affairs office we were going to add a new Etiquette elective. We figured it was nonsense, so we didn't expect you would arrive today. So tell me, what is your etiquette class about, Mr. Lan?"

Lan Jue smiled, and replied, "Nothing much. It's a course covering things related to your every day life, like proper decorum, lifestyle choices, perspectives of dealing with things, and perhaps some appreciation for the rarer things like an introduction to antiques."

"It teaches a bit of everything! Heh," came a sharp voice from nearby. At was another male teacher within the office. Compared with the genial middle-aged man who'd greeted Lan Jue, this man was somewhat younger and more handsome. However his face was pale and bloodless, and his hair had a waxy texture that even flies would disdain from approaching. He appeared distressingly foppish.

"Why are you even talking, Wang Hongyuan," Jin Yan replied grouchily.

"It's fine. In fact I do teach a little of everything." Lan Jue didn't seem to mind the slight, and indeed cast Wang Hongyuan a small smile.

Wang Hongyuan's mouth curled disdainfully but he said nothing more, suddenly occupied with something in his hands.

"Mr. Wang sounds a little grating when he talks," Jin Yan said apologetically, "but he's a good guy."

"Hm hm," Lan Jue chuckled politely.

Seeing that Lan Jue didn't have any further interest in talking, Jin Yan nodded politely and returned to her own desk.

Lan Jue opened his communicator, quickly typing in a message.

'I'm already at the school. Where are you?'

ζ

The roomy classroom was excellently lit. Even during the day, the solar powered lights affixed to the ceiling glowed brightly.

The graduate school students were all especially gifted. There were no tricks or shortcuts to entry, if you passed the entrance exam then you were smart enough to be there. After graduation they were all Eastern Alliance National Scholars – a title every young student dreamed of one day acquiring.

Zhou Qianlin was stooped over her desk, working diligently on an equation. She was a sophomore Scholar, but her workload was already greater than a Junior bachelor's student. Not only was she required to complete her own studies, but she also had to work through research projects with her tutor.

Bzzzzt. Her communicator vibrated gently. While in school your communicator was always set to silent, no matter who you were, so as not to interrupt the studies of others.

Reading the message a smile crept across Zhou Qianlin's pretty face. Both hands combed through her dark hair slung along her shoulders, and used a simple white handkerchief to sling her hair in to a ponytail.

It was a simple motion, but one that garnered the attention of all the boys in class. A few were audacious enough to stare at her outright, some merely stole a glance. Some veritably snarled, but of course those were the jealous girls.

Zhou Qianlin was already used to the attention, and ignored it while she tapped her response in to the communicator.

'Are you in the Electives division? When do you start teaching?'

Lan Jue: This afternoon, first class. Dean said if it's not good enough I'm fired. Think you can help give me a leg up?

Zhou Qianlin: The universe helps those who help themselves.

Lan Jue: … you're so cruel!

Zhou Qianlin: Oh! How'd you know my nickname was Cruel!

Lan jue: …..

Zhou Qianlin couldn't contain herself, and snorted back a laugh after seeing Lan Jue speechless. Her laugh was like a hundred flowers blooming, and even the blazing solar lights of the classroom dimmed in comparison.

ζ

Elective course teachers office.

"Cruel," Lan Jue sighed faintly. "It's a pity you aren't called Hera!"

Lan Jue's chosen seat in the corner was next to a window, and leaning against the back of the chair he looked out to see the blue sky, white clouds and drifting leaves in the sunshine.

In this moment his mind was empty, a smile lighting his face as he enjoyed the scenery. It had been ages since he'd known this sense of stillness.

Most electives classes were held in the afternoon, so teachers spent their mornings in the office preparing class. The competition amongst elective teachers was far more intense than for normal professors. Their livelihood depended on having students not only enjoy the class, but applying it. As a result instructors diligently prepared their curriculum.

Other than Lan Jue lazily staring out the window, the only other instructor who appeared to be taking some leisure time was the one called Wang Hongyuan. Sitting quietly at his desk he appeared to be reading a magazine. His spectacularly waxed hair was polished enough to occasionally reflected the blue sky and white clouds from outside. He moved methodically, gracefully. But, as he turned the pages his fingers naturally held it delicately as though he were holding a flower…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 41: Before Class

The Electives Department had it's own mess hall wherein the teachers and students ate in separate areas. The food was rather good – well, according to your average teacher at any rate.

Lan Jue carried his tray to a nearby corner and sat, having only picked a plate of steamed vegetables and a bowl of rice.

"You eat so little, Mr. Lan!" Jin Yan' fair voice reached him as she placed her tray across from him and sat.

Lan Jue smiled. "I'm not very hungry."

"But you're so tall and strong," she replied with a smile of her own. "Surely that isn't enough nutrition there."

Lan Jue only laughed.

So accustomed to fine cuisine, Lan Jue had lost his taste for the more conventional fare, but still he finished everything on his plate. Not a grain of rice went to waste. If the food wasn't to your liking you could eat less, but you absolutely must not waste.

Lan Jue made no effort to press the conversation further, so Jin Yan ate in silence.

After he'd finished Lan Jue made no motion to leave, instead sitting quietly until Jin Yan had cleaned her plate. But he was sure not to stare – after all, staring at young women was not polite.

Even still, Jin Yan's pretty face still grew slightly flushed. It had been somewhat abrupt, she felt, to sit beside him in the mess hall. But for reasons she didn't quite understand Lan Jue's every word and deed made her feel at ease, and not the slightest bit awkward.

"All done." Finishing off her last bite she glanced at Lan Jue's cleaned plate. She smiled in appreciation. "No wasting, that's a good habit."

His only response was to smile. He waited until Jin Yan had risen, and followed taking his own tray to the drop-off counter.

"So this afternoon is your first class, Mr. Lan. Would you mind if I sat in?" She'd known him for only a very short while, but Jin Yan's interest in Lan Jue had grown considerably. This young gentleman with his noble demeanor and sharp clothing seemed almost perfect to her. It was the first time she had felt this way.

"Of course! It would be my pleasure," he said with an amicable nod.

ζ

Jin Tao ran a hand through his peach-colored hair, making them gather together in the center of his head all the more. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, the smoke curling around him as he sauntered towards the alumni's section. He hadn't any friends lately, but it hardly bothered him. He entertained himself.

"The following is an announcement," a melodious female voice called.

Jin Tao in turn paused, listening. It appeared to be a school-wide broadcast, so he was curious what it had to say.

"Announcing a new Elective Course: Etiquette and Lifestyle Training. The first class will commence at two o'clock this afternoon. Instructor Lan Jue leading. Any students with time and interest are invited to attend."

The broadcast repeated three times, echoing throughout every nook and cranny of the campus.

Jin Tao's lips curled in contempt. "The hell is that? Etiquette? Pfft." As he spoke he stuck in middle finger up to the sky in defiance.

Just at that moment he spotted a couple figures in the distance making their way towards him. His eyes lit up… and he darted out of sight.

Two women in school uniform were walking his way. The first woman was wearing the formal dress of a university lady. White shirt, a black skirt stopping at the knee, white stockings and a black suit constituted her outfit. Her black hair hung loose, free to flow down her back, and her glimmering blue eyes seemed like they could look right through you in to your soul. Her beauty was breathtaking.

The second young lady stood at her side and was wearing a tight-fitting mecha-pilot flight suit. These flight suits were excellent at protecting the body, but it also served to perfectly outline the figure of this long-legged beauty. She had a hair full of blond hair and deep, penetrating green eyes that shone like quartz. The uncommon length of her legs might have been somewhat off-putting, but her posture and well-built figure exuded a tameless, alluring beauty.

The normally fearless Dumb-mutt Jin had a reason for hiding away. Upon seeing the black-haired vixen he had been immediately smitten. However, that blond Amazon filled him with an odd sense of fear.

