Chapter 446 – Abyss, Escape

“Thump thump! Thump thump!”

The sound of a heartbeat, akin to the pounding of drums.

Lu Yuan stood silently, his body covered with countless shocking shattering wounds.

After a bout of vented strikes, the impact left his mecha form in a sorry state.

His chest was torn apart, occupied by a dark red Flesh Ball in place of the heart, extending out numerous blood vessels and tendons that supported Lu Yuan’s current body.

This was Lu Yuan’s true form.

After the “transformation” into his mecha form, it was his true form that provided all the energy consumption.

This was also the core reason his combat power could surge.

“It felt good, but… energy replenishment is a pressing issue that needs solving.”

Lu Yuan lowered his head, watching the interplay of blood and flesh on his body as the “wounds” quickly healed, restoring back to his intact mecha form.

That outburst just now consumed about one-twentieth of his true form’s Life Energy.

The core of his true form’s flesh, already eager for energy replenishment for recovery, shrank once again.

“I need to quickly find a source of energy that can be absorbed and replenish, otherwise my behavior now is like drinking poison to quench my thirst.”

“The cultivation of Starry Sky martial arts is also something to consider. Cosmic energy is the source of all energy. Even if my Talent is lacking, as long as I can activate a star acupoint, I can absorb the cosmic energy free-floating in the environment…

Any help to speed up recovery is worth it.”

Lu Yuan looked at the mess of the control room before him, and the disfigured mecha wooden dummy, silently pressing the auto-repair button.

Since the construction of this mecha control training room, this has probably been the most thorough usage.

Once Lu Yuan’s combat power improves a bit more, the specs of this training facility might not suffice.

“The training mecha wooden dummy configured by Lu Lingfeng for Lu Qiyuan can withstand up to a level three attack. Therefore, I estimate my current full-force combat power is around level 4 to level 5…”

Of course, this level corresponds to the Duoling’s mecha combat power.

On the Home Planet, it might reach as high as seventh, or even eighth-stage.

“When the core of my true form recovers, or when I devour a higher-level mecha, this combat power can continue to increase…”

Lu Yuan slowly retreated from his mecha transformation state, feeling a bit more relaxed in both body and mind.

From this moment on, he had found the most suitable upgrade path for himself.

It was quite simple: find energy sources to restore his true form, and then acquire higher-grade mechas to devour.

The mecha acted as the “body,” while the true form was the “heart,” and together, they formed Lu Yuan’s unique “pilot’s path.”

“I need to be careful in combat to avoid having my mecha’s defense breached by the opponent. If the flesh and bones underneath were exposed, it would probably scare a lot of people…”

“However, it doesn’t seem like a big issue. High-level mechas are so diverse, incorporating various cosmic metals, with any number of potential characteristics appearing.

As long as I can create a unique exterior that doesn’t stand out too much, it should be fine…”

“Of course, at this stage, I can’t expose this in front of familiar faces…”

Lu Yuan thought meticulously.

He glanced at his professional panel and found that his earlier outburst had actually lit up a high-level skill on his [Pilot (Extraordinary)] panel called lv1 [Grandmaster Close Combat].

Additionally, his professional level of [Pilot (Extraordinary)] had increased by one level, reaching lv2.

This granted him 1 skill point and 1 attribute point.

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have used those attribute points so carelessly earlier…”

Lu Yuan felt a bit annoyed.

He had previously saved up 1 attribute point; if he hadn’t used it, along with the current 1 point, he could have added to his intelligence attribute, bringing it close to the 22 points necessary for a limit break.

Right now, Lu Yuan was primarily focused on increasing his intelligence points.

After all, this was a world where battles were fought with mechas, and mental power was the most crucial aspect.

The other three basic attributes in human form, no matter how strong, couldn’t easily contend with mechas head-on. Investing resources and energy into these three attributes had a very low cost-efficiency.

Rejuvenated in strength, Lu Yuan was in a good mood. He returned to his room to change into some loose, casual clothes and then walked downstairs.

When Lu Yuan arrived in the hall, he happened to see Lu Qiyuan, dressed in her usual “cool girl” outfit, looking like she was about to head out with her bag in hand.

Typically, Lu Yuan wouldn’t bother speaking to Lu Qiyuan, who always seemed to be at odds with him. But today, he was in a good mood, so he casually asked her a question.

