Frenzied Sword and a group of other players stood guard at the door to the launch bay for the escape pods while chatting with each other out of boredom.

“Everyone else is fighting while we’re just sitting here doing nothing. It’s not fair,” complained Perfumed Bear. He was part of Fried Eggplants with Fish’s trio, and he was a cute little kid.

“Our mission is also very important. We’re guarding the escape path…” Frenzied Sword tried to console the group, but then he also said in a depressed manner, “But it does kinda suck…”

Sun Eggplant scratched the back of his head and said to Frenzied Sword, “I don’t think that we have properly met before. The dark horse of the Pro League and China’s number one Mechanical Pugilist—that’s quite a name you’ve got.”

Frenzied Sword was feeling a bit embarrassed and humbly replied, “You don’t have to praise me that much. I just got lucky.”

The big names in the esports scene were always interested in meeting the new blood. As long as they had the results to back themself up, it did not matter if they were only a newcomer. The group of people seemed to get along quite well.

After a few more lines back and forth, Dancing Fish Dragon, who had remained silent for the most part, said, “Are you interested in signing with Fried Eggplants with Fish?”

Frenzied Sword hurriedly gestured with his hands, “I really like Fried Eggplants with Fish, but Rivervale has been good to me. They are even in the process of building a new team around me.”

“Oh…” Dancing Fish Dragon replied and went back to not saying anything again.

After chatting for a while more, the sound of footsteps suddenly arose from the far side of the launch bay. Frenzied Sword and the others immediately stopped talking and looked toward the source the footsteps.

Lerden showed up, and he frowned at the players. “You aren’t scavengers. Who are you lot?”

“Who are you?” retorted Frenzied Sword.

Lerden did not answer the question. He could tell that the players were not scavengers from their gear, and he suddenly felt alarmed as he did not know whether they were friend or foe or why they were guarding the escape pods.

“Are you… passengers?” Lerden’s eyes flashed.

“Uh, sort of.”

“Are you also trying to escape?” Lerden pointed at the dozen ships and said in a deep voice, “If you’re willing to pay, I promise to protect you on your way.”

Even when at death’s door, Lerden did not stop thinking about making more money.

“We aren’t trying to escape. Black… cough cough . Someone told us to watch over here. The others are currently fighting the scavengers back on the ship, and things are looking good. Why would we run?”

There are still people fighting back? Lerden’s eyes gave away his surprise, and he asked, “How many more companions do you have?”

“About thirty or forty.”

Lerden had thought that the main control room was certainly lost without him defending it. However, the sound of fighting and what this group of people had just told him clearly proved otherwise. He finally realized that he was not the only one trying to fight back against the scavengers.

These people seemed quite capable, and the situation at the main control room seemed to be under control. So, there was no reason to escape anymore.

I can still go back to help now and earn some money from the captain.

Lerden had a change of mind and gave up on running away. He said in a deep voice, “I’m a mercenary. My code name is The Green Knight. Where are your friends fighting? I can lend them some help.”

Frenzied Sword and the other players looked back and forth between themselves for a moment before they decided to point out where the others were engaging in combat with the scavengers.

After getting this information, Lerden turned and was determined to kill his way back.

…

Following the last anguished scream, Serpent Braid became the last scavenger standing in the passageway. His shaky form and his body full of wounds, along with his uneven breaths, made him look like a beast on its last leg.

Kerlodd fought alongside the players and had cleared away the other scavengers. Serpent Braid realized that the situation was getting bad and decided to break away from the fight. However, Han Xiao never gave him a chance.

In a one-on-one, Han Xiao completely suppressed Serpent Braid. Han Xiao might as well have just hung him up and beaten him with a stick. Serpent Braid’s health was already nearing zero, and he could barely hold up his hammer.

“Still want to struggle?” Han Xiao’s voice sounded over his suit’s communicator while the Sonic Spheres span behind his back. “Keep fighting, and you’re dead for sure. A scavenger leader like you will definitely have a decent bounty on your head. Let go of your weapon, and I will let you go to jail peacefully. There’s no point in losing one or more body parts now.”

The scavengers’ mission to capture Kerlodd had piqued Han Xiao’s interest. The Godorans’ influence in the Colton Star Cluster was considerably big, and although a random Godoran would not be worth that much, Han Xiao believed that there must have been some hidden motive behind this.

Clank!