She was a name among the Mecha department. The NEU had but a few Special Grade pilots, and this was one – Special Grade second rank. But rumor said, she was just a hair's breadth away from Special first rank. And what's more, a Sophomore National Scholar like the black haired beauty she accompanied.

Jin Tao had managed to earn a Third Rank in piloting with no small amount of effort, still the lowest rank to be found in the school. In front of this beautiful maverick he wouldn't dare act arrogant.

What's more, both were top of the charts for the most beautiful girls on campus. At at the very top? Black Beauty. Some students might not even know who the Dean was but the Blue-Eyed Goddess Zhou Qianlin, not a soul was unfamiliar.

"So what do you think, Qianlin. Why do you want to check out this Etiquette class? Could it be you have some lifestyle defect? I really don't know what the university was thinking, suddenly opening this class," Tang Mi said querulously.

Zhou Qianlin walked beside her textbook clutched to her chest, and said in resignation, "I'm not forcing you to go with me. It's you who really wants to tag along."

Tang Mi snorted. "Hmph, you still really don't understand public sentiment do you! Who do you think are the people with nothing better to do than attend electives? Problem students. You rush over there and they start to harass you, what then? I get the worst of it, that's what!"

"What are you talking about," Qianlin muttered quizzically.

Tang Mi giggled in response. "Don't you remember? You said if I were a man, you'd have married me. You're my woman!"

Zhou Qianlin stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Big breasts and no brains."

"Nonsense," Tang Mi blurted out, "Mine clearly aren't as big as yours!" Her voice had risen markedly. Hidden behind a nearby tree, the racy visions surging through Dumb-mutt Jin's head threatened to send him spiraling in to a coma.

"Fine. Long legs and no brains, how's that," Qianlin grumbled.

After the two beauties passed, Jin Tao remained hidden, dizzy from what he assumed must have been a sudden lack of blood. The two campus belles were going to join the Etiquette class eh? Awesome, a chance to see these gorgeous ladies up close and personal!

This was a secret he definitely wasn't going to share!

Off he went with that thought still ringing in his head, directly to his dorm room to change clothes. If he wanted to make a good impression on those girls he needed to look his best!

ζ

At the same moment Lan Jue had already arrived in the first classroom he'd use as a teacher.

The classroom they'd assigned him wasn't large. It looked capable of holding only maybe fifty students. There was no fancy teaching equipment. Just a blackboard, a podium, and the chairs which would hold his charges.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 42: The First Class

Wu Junyi looked at the time flashing on his communicator's display screen, and couldn't stop his features from scrunching in to a frown. He looked at the young man standing on the teaching dais, calmly arranging his teaching materials.

His first impression of this Lan Jue had been pretty good; intelligent, modest, and refined. He was precisely as a teacher should be.

But in his capacity as the Teaching Director, and keeper of the rankings, he couldn't simply make decisions based on appearances alone.

This gentleman had been hand-picked and appointed by the university's Dean himself, and given the title of associate professor. It was, in a word, unprecedented. Elective teachers had a rather high turn-over, and as a result weren't very reliable. Generally they were just given a lecturer post. This guy became associate professor in a day, which needless to say was quite the pay bump. Wun Junyi had argued vociferously, and the Dean had agreed to hire this Mr. Lan provisionally as a normal teacher.

He didn't appreciate this guy's willingness to circumvent the normal order, sneaking in through the proverbial back door. But more than that, he simply didn't agree with the course subject.

Etiquette?

If it hadn't been expressly permitted by the Dean, Wu Junyi definitely would've considered whoever made the decision to add the class had been hit on the head. It was utterly useless.

Ten minutes till two, and not a single student had arrived. If, in the end, no students chose to attend it would still be recorded in the annals of university history. And would be remembered as a big joke.

But in truth, his respect for this teacher has grown despite his reservations. Even now, with not a student in attendance he did not appear the least bit flustered. He revealed no sign of anxiousness. This sort of temperament was hard to come by.

"Mr. Lan." A voice arose from the door of the classroom. Directly following a young woman in a long white skirt entered. Jin Yan.

She had intentionally changed her clothes in the interim, wanting to appear more youthful and attractive.

"Ah, Miss Jin. You've come," Lan Jue greeted with a smile and a nod of his head.

"I'll sit in the back," she stated. "Oh! Director Wu, you've come as well." She smiled as she noticed his presence.

Wu Junyi had always been a man of stony countenance. At fifty five, conservatively dressed, and with cold and piercing eyes he certainly fit the look for a teaching director.

"Mm," he responded with a nod of his head.

Jin Yan peered toward Lan Jue, witnessed his composure, but in her heart she harbored a secret anxiousness for his situation. The director was present but not a single student was to be seen. This definitely did not look good.

She moved to the back, and chose a seat not too distant from Director Wu.

Just that moment, a silhouette filled the doorway. They rushed in, yelling as they did so: "Is this the Etiquette classroom?"

"It is," Lan Jue responded. But once he saw who it was that had rushed in to the room, a frown came unbidden to his face.

In the same instant Jin Tao also recognized who he was talking to, and stood with a stupid look on his face. "You're that cheap-ass with the bicycle! You're a teacher? Ya sure looked like a cool dude at first, but you sure were some kinda miser. Imma ride that thing later, and don't be surprised if I'm not mister manners about it." As he spoke he shook his fist towards Lan Jue.

"Jin Tao!" The growling hiss had come from somewhere in the back of the classroom.

"Who asked y-" it was then he saw the two people he least wished to meet in the whole school.

"O-older Sister…" He trembled visibly upon noticing Jin Yan. And then, half a second later, the formidable figure of the Teaching Director drew his eye. He was a problem student, and he sure knew who the director was.

Suddenly he found himself at a loss for words. Meek as a mouse, he took a seat in the front row and sat in silence.

Lan Jue drew his eyes towards the director. The man had said not a word from beginning to end but that suffocating presence was stifling. Secretly Lan Jue had begun to fill with doubt.

His first inclination towards Jin Tao certainly wasn't a friendly one, but he hadn't known he was Jin Yan's younger brother. But beyond that what could he say – he was his very first student.

Maybe it was Jin Tao's peach-colored Mohican that brought him luck, but after he'd arrived students suddenly begun to enter in twos and threes. In each of them was the tell-tale shimmer of curiosity in their eyes.

But to Lan Jue's consternation, no less than half of the newly arrived students had oddly colored heads. It made his classroom look like a dye-works. A host of young men looking for cute girls and trouble. A Pervert Legion.

Luckily the Director's presence alone served to frighten these potential troublemakers in to silence. A few had tried to flee once they noticed him sitting there, but at a glance from the intimidating man they sat in obedient silence.

Much to Lan Jue's pleasure the Director appeared to be acting in the capacity of a monkey trainer. It saved him a fair deal of trouble.

Lan Jue extricated a pocket watch from his vest and peered at the time. He made his way towards the door, preparing to begin his very first class.

As the door began to close, a slender hand suddenly pressed against it.

"Wait a moment!"

A young blond haired woman squeezed through. The crestfallen Pervert Legion inside, a moment before visibly dejected, suddenly came to life. Their eyes widened and if he didn't know any better, Lan Jue could have sworn he saw the glint of saliva in the corner of the young men's mouths.

Another figure slipped in behind the blond, this one with black hair. The thunderous sound of the Pervert Legion's jaws collectively striking the floor was deafening.

But it wasn't just them, even Director Wu Junyi's face betrayed a hint of color.

Two pairs of eyes met. Zhou Qianlin regarded Lan Jue as though they had never met, offering only a nod. She pulled Tang Mi with her towards the back row. The Director's presence kept the Pervert Legion at bay, restricting them to muttered hellos and coy smiles. The two young woman found some empty seats and settled in.