“Lu Qiyuan, Dad placed a house arrest order, and you’re still daring to go out. Be careful, or you’ll get your leg broken.”

“Ha~”

To his “threat,” Lu Qiyuan reacted with indifference.

She gave him a dismissive glance and said, “Aren’t you the one who likes to watch the news? And yet, you’re unaware that the terrorist attack incident has been completely resolved and the house arrest order was lifted yesterday?”

“Mind your own business, you pretentious brat!”

Lu Qiyuan flipped him off with a middle finger, tossed her hair, and strutted out the door.

Lu Yuan wasn’t bothered by the sarcasm in Lu Qiyuan’s words, but he was taken aback by the information she revealed.

“The terrorist attack is over?”

He gently pinched the silver-black pendant around his neck to activate the Smart Light Brain and went online to check.

Sure enough, at 1:20 AM yesterday, the police station in District 15 officially announced that the terrorist attack by the armed cultists had been perfectly resolved.

They urged the public to lift their psychological alarms, put aside their fears, and quickly return to their usual work and daily life.

“It really is…”

After browsing through all the information, Lu Yuan still couldn’t find any details regarding the identity of the cultists involved in this terrorist attack.

The officials were keeping a tight lid on this, seemingly unwilling to let the public know.

Since he couldn’t find anything, he decided not to delve deeper. Lu Yuan let go of his small curiosity and directly contacted his current dedicated “bodyguard,” Lu Feng, to have him prepare the hover car.

Since he could now leave the house, he decided to take care of a few errands that required going out as soon as possible.

…

Xu Li walked briskly down an old street covered in golden leaves.

She wore a hat and mask, burying most of her face deep in the turned-up collar of her trench coat.

District 72 was practically like the “slums” of Planet Dadu’s No. 2045.

It was rare to see a hover car drive down the street, and when one did, it was usually the most basic model available.

Most people were still using four- or five-wheel cars, which in District 15 were considered antiques by the rich kids. The living conditions felt like they had regressed by half a century.

A couple, both in pink T-shirts, stood under a tree full of golden leaves, taking selfies with their mobile phone. Xu Li, arms laden with bags, hurried past them, catching curious and surprised glances.

She faintly heard the couple whispering about “weirdos” and questioning if something was wrong with her, but Xu Li pretended not to hear anything.

She just wanted to get back to her place as quickly as possible.

Spending even one more minute in the outside air made her feel uneasy, as if a thorn was stuck in her back, creating a lingering fear that someone might suddenly jump out from the shadows and forcibly take her away.

Walking swiftly, Xu Li crossed the long street and arrived at an old community that showed its age.

She entered a residential building and climbed up to the third floor.

Fumbling for her key, she unlocked the door.

Once she slipped inside and the sturdy iron security door closed securely behind her, she exhaled a long breath, finally letting her tense nerves relax completely.

The apartment was small, poorly lit, cramped, and damp, with a musty, rotten smell permeating the air.

Anyone who wasn’t destitute, scavenging at the garbage dump, would never choose to live in a place like this.

Yet, currently, Xu Li’s entire family was cramped in this space.

“You’re back.”

Xu Li’s parents greeted her, taking the shopping bags that were filled to capacity from her hands.

“You didn’t encounter anyone on the way, did you?” her father asked nervously while her mother took the bags to the kitchen to start working.

Xu Li shook her head and began to remove the layers of “equipment” from her body.

“I’ll go next time… I can bring back more things…” her father offered.

Xu Li looked up at her father standing before her.

His eyes were dark-rimmed, cheeks slightly sunken, with a sallow complexion.

Hiding and living in fear for this period had left both her parents looking incredibly worn out, even turning some of their hair gray at the temples.

Xu Li couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of guilt, followed by intense resentment and sorrow.

If it weren’t for her encounter with that man at the hospital, her family wouldn’t have ended up in their current predicament.

Why did she have to meet that man?

“No need,” Xu Li shook her head, refusing her father’s suggestion.

She glanced around the living room and casually asked, “Where is Xu Mingguang?”

Her father looked up, cautiously pointing a finger toward a room, lowering his voice, “With… that person… in the room.”

“Oh.”

Xu Li nodded numbly, indicating she understood.

Compared to everything her parents and she were enduring, Xu Mingguang was probably the one making the greatest sacrifice in the family.

