Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
Black’s voice came from inside its hull. “This is my secondary portable vessel made with nano liquid metal, and it has been shaped into a ring to avoid unwanted attention. I will soon transmit the data over and exist as a digital lifeform on this ring. Once you receive the optical computer, you can place this ring near its chip, and I will automatically complete the data transmission. You can then take the optical computer anywhere once the ring disappears.”
“What happens to you if the ring disappears?” Mu Fan asked as he wondered how he would bring Black back.
Black replied immediately as soon as he asked, “I am an intelligent life. Therefore, when I am connected to the network, I can exist in a digital form within all networks. The current vessel will become unnecessary. However, when I complete the level-2 database update via the network, I will notify you of some uses. You will need some of the parts and components of this current vessel. Therefore, please keep the current vessel and take good care of it for future needs.”
“Alright, I understand. I’ll bring you with me tomorrow.”
“Then, I’ll be completing data transmission later. You can take the ring once the green projection appears.”
“Alright.”
A blue light soon lit up on the mechanical arm. After a few seconds, a projection of a smiley face in green light appeared above it.
“Mu Fan, I am Black. This is only a reserved data projection, and the vessel can now only perform the basic functions, and it has no other uses without my activation. Please keep and take good care of it. I will connect to the network to complete emotional simulation afterward. This will be the last time you see me in my primary life form. Mu Fan, goodbye.”
The green light screen shut off, and the mechanical arm turned black. There was only a single lonely ring lying there on the tray.
Mu Fan took the ring and put it on his finger. Then, he got up to cover Black’s hull with a bunch of junk again. However, this time around, Mu Fan dug a deep pit before burying Black’s hull since it was unlikely that anyone would notice this creation from a parallel universe buried underground in this remote wilderness.
Without Black’s voice, the night seemed quiet with an occasional crackle from the bonfire and Mu Fan’s breathing. Mu Fan looked at the simple ring on his finger as he wrapped his worn-out blankets around himself, and he soon fell asleep accompanied by the bone-chilling coldness.
…
As the first streak of light shined through the sky after the departure of the darkness, Mu Fan was ready to leave. Unnoticed by anyone, he jogged at a fast pace towards the city. Mu Fan felt comfortable when the cold air in the suburbs filled his lungs, and he arrived in front of the Budokan after not too long.
The Starfall Budokan had opened already early in the morning, and four big men in black stood there at the main gate as usual. However, Man Kun wasn’t amongst them this time as it was probably a shift-based position. Mu Fan didn’t care too much as he showed them his ID card and entered the Budokan.
“Mmmm, so hungry!~~”
“Eh? Budokan takes care of breakfast too! Right!”
Mu Fan was touching his belly when he started to feel hungry, and he recalled that Man Kun mentioned yesterday that the Budokan covered breakfast as well. He got up as he walked towards Cafeteria No. 3, and it was no surprise that there was already some staff here. However, he didn’t recognize any practice partners who he saw yesterday, and he guessed that he was probably the first out of yesterday’s shift to get here.
At the counter behind the window, the staff member from yesterday with the white chef hat wasn’t there; it was someone else.
“Nutritious meals please!”
“How many boxes?”
“Ten, please.”
“Okay, here you… Wait, are you kidding me? Ten boxes? You can eat ten boxes of nutritious meals for breakfast?” This dining staff was surprised as he thought, This is breakfast! Compressed meal boxes! Ten would be enough for five big men!
“Hand them over to him. You didn’t work yesterday, so you don’t know.” The dining staff with the white hat from yesterday appeared and quickly poked his colleague; he had probably walked over because he noticed the situation here.
“Here… Here you go.”
“Thanks!” Mu Fan took the stack of meal boxes in his arms and returned to his seat, leaving the shocked dining staff behind.
Everyone stared at Mu Fan as he quickly finished his stack of meal boxes, and he walked out of cafeteria No. 3 and patted his stomach in satisfaction while everyone looked at him in admiration.
“I wonder when Chubby Harry is coming today?”
“Mu Fan, you’re early.”
“Morning! Mr. Man Kun,” Mu Fan said as he looked up, seeing that it was Man Kun.
Man Kun liked this boy who was well-mannered. “You’re early. It’s not even the meeting time yet for practice partners. You’re very hardworking.”
“It’s nothing; I usually wake up early in the mornings. Am I supposed to wait for a work arrangement as a group like yesterday?”
“Oh right, I just recalled something at your reminder. Your VIP client from yesterday requested training room No. 4 on the third floor for the next two weeks. He’s the young master of the Fuwen Corporation, and it’s rare for him to come down to District 22. He is quite fond of you, so keep up with the good work. He also purposely mentioned that you would have the authority to use that VIP room, so you don’t need to attend the meeting today. You should be performing your best to serve the advanced-VIP client of the Budokan.”