The collective hate of the young men towards Director Wu was almost palpable! If it weren't for his presence, they'd all be scrambling to surround the two campus belles. Of course now, no one dared move a muscle.

Lan Jue followed Zhou Qianlin as she made her way to a seat. His eye lid twitched imperceptibly. She was just going to pretend she had no idea who he was. And she was the one so insistent on him coming here to be her bodyguard…

He shut the door, and slowly made his way back to the podium. His eyes swept over the students, most of which were here for the promise of being near the two beautiful girls. He cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Henceforth, I will be leading our class in Etiquette."

"I imagine you're all curious. What is this class all about? After all, who doesn't know the basics of proper living? What I aim to teach you is character. Meaning. I'm going to turn each and every one of you, in to aristocrats."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 43: This is Aristocracy!

"I'm going to teach you all how to be aristocrats." As the words hung in the air, nearly every face held a disdainful smirk. A few openly sneered. Tang Mi was one of those, but Zhou Qianlin merely revealed a knowing smile.

"Qianlin, you really want to listen to this? Teaching us how to be noble, it's laughable," Tang Mi whispered in to Qianlin's ear, her tone full of contempt. "The teacher's definitely more handsome than I expected, but he's probably just eye candy. All looks and no brains."

"Stop spouting nonsense," Qianlin muttered, her face red. Visions of that night not long ago swam through her head.

Lan Jue turned to the blackboard and began to write. And though Tang Mi's voice was low, he heard every word.

"All looks and no brains." His chalk snapped.

He took a deep breath, then finished writing.

The words he'd written were scrawled in a bold and fine script. Director Wu looked at them in appreciation. In this high-tech day and age few took the time or effort to work on their penmanship.

What is aristocracy? These three words stared back at the congregated students from the blackboard.

"So, who can tell me. What is aristocracy?" Lan Jue set the chalk aside and turned to regard the forest of students splayed out below him.

A girl with massive hoop earrings dangling from her ears chimed in. "Isn't it just about about living in a mansion, driving a high-alt verti-car, being surrounded by bodyguards, having a beautiful girl on your arm? Is that not what you guys think?"

"Nonsense, bodyguards don't mean anything. You need at least a unit of mechas. That's style," Jin Tao interjected. "And one girl's hardly enough. If you wanna be a noble your whole mecha unit should be piloted by smokin' hot babes. So that means board-cheated, flat butt girls like you are out."

"You lookin' to die eh, Dumb-Mutt?!" The girl slammed her fist against the table top and rose to her feet. Clearly she'd forgotten the director seated quietly in the back.

Jin Tao extended his pinky finger and motioned her over.* "Bring it."

"Silence!" Wu Junyi's deep voice boomed through the classroom. The ruckus threatening to engulf the auditorium was instantly suppressed. Director Wu hadn't planned to intervene, but a flash of surprise had fluttered across Lan Jue's face, a look as though he were questioning the integrity of the school. Embarrassment had forced him speak out.

The blond haired girl with the giant hoop earrings pointed at Jin Tao, the sinister look in her eye almost capable of ending him right there.

"You're both wrong. What you're talking about isn't nobility. That is the nouveau riche. The new money," Lan Jue replied in even tones.

"Pfft." A few students in the front couldn't stop themselves from expressing their opinion.

Lan Jue acted like he hadn't heard, and continued. "Today, the first day of our new class, I'll simply explain exactly what I mean by aristocracy."

"In the minds of most, attending a noble school would afford you noble treatment. You would live a noble lifestyle. As a result many richer families send their children to the Western Alliance for nobility finishing school in the hopes they will be aristocracy when they graduate. But when they discover that even in the best schools students sleep on plank beds, eat simple fare, endure strict training drills – they find that their lives are more difficult than the students of public schools. They don't understand that this Buddhist-like asceticism is the key to the noble spirit."

"In fact this shouldn't be the least bit surprising. Aristocracy is different from the nouveau riche. It's does not conflict with spirit of civilians, and especially different from a lifestyle of leisure and self-aggrandizement. Instead it is about cultivating a pioneering character based on courage, honor, self-discipline and responsibility. "

There was no change in the students as Lan Jue spoke, but seated in the back Wu Junyi's eyes were fixed upon him. He gave a slight, almost unconscious nod of approval.

"The most famous nobility finishing schools in the Western Alliance implement strict, arduous military drills for the purpose of instilling cooperation and self-discipline in their students. True nobles are possessed of an iron will, and a mighty strength of spirit. It's a sense of character that must be instilled from a young age. Public schools in their alliance also employ these methods to foster many first-class citizens such as General Wellings, who defeated Admiral Hu Na and his Tiger Brigade of the Northern Alliance. He was the top student of a Western public school. His name is renowned in the three alliances, famous in military history. There is a story about that decisive battle with the Admiral: At the time he was at the front, observing enemy positions while taking heavy mecha artillery fire. His staff repeatedly urged him to withdraw but he refused. Seeing that he would not be swayed, they asked him for his last words in case he were to fall in battle. Without turning his head to regard them he said, 'Tell them my final words were like me, unbowed."

Lan Jue recounted the story in ordinary tones, but as he finished the tale of General Wellings the classroom had lapsed in to an attentive silence.

The disdain upon Tang Mi's face had melted away, and Zhou Qianlin listened in rapt silence. Wu Junyi remained as stoic as before, and Jin Yan's eyes glittered.

"Wealth is about things, but nobility is about the soul. A noble spirit means first and foremost that the individual has self-control. Restraint. They sacrifice themselves in service to the people. Take for instance Prince William and Prince Harry, royals of the ancient Western Alliance. Both were sent to military officer school for training, and after graduation Prince Harry went directly to the front lines to do battle with the North. As an ordinary pilot. The royal house of the ancient Western Alliance knew, of course, of Harry's royal blood. They also knew the risks of fighting on the front lines. But sacrifice, the assumption of risk for the people, is what makes a man truly noble. During the Eastern Alliance's first war with the West a photo saw wide circulation. The commander in chief of the Eastern forces, Field Marshal Qi Mu, went to the trenches to survey the situation. He stood before the door of a ramshackle house, staring in at a woman as poor as a church mouse and asked her 'Pardon me madam, would it be alright if I entered?' He was showing respect to the most vulnerable of society. Because a true noble knows that respect is not reserved for the rich."

"1910, October 28th of the Former Era. An old man gave up all of his possessions to the poor in order to save his suffering spirit. He left his vast manor, dying as a vagabond in some train station. That man was Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, celebrated writer of Former Era Russia. Years later another famous Former Era writer called Stefan Zweig said of Tolstoy: 'This inglorious, menial death in no way diminished his greatness. If he did not bear the suffering of the people, then Lev Tolstoy would not be considered a human treasure, as he is today."

His words hung in the air, and in the silence he swept his eyes over the gathered students. Suddenly, his voice grew fierce, and rang through the auditorium. "This… this is aristocracy."

*I asked around concerning this particular motion, trying to see if there was some sort of particular significance for pinky come-hithers in Chinese society. I've determined that Jin Tao is just weird.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 44: Telling Tales

"This is aristocracy!" The three simple words hung over the classroom.

Unconsciously Jin Tao had sat a little straighter and a twinkle invaded his eyes, stirred by the exciting speech. It was a sentiment shared by almost all in attendance.

Wu Junyi's hard expression had softened perceptibly, and beside him Jin Yan's breath had quickened to match her flushed face.

Tang Mi's jade green eyes shone. Beside her sat Zhou Qianlin, and though her expression was unchanged, her heart was beating with excitement.

"Before the eighteenth century of the Former Era, nobles were still an integral part of society. They were important. Even today the older families protect and pass on their titles of nobility, and grant them to subsequent generations. When the nobility became the common citizenry, the bourgeoisie didn't rise up, didn't rail against their culture. On the contrary they sent their sons and daughters to finishing schools in the hopes of becoming aristocrats themselves. They bought titles, figures and insignia's, anything they could to inherit the mantle of 'noble'. The reason why the noble institution has continued until today is because it has earned the approval of the people. Because the people believe that the noble spirit represents a certain honor… A certain dignity."