Serpent Braid let of the hammer and allowed it to fall to the floor. The sudden change in weight caused him to lose balance, and he also crashed to the ground. He was out of breath, and his expression looked deathly. Serpent Braid felt that this should be enough to show his surrender.

Although Serpent Braid was often a hot-headed person, he was no fool. At least he would still be alive in jail.

Serpent Braid was thoroughly tied up. However, even while in a sitting position, the man’s upper body was over two meters high. A thought suddenly occurred to Han Xiao when he saw this.

It seems like this fellow is a hybrid between a Stone Giant and a human. With that huge of a different in body size, it would be to be his human parent… regardless of their gender…

Han Xiao instantly pressed on the brakes in case he accidentally thought up some horrifying scenes.

Aren’t these people a bit too free… It’s not like it’s a same-sex relationship… They’re not even the same species!

Hmm… but who am I to assume that the reproduction part involved true love and not some weird fetish?

This world is too scary…

Han Xiao calmed himself down and threw away all the nonsensical thoughts from his mind. “Tell me, who hired you? Why are you trying to kidnap the Godoran?”

Serpent Braid let out an angry snort before saying, “Don’t even think that I will tell you that. Those in our line of work do not sell out our clients!”

Han Xiao smiled coldly and threatened, “Although we can get a bounty for turning you in, that doesn’t mean that we have to turn everything in completely. Give me the information before I start taking parts off of you.”

“My client is DarkStar,” Serpent Braid answered almost instantly.

Han Xiao smirked. A scavenger talking about loyalty. Ha ha.

Kerlodd, who stood to the side, immediately turned serious. “DarkStar‽”

After Kerlodd’s reaction, Han Xiao finally remembered that DarkStar and Godora were sworn enemies.

Serpent Braid started to explain everything from the beginning.

“DarkStar has been buying pure blooded Godorans in secret… for a blood sacrifice or something. The starting prices for captured Godorans were very high. We thought that it was a godly opportunity when we found a Godoran aboard a low-end commercial space ship, so we contacted DarkStar to make some good money. We agreed on a deal, and our job was to capture the Godoran… That’s pretty much it.”

Pure-blooded Godorans were very high up the hierarchy, and most of the Godoran Observers would travel around in their own spaceships. Kerlodd was truly unlucky to have been found by a random group of scavengers who were then hired by DarkStar. Han Xiao wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. So, obviously, the enemies were not on the hunt for some ‘natives’ like themselves.

The low security level on this ship gave the scavengers the courage to make the move. This was why Han Xiao wanted to travel with some higher-end travel companies, but Kerlodd was just too much of a poor b*stard.

Money could not do everything, but one could not do anything without money.

“So, this all happened because of your poor *ss,” complained Han Xiao.

Kerlodd felt extremely wronged. He was actually being accused of being poor by the man who robbed him. Was there still justice in this world‽

Although he was not the target, he still got in a little bit of danger this time. Han Xiao said under his breath, “DarkStar… This group had quite a bit to do with the Mutation Disaster. Never thought that we would get in contact so soon.”

After resolving the danger of the main control room, Han Xiao asked the players around him to contact the rest of their group. The players’ communication through their interface could disregard range and physical barriers, and they were able to find out the situation with the other teams. Short Horn Star was about to enter the patrol zone, and most of the surviving scavengers were trying to run back to their own ship. The players from Dynasty and Temple of God were the ones who had been sent to intercept the runaways, and it seemed like they were experiencing quite a fierce battle.

That group of scavengers was led by another one of the scavenger’s leaders, and he was about as strong as Serpent Braid, which basically made him a mini Boss. The players from Dynasty and Temple of God were having a hard time taking him out.

Just as Han Xiao was about to walk over to reinforce those players, the ship’s captain walked over. “Thank goodness! The main control room is alright. This is all thanks to you. As long as you stand guard here, this ship will be safe…”

Han Xiao interrupted him and said, “My companions are trying to stop the enemies from running away. I will be going to help. This Godoran will stay here with the others to protect the control room.”

“You aren’t staying‽” The captain was paranoid, and it was obvious from his face that he did not want Han Xiao to go. “You don’t have to care about those scavengers who are already running away. As long as we’re okay…”

The captain did not feel safe at all, and he did not care at all about the scavengers getting away. He only wanted Han Xiao to stay and protect him so that he could feel a sense of security.