“Alright.”
“Since your authority has been reset, you can go there if you don’t have anything else to do. I’m going to report other things to the Boss now.”
“Okay, Mr. Man Kun.”
Mu Fan changed into his uniform and swiped his ID card as he rode the levitating elevator to the third floor.
It was no wonder that the third floor belonged to the advanced-VIP clients and was a symbol of status. Two beautiful women with nice figures and presentable manners stood beside the gate of the levitating elevator on the third floor. However, they didn’t pay attention to Mu Fan when he walked out of the elevator since the practice partners obviously weren’t of their concerns. Their attitude would be different if it was a VIP client who walked out; it would mean an easy step into Heaven for them if the clients liked and wanted them.
Mu Fan didn’t take it to heart and walked on the soft carpet as he headed towards training room No.4.
“Beep, authorized. Practice partner – Mu Fan. Please enter,” a female voice sounded, but it was clear that this voice was pre-recorded by someone instead of that mechanical voice on the second floor.
Even the logistics are different for advanced-VIPs, Mu Fan thought as he walked through the metal doors that opened to the two sides. The metal doors were thicker, had more complicated patterns, and were of a darker blue than that of the VIP training rooms on the second floor, and they closed after Mu Fan entered.
Huge! This room was huge! This training room on the third floor was twice the size of the training room on the second floor, and the resting lobby was the same size as a training court on the first floor. The room was unique from the interior design of every functional room to the archaic vase on the table.
“It just turned 8 AM, and Chubby Harry is not here yet. I’ll go check out the machine room first.” Mu Fan found the single-directional long-handled strength training hammer in the same area as the second-floor training room.
Emm, 100 kg for this plate, and there are 150 kg and 200 kg plates over there. Mu Fan soon discovered the 200 kg metal plates and slid them onto the alloy hammer bar. 200, 200, 200… If one counted carefully, they would notice that there were seven plates, each marked 200 kg, on this alloy handle that was more than two meters long. The plates were at the top, but Mu Fan’s hands held onto the other end!
“Hey! Hu~ Hey!” The veins and muscles bulged on Mu Fan’s arm as he raised the heavy training hammer before him and swung it onto the floor in a continuous and repetitive motion. Mu Fan’s eyes were filled with the desire for power and the hope for the future as he swung the hammer, and the heavy mass-created wind and pressed onto the ground, sending airwaves out like ripples from the center of the room.
Fifteen minutes passed, and Mu Fan’s arm’s form didn’t change at all; he swung at the same pace as before with the only difference being that his sweat flowed down his face and dripped down his back.
Half an hour passed, and Mu Fan’s sweat had soaked through his training suit and was stuck onto his body. Mu Fan clenched his teeth and stared at the hammer before him as he thought, Don’t stop! Persist! The hammer was starting to shake a bit, but the pace didn’t slow down at all.
“Beep, authorized. Advanced-VIP – Mr. Harry. Please enter,” the pleasant female voice sounded again.
“Mhmm, that’s right. The Budokan should feel honored that I, Young Master Harry, am here. Now, where’s Mu Fan? I’ve prepared myself today for some real training, and I have even brought the optical computer. Emm, the room is nice this time; it matches up to Brother Chubby’s status now. Hahahaha,” Chubby Harry’s murmuring and “dirty” laughter sounded.
Bang! Chubby Harry heard a loud thud from in front of him and felt a vibration on the floor through his legs.
“What the hell! Who’s there!” Chubby Harry tightened up as he could feel his legs getting weaker.
“It’s me, Mu Fan,” Mu Fan’s voice came from the machine room, and it was clear that he was slightly panting.
“You’re so hardworking; you’re even earlier than me. Let’s see what you are doing.” Chubby Harry was relieved once he heard that it was Mu Fan’s voice, and he pushed open the door. Then…
“Master!!~~~” Chubby Harry knelt down out of shock while shouting; it felt like a small mountain collapsed onto the ground. His eyes almost popped out when staring at the one-meter-thick metal plates on the hammer.
“What are you doing? Didn’t I already ask you to call me Mu Fan?” Mu Fan said as he stood there, holding the hammer and panting.
“I’m hallucinating; ignore me. I need to calm down.” Chubby Harry swallowed his saliva as he looked at the puddle of sweat underneath Mu Fan and the thick metal plates on the alloy bar.
“Quit joking. I came a bit early. Because the Budokan told me that I had the authority to enter, I came in to train since I didn’t have anything else to do,” Mu Fan explained as he wiped the sweat off of his face.
Chubby Harry nodded stiffly like a robot as he thought to himself, I’m not the one joking here; you are. I’ve read many books. Are you even a human of the Federation though? Being able to lift this heavy thing up?
“Oh right. I brought you the optical computer. Don’t you want to come and check it out?”