"In the old days battles were all more or less the same; on the field they were enemies. Back home they were neighbors. Looking back on them now people see these fights like schoolyard scuffles."

"Long ago in the former era a king died. Both his grandson, Henry, and his sister's son Stephen thought they were entitled to the throne of England. Stephen had already been in the country when the king passed, so he was first to arrive. He rushed forth to claim the throne as his own. Henry, meanwhile, was on the mainland and upon hearing the news grew resentful. So he raised an army of mercenaries to confront Stephen. But Henry was young, inexperienced, and he deployed his troops without the proper planning or strategy. His mercenary army arrived from afar to land on his native shores, and disembarked to find that he had spent all of his money. Their food, too, was gone. What was he to do? It was then he came up with something a normal citizen couldn't; he wrote to his adversary Stephen begging for aid. I have embarked on an expedition, he claimed, but have failed to bring the proper provisions. I ask you to send financial assistance so that I might disperse the mercenaries and send them home. Surprisingly, Stephen acquiesced and sent his second-cousin some funds. And in response Henry later began a second bid for the throne."

As he related the story Lan Jue had returned to his normal, soft-spoken persona. A small smile was on his face, and as he continued he had the attention of every ear in the hall.

"Someone offers you financial assistance, and you return the favor by trying to murder them. Most would call this ungrateful at the very least, but nobles believe that affording your enemies a measure of leniency is a matter of course. If competition is required, then there will be competition. And so a few years later Henry lead his armies against Stephen in a second go. At this point he had grown older, wise, and this resulted in Stephen's defeat. He had won his victory, but the result was quite interesting. The two signed a treaty wherein they agreed Stephen would remain upon the throne, but Henry would become his successor. Not long after Stephen succumbed to age and Henry became king. To the average man earning only a successor's title after winning such a difficult victory hardly seems worth it. But this is precisely the spirit of nobility. Henry use the code of aristocracy to repay Stephen for his earlier leniency."

Lan Jue paused as though lost in thought. Gradually the look in his eyes grew more serious. "In regards to the noble spirit there is yet another story that makes me shiver, an unforgettable tale. It was back when I was still a student, a story my own professor told me. Today I'll tell it to you."

"In the former era mankind had produced a massive cruise ship. They christened it the Titanic."

"The name Titanic had been borrowed from Greek mythology, referring to the giants called Titans. The Titans wished to wage war against the god Zeus on behalf of the mysterious forces of nature. They were ultimately defeated, and banished to the depths of the Atlantic ocean, buried deeper than the eighteenth level of hell itself. Thus it was people said the name 'Titanic' was poorly chosen, ominous, and would invite catastrophe."

"And as predicted, the ship sank to the bottom of the sea in an accident."

At the mention of Zeus, Zhou Qianlin inadvertently raised her head. Her eyes found Lan Jue's looking directly back at her.

Lan Jue continued. "But the difference between this great ship and the titans of lore was that the only thing that sunk was it's steel.. it's bolts… it's people. It's spirit was never conquered. That is to say that the titanic sunk, taking with it the lives of one thousand five hundred passengers. But the invincible spirit of human civilization remained. Unsinkable."

Lan Jue's voice grew louder as he pressed on.

"As the boat sank eight musicians calmly stood upon the deck, playing their instruments. Those notes embodied the dignity and honor of the human spirit, refusing to bow it's head to the ruthless acts of nature. Just as the famous writer Hemmingway wrote in his book The Old Man and the Sea: A man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated. The sharks following the old man could gnaw on the fish lashed to his boat until there was nothing but bone, but they couldn't gnaw the sailor's undaunted spirit. This was the burning fire of the inner spirit, the will of man, that not even the entire ocean could extinguish."

"Even many years later people still laud the actions of those musicians and sailors. How could they have so much courage when they faced drowning in the brine? How is it they could adhere to their duties when death lay in those tumultuous waters? How is it they could retain the noble sentiment to wait until all the women and children had filled the lifeboats before thinking of themselves? Statistics state that seventy-six percent of the sailors died in the accident, a ratio that outstripped the first, second and third class passenger deaths combined. The sailors even had evacuation preference over the passengers – but they gave their opportunity to others. They took on that hopelessness for themselves. Nor was it one, or two sailors who did this. All nine hundred staff, including sailors, waiters, firemen and even the cook all chose to stay behind; so many people, willing to do what they did. As we think on it today, this sort of towering spirit of humanity is not unlike what they said about the sinking of that great ship. It is almost unbelievable."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 45: Genuine Nobility

Lan Jue's voice grew more passionate, his voice commanding the classroom. Every eye was on him, silent and attentive.

"Later investigations found that sailors had jumped in to lifeboats two and six. However, when their commanding officer called them back they wordlessly returned to the deck to perform their duty."

"A famous writer later explained it thusly; It was due to an ideal instilled in them at birth, the ideal that duty was to be considered above all else. In the hours before the sinking of the Titanic, this illusive ideal was proved by their strength of moral character.'"

"Indeed it was this spirit of responsibility that made George Henry Cavill turn around and return to the Number Four Boiler Room. He had made his way up, but returned to see if any of his fellow boiler men were still trapped; It was this spirit of responsibility that kept signalman George Thomas Rowe atop the deck sending messages in Morse code, even when all was beyond hope; It was this spirit of responsibility that made lifeboat paddler Samuel Earnest Hemming remain behind so that others could take his place, and waited until the last possible moment before releasing the boat in to the water; It was this spirit of responsibility wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride employed to remain working diligently in the radio room until the very last minute when Captain Smith came to relieve them of duty, imploring them to abandon ship – but still they remained, tapping away at that radio to send death tolls, dispatches and final wishes; It was this spirit of responsibility that filled Chief Engineer Joseph Bell and all under his charge when they toiled in the engine room, knowing they had given up any chance for escape; It was this spirit of responsibility channeled by band leader Wallace Henry Hartley and others of his band when they played their ragtime tunes, ending in their solemn rendition of Nearer My God to Thee until the rising waters drowned their music and their lives…"

"Calling this simply 'bravery' does not do it justice. There is a Western proverb that states: 'Even heroes will be cowards in a hopeless situation.' But the Titanic shows us that the myriad of common people can be heroes! This spirit of responsibility lifts humanity, makes us brave, makes us dignified, makes us beautiful."

"That is nobility! In my eyes, each one of them is noble."

"The survivors of the Titanic gathered to discuss who lives and who passed, and discovered that the number of female survivors far outnumbered males. They attributed it to the success of the rule "women and children first." However, the company who had launched the Titanic stated that there were no maritime laws requiring men to sacrifice themselves. It was merely the strong taking care of the weak, and had no bearing on whether it was at sea or on dry land. This was a choice made of their own volition, not the requirements of some institutionalized law. It was an adherence to those ancient and eternal human values."

"At that time multi-millionaire John Jacob Alistor asked the officer in charge of the lifeboat if he could join his pregnant life onboard the skiff. The crewman stopped him, telling him to allow women and children first. He did the gentlemanly thing and sat quietly on the deck, until the ship sunk, and it's smokestack smashed in to the Atlantic ocean. Alistor was the only multi-millionaire on the Titanic, and was in fact one of the richest men in the world at the time. He had enough money to build eleven Titanics."

"The Titanic's captain, Smith, had a good relationship with nearly all the rich and powerful aboard his vessel. Not a few were his good friends, including Alistor. But even though Alistor knew Smith well, he didn't go to him for any unfair advantage, to pull strings and get him on a boat. He had as good a reason as you can ask for, as his wife was five months pregnant. And yet he didn't, or perhaps the thought didn't even cross his mind. It was not an era of favors and backrooms dealings, but instead a time of striving for gentlemanly conduct, of being a true man. He was genuine nobility!"

