Who do you think I am? Get the boat over there!
Lu Chen and his two companions exited the villa, escorted by an honor guard of six patrol boats that guided them out of Alice City.
Returning to the Tourism Bureau at the central square of Cageport, they swiftly completed the procedures for leaving the city.
A female immigration officer sized them up, stunned for a moment before exclaiming, “This is the first time I’ve seen adventurers escorted out by an honor guard instead of a prison van.”
Lu Chen smiled. “No cage can hold a hacker.”
Stepping out of the immigration office, they boarded the Leonin.
Through the porthole, Lu Chen watched the busy adventurers at work, then glanced back at the bustling Alice City. He couldn’t help but sigh—only the strong command freedom in the universe; the weak have none.
In the cockpit, Lu Chen hefted a heavy bag of thirty-six hundred spirit stones.
This was the first time since setting out to sea that he’d earned so much!
Aside from the spirit stones, a fly-shaped drone carrying the Heart of the Galaxy virus, and a trove of evidence he’d collected, he brought nothing else with him. Gloriana hadn’t even managed to bring a single bottle of wine.
“That big sister is so stingy… As expected, men shouldn’t become women—get stronger, sure, but stingier too.”
In hopes of smuggling more fine wine out of the city, Gloriana had guzzled so much that she was about to burst, her belly swollen as if pregnant.
Even so, she insisted on hugging the large bag of spirit stones in Lu Chen’s hand, relishing the weight of money.
Lu Chen glanced at her belly.
Filled to the brim with liquid joy, her black leather outfit was stretched into a round curve. Her once elegant, ethereal face, beautiful as a painting, was now flushed with drink, lips stained with spilled wine…
She was now hard to describe.
No wonder, given her succubus constitution!
Having had his spirit stones snatched away, Lu Chen deliberately patted her belly. “How many months along is that?”
Gloriana burped, the alcohol wafting into Lu Chen’s handsome face. “Don’t pat what isn’t yours. If it is, go earn more for the formula!”
Lu Chen was speechless.
Aili burst out laughing beside them.
It felt like a cheerful family scene, the cockpit filled with mirth.
Blood-orange exhaust roared from the circular thrusters. The Leonin rose smoothly, quickly piercing Seion’s atmosphere, the dazzling light visible only through the rear camera on the screen.
A utopian society truly exists!
For the sake of absolute fairness, Seion had sacrificed much, but it was far from the inhuman caricature the Empire painted it to be.
More importantly, Seion was untouched by outside influence, constantly improving, iterating, and evolving…
Lu Chen believed they would one day achieve miracles, turning faith into reality.
He had just sat down, preparing to enjoy a cup of tea, when a risk alert appeared.
[Justice Hunter is currently hidden in the Undying Kingdom fleet’s radar blind spot, tracking the Leonin. This may pose a risk to the host. Caution or a request for rescue is advised.]
Huh?
Justice Hunter… It had been a long time since Lu Chen had heard that name.
He paused, finally recalling: it was the Justice Hunters adventuring group, who had dropped a nuke on the seventh planet of Ardenfema—their flagship, a giant Kun-class ship.
Fame inevitably draws enemies.
This was their second encounter; the risk alert even provided Hunter’s ship name.
Against an armed, level-50 adventuring vessel, the Leonin stood no chance—flight was the only option.
Left with no choice, Lu Chen steered the ship toward the Undying Kingdom fleet.
Soon, a video warning arrived from the fleet. “Your vessel is about to enter our air defense identification zone. Please alter your course immediately to avoid accidental fire!”
Lu Chen replied at once, “I’m a friend of the Big Sister, Lu Chen, captain of the Primal Star Adventuring Group. She’s applying for the Idealist Medal from the Undying Kingdom on my behalf.”
“Please wait a moment.”
After verifying his identity, the fleet’s commander, Colonel Wei Fanghua, personally opened a video link with Lu Chen.