Xu Li forced herself not to think about or listen to what was happening or emanating from the room.

She sat down on the only sofa in the living room, picked up the glass in front of her, and poured herself some water.

Not drinking it, she just held it in her hands, staring blankly in silence.

Why had everything turned out this way?

Their lives were supposed to improve, so why did they suddenly plummet into an abyss of despair?

Why had this happened to her family?

When would this all end?

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Xu Li unconsciously tightened her grip on the glass.

Her fingers pressed firmly against the glass, turning pale from the pressure.

Just as she was about to be overwhelmed by oppressive and hopeless emotions, feeling as though she would explode from the pain, a gentle voice suddenly spoke in her ear.

“It’s over… It’s all about to end…”

“Everything.”

“Who?!”

Jolted awake by this unexpected voice that seemed to understand her innermost thoughts, Xu Li looked up sharply.

To her surprise, she saw a figure standing beneath the only window in the living room.

Backlit, she couldn’t make out his features.

All she could perceive was that he had long hair, an elegant posture, and was calmly and gently watching her.

“You…”

Faced with this sudden, uninvited guest, Xu Li’s eyes widened, intending to call out.

The man before her quietly stood up.

He raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence.

He simply said, “Shh-“

…

In the dark room, the sound of a man’s labored breathing mingled with another person’s muffled, pained groans.

After the noise subsided, there was a sudden “swish” as the curtains were yanked open.

A burly man, shirtless, stood in front of the window, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, his demeanor relaxed.

Smoke rings blended with the musty scent as they slowly spread through the cramped room.

Xu Mingguang was huddled in a corner of the bed, wrapped in a blanket, his expression vacant, like a soulless puppet.

“There are many high-level Mecha Engineers in the organization, plenty who are level ten… and countless Mechas. Every combat personnel is issued one for free. When the time comes, you won’t just get to see or touch it; nobody will care if you live in it day and night.”

The man smoked for a while, then extinguished the half-burned cigarette on the window ledge before turning to speak to Xu Mingguang.

He comforted him, “Hang in there a bit longer. The group chasing us has mostly been wiped out by the official Duoling forces. The few leftovers won’t be able to find our current location. The organization’s people are coming to get us soon… Once your whole family gets there, I’ll take good care of you.”

As the man spoke the first part, a flicker of light seemed to emerge in the once vacant eyes of Xu Mingguang, who lay on the bed.

But as the man approached, sat beside him, and gently patted his shoulder, that light quickly dimmed again.

The man seemed oblivious to the subtle shift in Xu Mingguang’s emotions.

He began dressing as he casually instructed, “I’m heading out for a bit. Make sure your family doesn’t wander. Bumping into anyone could be a pure path to disaster…”

Xu Mingguang remained silent, unmoving like a piece of wood.

The man didn’t seem to care and, now fully dressed, was about to head toward the door.

Just then, the door, which had been locked from the inside, suddenly swung open on its own.

A tall, handsome blond man burst in with a wide grin, greeting the man as if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages.

“Where are you off to? Hell?”

The man’s pupils contracted sharply.

The next second, he let out a low growl.

In an instant, the two figures collided violently, engaging in a fierce battle in the cramped room.

Meanwhile, Xu Mingguang, who was lying in bed facing the door, was able to see outside…

Three familiar bodies lay in pools of blood, their lifeless eyes silently staring back at him.

Xu Mingguang’s huddled body trembled violently.

At that moment, his heart suddenly felt scorching hot, as if a red-hot iron was spinning wildly inside his chest.

“Dad… Mom… Elder Sister…”

…

“They moved?!”

In the motionless hover car, Lu Yuan, dressed casually with a slightly aloof demeanor, gazed out the window toward a mid-range community in the distance, frowning.

“When did they move?”

“Not sure.”

Lu Feng, in the driver’s seat, shook his head unusually, “It’s odd. There are no records to be found. But judging by the absentee records of Xu Mingguang’s parents at the Mecha Factory, it should have been three days ago.”

Lu Yuan’s expression gradually turned cold.

Three days ago.

Moved out.

Even gave up their jobs.

The whole family is nowhere to be found…

Could it be that Xu Mingguang discovered the extraordinary nature of that mysterious Magic Cube and, fearing Lu Yuan might come looking for it, fled with his entire family?

…