"Another man with riches only surpassed by Astor himself was traveling aboard the Titanic that day, named Isador Straus. He was traveling with his wife, and the two had brought over a dozen servants and attendants with them in the event the boat's help wasn't sufficient. You can get a sense of their wealth and lifestyle. After the ship had collided with that ice burg Madam Straus had managed to board the number eight lifeboat, but the moment before her foot left the deck she had changed her mind. She returned to her husband, and said, 'We have been living together for many years. Where you go, I go.' She gave her spot to a young woman, and threw her fur coat to the maidservants. 'I wont be needing it,' she said."

"Someone spoke up, saying 'I promise there is no one who would appose you climbing in to this boat'. Straus' response; 'Far be it for me to take another man's place.' Taking his wife Ida's arm, the two staggered away to sit upon a pair of deckchairs, an affectionate couple spending their final moments together in silence."

"Pipeline magnate Benjamin Guggenheim also knew his time was nigh. His response was to don his finest dining jacket. He said 'I wish to die with dignity, like a gentleman.' He handed his female companion a slip of paper upon which he'd written; Not a woman remains on this ship because I have helped them in to the lifeboats myself. I will not die like an animal, but I will instead die like a man. I am nobility!'"*

The stories ended, and Lan Jue's eyes had grown moist in their telling, but were full of an enthusiasm that had infected everyone in the room.

"I cannot know if you will be called noble in the future, but I stand here today as an instructor of the National Eastern University, and in this first class it is my duty to teach you – what is the noble spirit."

"It doesn't not mean riches, for not all wealthy are noble. Nor is it possible to purchase with riches! If one day you all can stand tall, raise your head and call yourself nobility, then I would be filled with pride!"

*According to my research all of these stories appear to be true. The author credits parts of this story to Danny Allen Butler's Unsinkable: The Full Story of the RMS Titanic.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 46: DreamNet

Lan Jue rolled down the street on his antique bicycle, leisurely meandering down the lanes with a small smile curling the corners of his mouth.

His right hand still felt the grip of the teaching director, who'd vigorously shaken his hand following the class. 'Thank you,' he'd said before leaving.

As for the students, they left the classroom with slack or terrified expressions. Lan Jue, meanwhile, felt a contentment in mind and body as the class concluded. Perhaps it was the transmission of positive energy that had him so upbeat.

He still remembered clearly his own days as a student, that stodgy professor who'd taught a class very similar to his own. Even now it was like that enlightening voice was speaking right by his ear. He'd experienced so much in these last few years, but his origins were still fresh in his memory.

Leaving the university, Lan Jue meandered towards Skyfire Avenue. Suddenly he stopped, and slapped his forehead as though he'd forgotten something. "Wrong! This is an Etiquette class, not a philosophy course! I have to teach them how to live a quality life. I went way off topic…"

Beep. Beep. Beep. The familiar ring of his communicator interrupted his thoughts.

"What," Lan Jue spat in to the communicator, distracted.

On the other end Zhou Qianlin looked at the number scrawling across the communicator on her wrist. She heard that familiar listless voice, and for a moment confusion crept in to her face.

Was this really that impassioned teacher from before? The one who had made those rowdy students sit in silence for more than ten minutes, who even after class filed out wordlessly?

"You taught well," she said. Although her tone was somewhat frigid Lan Jue couldn't help but feel a smile of pride turn his lips.

"Only, weren't you supposed to be here to protect me?"

"Right!" It sounded like the thought had just come to him.

Zhou Qianlin's voice snarled through the communicator. "Then where are you?"

Lan Jue applied the brakes, slowly coming to a halt. "Heh.. ehm… I forgot. I'm heading back now."

I'm a bodyguard! Lan Jue quietly chastised himself.

"Where can I find you," he asked evenly, suppressing his agitation.

"I'm in the mecha combat department. Come find me here."

"Didn't you say being seen with me would hurt your image," Lan Jue asked. "Not scared of that anymore?"

"You can't stand a little ways off? Just don't talk to me. You're a teacher, you can go anywhere on campus and no one will pay attention. We're in the simulation area, classroom three." Zhou Qianlin hung up.

Lan Jue slapped his forehead once more. This HATEFUL woman! He fought off the sudden gloom that had surrounded him and turned the bike back towards school.

The mecha combat department wasn't the most important sector of the school, but it took up the most room. Proper mecha instruction needed a host of high-tech equipment and sufficient space to use them. The area was split in to various areas for theory, simulation, operation and more.

The Simulation Wing Zhou Qianlin had mentioned was the mecha combat department's most oft used training module.

Learning to operate a mecha was a rather lengthy process. Before even beginning a certain level of Talent was required, otherwise the body couldn't endure the effort or control the machine. Lately each of the three Alliances had ways of promoting the capabilities of normal people to perform the job, but only the highest ranked Talents could hope to be top-level mecha pilots.

Mechas were expensive to manufacture, and required delicate advanced technologies to produce. If students were permitted to train with real mechas, it was not only dangerous but financially wasteful. As a result the Simulation Department was created for the need. In fact, the simulations were just as good as the real thing. They emulated mecha combat reactions and situations very well, and so were just as effective as reality. The results were fewer accidents and less upkeep.

Only, wasn't Zhou Qianlin a postgraduate mecha pilot? Why was she studying mecha operation?

But when he arrived at the simulation department's third classroom, he had nothing to say. Because Zhou Qianlin wasn't anywhere to be seen.

The classroom was massive, and looked like a giant metal warehouse. It's interior was filled with over a hundred spherical simulators, each three meters in diameter. It was easy enough for Lan Jue to find it, thankfully, though that was due to the instructor microchip they'd installed in to his communicator.

Several of the large spheres shuddered and shook within the warehouse, occupied by students in the midst of training.

Unfortunately all of the spheres were sealed! Zhou Qianlin had said she was here, but how to find her?

Lan Jue had no option but to ring her communicator again. 'I'm here. Which pod are you in?"

"Wait for me at the door," was her terse response.

I guess I really am her bodyguard! His eyes, bearing no small measure of anger, swept the warehouse. He spotted a pod, it's side open.

He clambered into the pod with practiced motions and took a seat. He couldn't suffer standing around in vain, and there was an open pod available. Leaving the lid ajar, he shut his eyes and leaned back in the makeshift cockpit.

ζ

Simulation Department Number Three Classroom, Corner, Pod 12

Zhou Qianlin sat quietly in the cockpit, but had no begun her scheduled training regimen. The conversation with Lan Jue concluded, she found her warm moist lips pressed tightly, and a tear filling her eye.

"Lan Jue… A-Jue… Zeus…"

ζ

"Zzzzzzg—" the trembling of the pod caused Lan Jue to awaken with a start. To his surprise the door to the cockpit quickly began to close.

He knew he had the capability to leave the cockpit effortlessly and with time to spare, but just at that moment he saw two students approaching from outside. To leave quickly would mean revealing his Discipline.

And as he hesitated, the door to the simulator sealed shut.

"Ding. Scanning microchip."

"Greetings, Instructor Lan Jue. Welcome to the National Eastern University Simulation Department. Will you be using an existing DreamNet account, or would you like to register a new account?"

Lan Jue was temporarily stunned. It had been a long time since he'd used a simulator. DreamNet was a an interstellar company developed jointly by the three Alliances, made specifically as a large-scale network platform for simulated mecha training. It was used both for study and recreation.

Well, it's better than doing nothing, he thought. Might as well mess around a little bit.

"New account."