“Thank you, Captain Lu, for your outstanding contribution to Seion’s societal stability. Your medal will certainly be approved, but it must be sent to the capital for final authorization, which could take several days. Please be patient!”
Lu Chen was startled—he’d never received such high-level treatment before.
“No problem, but my concern right now is… Since I stirred up a hornet’s nest at Imperial Entertainment Weekly, I’m being tailed by an unknown ship. May I use your escorted corridor to leave?”
The colonel refused firmly, but offered an alternative. “Sorry, our escort corridors are strictly regulated—only warships are permitted. However, you may bypass our formation, and our warships will provide cover as you depart.”
Lu Chen found Colonel Wei agreeable—her Chinese name made her seem even more approachable—so he thickened his skin: “Thank you, Colonel. By the way, the pursuer may have advanced stealth capabilities; be ready for saturation fire.”
The colonel fell silent.
Thus, Lu Chen planned to skirt the fleet’s flank as he left Seion.
Once he reached their rear, he’d switch to warp speed, shaking off the Justice Hunter in one move.
Gloriana, half-drunk and dazed, couldn’t make sense of his maneuvers. “Why are you circling the fleet? Is it just for some stupid medal?”
Lu Chen didn’t offer much explanation. “Don’t underestimate the Idealist Medal. The Empire’s medal was handed to me on the spot by a major, but this one has to go to headquarters for several days of review—it’s probably more valuable.”
Gloriana patted her bundle of spirit stones. “Valuable? The Empire’s medal at least got us five hundred spirit stones!”
Lu Chen rolled his eyes—that five hundred felt like a slap in the face. “You don’t understand. The Undying Kingdom has many affiliated planets in the Pangu Corridor—great for tourism, supplies, and rescue. The Empire just has one military base after another. In most of the corridor, the Seven Sovereigns’ name carries more weight than the Empire’s.”
“Tch. When will the Primal Star’s name mean anything?”
“What’s the rush? It’s only been a month since we set sail. This is a long journey—enjoy the process.”
Though he said that, Lu Chen felt a pang of regret. If only he’d written his cheat code as a full-on overpowered hack from the start—then the best part would be enjoying the result, not the process!
Gloriana scoffed. “Money is happiness. We made thirty-six hundred, but after expenses it’s only thirty-three. Don’t get cocky.”
Lu Chen argued back. “Isn’t that enough for a first big haul? That’s the price of three brand-new Leonins! Besides, I avenged you, didn’t I? That bellyful of premium liquor is all top-shelf Seion spirits—easily worth a thousand stones!”
Gloriana paused, suddenly aware of the treasure in her belly. She couldn’t resist patting it. “Then I’d better digest them slowly.”
“Let me try,” Aili interjected, stepping forward. She pressed her hands together, recited an incantation, and began casting a spell with utmost seriousness.
Lu Chen and Gloriana stared in disbelief.
She really might be able to do it!
…
Behind the Leonin, a massive Kun-class ship ghosted along, running in radar silence and optical stealth, tailing them like a wraith.
Aboard the Justice Hunter.
At the helm, the pilot—a genius knight, helmsman, and spirit-mechanic known as Shadowblade—detected the Leonin’s unusual maneuvers.
“Captain, the Leonin is heading toward the Undying Fleet.”
On the central command throne, Kundi Augs—sporting a bright red mohawk and clutching a flask of freshly brewed Ceres barley liquor—raised an eyebrow. “What’s the Leonin up to? If they’ve completed the Association’s bounty, they should be getting as far from the Undying Fleet as possible!”
Shadowblade adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses, offering a logical assessment. “It appears they’ve betrayed the client and are seeking asylum with Seion. The safest route is close to the Undying Fleet.”
Kundi Augs burst out laughing. “Perfect! We’ll capture the Leonin right under the Undying Fleet’s noses—make a spectacle for the Ladder List editors to gawk at!”
“But the Undying Fleet has a level-60 flagship…”
“So what? I’m Kundi Augs! Get us closer!”