Five minutes later, a new face was wandering DreamNet. Meandering through the Eastern Alliance, along the avenues of the NEU, Nooblet appeared…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 47: Prometheus

Eastern Alliance, Planet An Lun

Rolling hills and stretching mountains surround a valley. Within the valley buzzes a world of metal; metal buildings, metal machinery, metal verti-cars. And massive metal mecha suits.

The valley's sky is torn by countless soaring peaks, the tallest among them lying to the west where it's head was hidden by clouds.

Two people stood upon the summit of that great mountain.

Clouds and mist roiled like a floating sea, causing their figures to appear indistinct like spirits.

Chu Cheng stood with his hands in his pockets. The flickering light of a cigarette flickered through the mists, a fiery red like his hair.

"So I guess you didn't just call me here to shoot the breeze with you, boss." Chu Cheng's lazy drawl hung heavy in the surrounding clouds. He was always like this, no matter the situation, like he'd just woken up.

A man stood a few paces from him, dressed in black military fatigues. He was tall, stocky, with wide shoulders and a straight back. However it did not approach the level of excessive – he wasn't overly robust, but instead was like a javelin.

A golden star had been affixed to the epaulet of his uniform.

A general! This raven-haired man, certainly no older than thirty, was in fact a general.

As the era of science and technology progressed, it took a special level of talent and military ability to rise above the rabble.

By the estimation of most military organizations, a man at thirty was only beginning to work his way up the totem pole and nothing more. The average general in the Eastern Alliance was fifty-one. With the average life expectancy at one hundred and twenty, a thirty year-old general was unheard of.

"How is he," the man asked, turning to face Chu Cheng.

His eyes were a viridescent green, and when paired with his black hair gave him a wicked appearance. However at present, their firm expression pushed the sinister light away. His face was stoic, weathered, as though it were chiseled by a knife. An almost imperceptible, oppressive power exuded from him like some indestructible blade.

"Not so good." Chu Cheng lazily rubbed his nose, struggling for a response in the face of the man's piercing presence.

The raven-haired man's eyes softened somewhat. "Three years, and he still hasn't come out?"

Chu Cheng's voice was thin as he responded. "You know his temperament. If it were so easy to get him out why would we be worrying about him. Boss, if you have the time the best thing is to go see him yourself. You guys have your misunderstandings, but you've always been the most convincing. Not to mention you're his older brother by blood."*

The man's eyes once more grew cold and hard. "He isn't wrong to blame me. It was my miscalculation that lead to Hera's fall."

Chu Cheng's brows creased. "Boss, we all know what happened. You don't need to pile all the blame on your shoulders. Look, in three years he hasn't returned home but you? Three years in this camp, drilling your soldiers like a machine."

"I called you here," the general growled, "not so you can tell me how to live my life. His decadence, your lack of progress – you both have your own messes to clean up."

Chu Cheng gulped, and subconsciously retreated a step. "You're mad at A-Jue boss, don't take it out on me!"

"This isn't me angry," the man responded faintly. "My own abilities need honing, and luckily here you are. Show me how you've progressed these last few years."

As he spoke his long legs took him forward, and in that instant his green eyes shone with a dazzling light. The clouds around him dispersed, replaced with a towering column of blueish-green.

"Boss, you're serious?" Chu Cheng quailed, his standard indolent expression melting away. A blazing flame burst from his back. It began as a pure red, but in the face of that opulant teal pillar before him it became orange, then crimson, ultimately settling on an undulating maroon. The heart of the fires burned black.

The raven-haired man said nothing further. He lifted his hand, and the column of light melted in to his arm, blooming like a lotus flower to create a blazing spear of light that engulfed Chu Cheng.

In the valley, the bustling personnel paused to look when the peak of the western mountain was consumed in light.

In the space of a moment the entire horizon was tinted teal, and within it flickered a persistent maroon. The two coronas of colored energies clashed, and their fluctuating exchanges caused the clouds over the valley to flee.

ζ

Half an hour later…

"Boss, you're downright inhuman!" Chu Cheng pressed a hand to his red, swollen face and sat on the ground with a sigh. His clothes were nearly in tatters.

Parts of the raven-haired man's clothes were burned and blackened, though he remained as straight and dignified as before they'd fought.

"There was no will to fight. I derived no pleasure from beating you," the man responded flatly.

Chu Cheng's face grew dark. "You beat me then start talking down to me? How can anyone say you brothers are decent people? You're bloodthirsty, and A-Jue's a wolf in sheep's clothing, wicked smart to boot. I'm outta here! And I'm damn sure not coming back. If you feel bad, go take it out on your little brother."

"I'll go find him," the man responded.

Chu Chung stood to leave, but stopped in surprise at the revelation. "You're really going to find him…"

The raven-haired man only nodded his head.

"But I heard you're on the cusp of a promotion," Chu Cheng said. "Can you even leave right now?"

"What's in a title." The man's cold eyes fixed on Chu Cheng.

Chu Cheng stuck out his thumb. "Good. You deserved to be called Prometheus."

Faintly the man responded. "Out here, call me Lan Qing. I'm only Prometheus in the field."

Prometheus, the god of wisdom!

"I'm off. I'm looking forward to hear about when you beat on A-Jue. If ya like let me know when, and I'll go check out the festivities."

Lan Qing waved, and turned back towards the valley.

With the clouds gone the valley looked crisp and clear. The world of metal reflected sunlight off of every surface, their sharp rays absorbing his figure.

Chu Cheng stood quietly as them an left, and with a smile on his face flicked a middle finger at his back. He began to hobble his way down the mountain, but stopped after a few steps. A beam of red light shot down from the heavens, with a monstrous black figure standing in it's center. A sanguine light glowed from it.

Among his four brothers, Chu Cheng also had a nickname…

Hades, Lord of the Underworld.

*This seems a little clunky, but the distinction has to be made because the use of terms like 'brother' and 'sister' in China aren't exclusively reserved for immediate family. These terms can also refer to cousins, good friends, etc.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 48: Whiteboard Nooblet

White waist coat, and big shorts. That's what Lan Jue had chosen to wear. At least, so it was in DreamNet where he'd earned another moniker: Whiteboard*.

Lan Jue was eight the first time he'd logged on to DreamNet, and he hadn't been this much of a newb since then. Pair that with calling himself Nooblet, he couldn't have appeared more virginal.

Looking down to view his ridiculous clothes Lan Jue couldn't help but laugh. "Definitly the fabled 'fresh meat.'"

The better schools were given the opportunity to apply for their own 'space' in DreamNet. That is where Lan Jue currently stood, the student's center of National Eastern University's DreamNet zone. There weren't any public shops or ornaments here, only training areas for mecha instruction.

What's would a new guy do, he thought. Lan Jue patted his forehead, as he certainly had no idea. After all it had been many years since he'd been new.

"Hey kid, stop!

As Lan Jue was recalling his comical first few steps with the original Whiteboard the voice stopped him in his tracks.

Three large figures loomed before him, each clad in flight suits.

Ah, right, I should probably go buy a flight suit first. They should be free as this is a school. Then find myself a basic mecha. Yeah, that's what I should do.

He was brought back to the present by the three figures standing before him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. You deaf?" One of the guys, a kid in his early twenties, kicked at Lan Jue and caused him to stagger.

"Ach," Lan Jue grunted in pain, and it had indeed hurt somewhat. The DreamNet here had been fixed with pain simulation to make combat more authentic. In the civilian market pain meters could be adjusted between one and thirty percent, but in the school the meter was constantly fixed at fifty percent.

"Newbie, eh. Take out your new bonus," the young man said threateningly. He approached and grabbed Lan Jue by his thin collar.

Ahh that's right. Newbies get a bonus – should be fifty DreamBits for buying the essentials. DreamBits were actually a virtual currency, but actuality they could be exchanged for real currency at a whim. In fact it was accepted as a fourth universal currency in all the three Alliances.

"No," Lan Jue responded in true miserly fashion.

The young man pushed him, causing him to tumble to the floor. "Listen kid, clearly you don't understand the situation. So I guess I'll have to beat some knowledge in to you. The pain meters here are set. And in DreamNet, no one knows who we are – a strict secret hidden in the DreamNet mainframe."

Lan Jue pulled himself to his feet. He certainly didn't intend to come here and beat on people, but nor was he inclined towards masochism. Unfortunately DreamNet didn't have any Adepts or Disciplines. He was just a normal healthy Joe, possessing only the very base level one Talent needed to pilot the lowest level mechas. If he didn't adapt to the circumstances, getting beat on what to be expected.

The other two guys moved to flank him, Lan Jue now surrounded. Obviously this wasn't the firs time they'd done this.

Lan Jue sighed, and fixed each of the three youths in turn with his eyes, pity heavy in their depths. He began to move his virtual avatar.

Suddenly, a pretty voice rang out from behind him. "You three again!"

Following the call a figure like lightning skittered closer.

Bang! Pow! Crack! Thwap! In what seemed like less than a second the three guys went flying in all directions like scattered leaves. They came tumbling down, screaming, a dozen or so meters away.

A heroic figure appeared then standing before Lan Jue.

Lan Jue stood stupefied as he looked at her. At her long blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and exceptionally long legs. Wasn't this Zhou Qianlin's friend? The one who'd accompanied her to class?

Tang Mi hadn't changed a thing about her avatar in DreamNet.

The three boys stumbled to their feet, and without looking back raced away. Obviously, it also wasn't the first time they'd met Tang Mi.

Tang Mi seethed. "If I knew which class those degenerates belonged to, I'd beat them until they couldn't wipe their own backsides. Hey, whiteboard, you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Lan Jue said sincerely.

Tang Mi pointed to a tall building before them. "Newbs head over there to sign up and get a mecha. Grab one then head to the combat area for training. If you run in to those punks again just call out. The Campus security will be there right away. And you don't need to worry about those guys, they scare all the new blood but they aren't dangerous.

"Ah." Lan Jue responded.

Tang Mi turned and left, her valiant figure pacing off in to the virtual sunset.

Quite the sense of justice in this girl, Lan Jue silently praised.

A sign hung over the high-rise building, 'The Classroom Building'. Five minutes later, Lan Jue exited, newly registered and with a brand new flight suit. He did regret, however, the 'Nooblet' scrawled across the back of it.

Next was choosing a mecha. Mecha development ensured the machines were humanoid in appearance, but there were different sorts of mechas for various specific purposes.

And so as a blank slate Lan Jue had his choice of two suits; long range, or close combat. He picked the close combat mecha without any hesitation.

"Would you like to select this model, and enter the training area?"

"Yes."

A light filled his eyes and in an instant Nooblet was settled in the cockpit of his new mecha.

Saber-Mech, that was the name of the suit Lan Jue had chosen. Ten meters tall, weighing in at thirty tons, the light mecha was equipped with a shield and sword of titanium alloy.

His ten fingers flew across the cockpits control panels, and in respond Saber-Mech rose to it's feet. Steadily it began to lumber forward.

Modern mechas were controlled by a combination of physical manipulation and brain wave reading. Pilots with particularly high Talent were able to even fuse with their mechas, in a matter of speaking, amplifying their power. But that required top-level suits.

Operation by brain waves alone was unstable, and influenced by one's body. Operation by hand, meanwhile, didn't allow for quick enough reaction. Together, though, they allowed for complete, perfect control.

The training area had been separated in to three regions; for elementary, intermediate, and advanced pilots. Ten victories in the elementary region advanced you to intermediate. One hundred victories earned you a spot in the advanced area. Once a thousand victories were earned, even higher levels were made available. However it was usually only National Scholars who reached that level of success. In fact earning a thousand victories in DreamNet sim combat was a requirement for graduation as a National Scholar. Bachelors required only a hundred.

As a result every mecha combat student was required to enter here. Their courses required a basic mastery of control, and that meant a minimum of ten victories was needed to earn course credit.

*'Whiteboard' here is like the equivalent of 'fresh slate', totally untested.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 49: Abuse

Like the real world DreamNet permitted you to use communicators. In that it was to find Zhou Qianlin that Lan Jue had entered the combat area, not for mecha training. But Qianlin had to be somewhere around here practicing, and although entering DreamNet had been an accident, finding her here was no different than doing so outside.

"Where are you? I'm in the DreamNet NEU sector," Lan Jue said.

"You came in?" Somewhat surprised, Qianlin continued. "I'm in the intermediate area. Defense maneuvers today. Wait until I'm done training then sending me home, that'll be all. Just remember, don't let other people find out you know me. I'll call you when I'm done."

DreamNet's Nooblet rubbed his nose. Am I that disgraceful? Still with this demand that we pretend not to know one another.

Intermediate area?

Heh.

Nooblet shook his head and entered the elementary area. Ten victories to enter the intermediate level. It would take no time at all.

DreamNet's iteration the NEU had been simplified, so that as he entered the area he was instantly transported to a wide open space.

The sector was round, like a giant sports arena three hundred meters in diameter and rising fifty meters. It was the standard construction for a combat arena, and was the most commonly used.

There was a flash, and suddenly a black mecha had appeared before him – another Saber-Mech. But in contrast to Nooblets, this one had pieces of silver plate armor affixed to it's head and legs.

In DreamNet students were able to upgrade their mechs with payments of DreamBits or winning point from victories. In theory this meant that the lowest levels mechs could be upgraded to top-ranked fighting machines, but that would require exorbitant amounts of time. In reality most of the better pilots simply exchanged their old mechs for higher-end models and upgraded those. It ended up saving them a lot of time and effort.

Clearly the Saber-Mech in the opposing corner had seen some improvements. Judging by what could be seen, it looked like it had had it's speed and defense upgraded.

"Nooblet? Haha, lucky me! It looks like I'm finally getting my tenth win." The voice that echoed from the mecha was supremely arrogant. Without warning the thrusters burned at the mechas back and it advanced hurriedly.

ζ

Jin Tao was really excited. He'd been moved by the stories he'd heard in Lan Jue's Etiquette course, to the point that his customary laziness had melted away. He'd went immediately to the training area to work on his skills. Though a student of mechanized combat, he still hadn't managed to pass the elementary stage. He'd only just managed to master the very basics.

Maybe it was the inspiration he'd gained from Lan Jue's class, but today he felt as though his control of his mecha was better than ever. He'd just won a contest, bringing his total wins up to nine. He only needed one more, then he'd finally be considered Intermediate.

Like this, he wouldn't have to worry about the finals this semester. If he got to intermediate, staying enrolled another year was a given.

The one before him very obviously had just enrolled in DreamNet. His Saber-Mech hadn't ben refitted at all. He'd never been so lucky! He remembered his own time as a newbie, and clearly recalled the blows his self-confidence took when he was beaten down by upperclassmen. He never even hit them.

Ahh newbie abuse, that's definitely something he could enjoy.

In a flash Jin Tao's Saber-Mech was standing before Nooblet's, and his titanium allow sword was cutting a murderous arc towards his enemy's throat.

Nooblet, apparently frozen with fear, did not move. The glimmering blade came streaking right for his face.

Jin Tao was filled with self-satisfaction, and yet a sense of pity snuck up within him. If this newbie had worked even a little bit, it'd show off his own skill all the more!

In this moment of consideration, Nooblet suddenly moved. It was so simple… he squatted!

Jin Tao's sword skimmed right over Nooblet's head. And that right arm bearing his sword kept right on going, flying off in to the air. Everything went dark, and an emotionless digitized voice spoke in his ear.

"Defeat. Mecha damage has exceeded forty percent. Please repair your suit, and continue."

Defeat?! How is that possible? Jin Tao couldn't understand how that could happen, and quickly hit the fight replay button.

The fight had been brief, and it took Jin Tao only a moment to see what had happened. He sat in the simulated cockpit, incredulity veritably bursting from his eyes.

In the midst of his coup de grâce Nooblet had crouched, as he'd seen – but what he missed was the unfitted mecha's right foot pinning his own before Nooblet's sword masterfully severed his arm from it's joint.

His pinned foot prevented the suit from recoil and added to the power of the strike, which ultimately lead to his arm flying off in to the distance. Nooblet had then taken advantage of the strike to sweep behind him, weapon poised. The whiteboard's strike obliterated the power unit on the back of his head, and the fight ended.

The whole thing took less than three seconds. Nooblet's movement were not fast, nor fancy. They were just very, very accurate.

Jin Tao cursed under his head, and left to repair his mangled mecha.

Each mecha combat student was required to learn suit maintenance, in order to improve their own combat efficiency. Students were expected to repair their own units after a fight, and though you could certainly pay to have them restored the price was outstanding.

ζ

Just as Jin Tao was being made aware of his defeat, Lan Jue also heard a digital voice addressing him. "Victory. No damage to your suit was sustained. Perfect victory. Total wins: one. DreamBits earned: five."

Elementary victories earned pilots anywhere from one to five Dreambits on average. Clearly Lan Jue's display earned him full marks.

Heh. Lan Jue's grin bordered on obscene. With a push of a button he continued to his next fight. Lights flashed and he was back in the same area, though this time a Gunner-Mecha stood as his opposition.

Gunner, eight meters tall, nine tons, equipped with the standard laser rifle.

Gunners had the advantage in flexibility and speed, while also have considerable reach. Saber-Mechs, on the other hand, were more capable defenders and had a higher base attack power. Each had it's advantages.

The Gunner-Mecha seemed to know what it was doing, and quickly drew it's laser gun to aim towards Lan Jue. Nooblet, in return, did something unexpected.

Moving quickly to the side his left arm shot out, the shield that had been held there tore through the air like a Frisbee. The vicious arc raced towards the mecha, the impact sure to sever both it's legs.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 50: Nooblet vs. The Ace

The Gunner jumped, startled, and hurriedly moved to dodge the shield attack.

His control was significantly better than Jin Tao's, which allowed the shield to skim harmlessly past his legs. Still, the screen went black.

"Defeat. Mecha damage has exceeded thirty percent. Please repair your suit, and continue."

How'd that happen?! The Lancer's pilot reacted in much the same way Jin Tao had, and pounded the replay button.

Nooblet hadn't just thrown the shield, but in the next moment had thrown his sword as well. The attack had caused the Gunner to reel away, and he'd essentially impaled himself as the undefended cockpit was pierced by the titanium allow blade.

"Which one of us is long distance anyway?!" The Gunner-Mecha's operator roared.

Hehehe! Lan Jue cackled wickedly and hit the button for his third fight. Rocking newbies really did make you feel good! And no one even knows who I am!

Another flash. Another fight. Another Saber-Mecha.

Much like Jin Tao the Saber-Mecha raced forward to attack Lan Jue's Nooblet. As he did, Lan Jue saw clearly the name floating above it's head: The Ace.

What ironic parallelism!

The Ace flew forward, titanium allow sword in it's right hand, and again like Jin Tao attempting to strike at the neck.

Nooblet waited until the last moment, lifted his right foot, and tried to surreptitiously pin his opponent.

But it was Lan Jue's turn to be surprised, for either by coincidence or from true skill his enemy lifted his leg the instant before his foot found it's mark. The action caused Nooblet to ram his abdomen right against the rising knee, while the sweeping sword overhead buried itself in his shoulder with a staggering blow.

The two were locked together, a hair's breadth apart, affording no room to maneuver.

Nooblet turned his wrist to point the tip of his blade upward and thrust at the Ace's exposed arm. In the same moment he slammed his shield against his adversary's side.

Ding ! peng!

The two sounds rang out almost concurrently. The Ace drew it's arm back and the crossguards of the two swords clashed. The second muffled sound was Nooblet's shield striking against the enemy's knee.

The strike came at an angle and caused the Ace's suit to tilt. When you and your rival's equipment were the same, victory came down to control.

The Ace made no effort to stabilize itself, instead spinning around and out of reach. It's steps were irregular and erratic , causing the body to twist.

But instead of toppling, it was clear the body was compensating intentionally with the steps.

Disordered Stepping? Lan Jue looked on in surprise. It was a pretty standard close combat move for intermediates, used to avoid both close combat attacks and ranged artillery.

This was a technique an unfitted cadet could pull off?

This guy was full of surprises, and it certainly piqued Lan Jue's interest. He changed up his own footwork, matching the disordered stepping of his opponent and swerving in to his path.

ζ

Tang Mi's pretty face was a hard mask.

What the hell was this? It wasn't easy finding a way to re-register a new account, specific to prevent this sort of newb abuse. And who could have known a landmine would find a landmine? This Saber-Mech's shield strike had expertly offset her rhythm. How long had it been since she's seen something like this?

And this guy still dares rush me, you really think I'm that much of a push-over?

Suddenly a vicious thought came to Tang Mi! The titanium sword in her hand lashed out, the blade twinkling, and like mercury wound towards her rival.

But in that exact moment Nooblet saw her hand rising and the tip of his sword rose to meet the flat of her blade. The Ace's streaking blade was knocked away. Tang Mi was mad enough to spit blood!

Nooblet's figure rushed quickly, and almost as though he'd flashed right through her.

Clink! The soft sound wafted towards her.

Tang Mi's reaction was could not be called slow. She sent her mecha spinning outward, slashing towards Nooblet.

However, to her continued amazement, when she turned Nooblet was nowhere to be found.

Clink, clank, chink, clang, chink! The sound of metal striking metal filled the cockpit from behind her.

Tang Mi was flabberghasted. She changed up her footwork with each step, but no matter what she did she couldn't catch a glimpse of Nooblet.

A drop of sweat raced down her forehead. Is he.. shadowing me?

Mirroring was an expert close-combat technique. The greatest sin of close combat was giving your enemy your back, and a master at mirroring could take advantage of that when their strength is inferior to stick close to their adversary without them even knowing.

But Tang Mi knew where her assailant was, why couldn't she shake him?

Suddenly, everything grew black and calm. A computerized voice filled the cockpit.

"Defeat. Mecha damage one hundred percent. Please repair your suit, and continue."

What? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT damage?! Tang Mi sat in utter confusion. Simulated and real mecha combat were almost exactly the same. She knew what a hundred percent damage meant. That sort of thing only happened with massive, direct frontal explosion. How could a saber mech possible do something like that?

REPLAY!

She reached out and slammed the button.

It started from the beginning of the fight, with The Ace rushing towards Nooblet. He squatted, she kneed him.

The Ace broke in to disordered stepping.

Nooblet, disordered stepping…

And then that supernatural strike. That one strike, that offset the Ace and allowed Nooblet to get behind her.

After that is was cut after cut, and a clear line was open to finish the fight. But he'd just kept swinging that sword .

The titanium allow sword glinted with a brilliant metallic luster. No strike was exceedingly powerful, but the speed was inhuman. Even in the replay Tang Mi had to slow down the speed to see clearly what had happened.

As she looked on in shocked admiration, she noticed that nearly all of Nooblet's strikes found a joint – but they did not sever them completely.

When his final cut struck home, her mecha stiffened, and collapse in to a heap of slag. A pile of scrap. Like a toppled tower of toy bricks.

Tang Mi knew this technique, or to be precise, had heard of this technique!

The Brunois assault! It was a technique rarely seen on the battlefield, since it was largely impractical.

Slaughtered! The Ace slaughtered by Nooblet!

Perfect victory!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter