Page 106
"...Brother, how can I continue acting like this? I thought you and I would have a good understanding..."
After being criticized by Kong, Sambo scratched the back of his head with a headache and stuck the thermos into the snow. He looked embarrassed, as if Kong was the "ignorant" one.
"I hate the Riddler. What are you doing on this planet? Why are you trying to scam us? Tell me everything."
Sora crossed his arms, "Truth is rewarded, lies are punished."
"...Is there any reward?"
When Sambo heard this, he immediately rubbed his hands with a flattering look on his face.
"I heard from my boss that the Starry Sky Train is coming and is planning to cause some trouble here, so I was wondering if I could help you guys out. This place has been filled with hatred and grievances for too long, and we're just waiting for a big explosion. It will definitely bring out a lot of fun - but I think your heroes have the instincts and judgment of wild beasts, so they probably don't need help from a small person like me, haha."
Sambo's skillful move of putting his hands in his pockets, which was so skillful that it made people physically uncomfortable, left the entire train crew speechless.
Dan Heng didn't know for a moment whether he should report to Ji Zi that the train group had been targeted for a long time, but Kong's reaction was more direct -
He kicked Sambo and knocked him over.
"Eh? Eh!! Hero, hero, didn't you say there would be a reward? Poor God, I'm telling the truth!"
"Well said!! I'll give you a beating as a reward!!"
He was responded with a punch from Sora.
"Ah! Stop it, stop it. You are nominally my superior! How can you be so cruel to your own subordinate!!"
"Didn't that idiot tell you? Even though I get paid by Him, I hate Him the most!!"
"Ah, this??"
Although it looked like he was using a lot of force, Kong did not beat Sambo to death. He controlled his strength well. Even while he was beating Sambo, the aura of joy from Kong was slowly growing.
It wasn't that Sambo was feeling happy, but someone funny was watching him... It was mixed news for Sora.
However... although Ahha is a born, not all of his subordinates are born. After all, everyone has a different definition of happiness, and there are also those who take it as their responsibility to make others happy, which is a broad sense of "good people".
...Sora couldn't tell whether his gradually softening attitude had something to do with Aha giving him too much.
Even though the mercenary guy in front of him would not be obedient at first glance, Kong didn't mind giving him a chance to prove his worth.
"Now that you've revealed your identity, stop pretending to be pitiful... Mr. Sambo, just call me Kong. Since you've said you want to get involved - I hope you can cooperate with us. We won't treat you unfairly."
178. Knowing that there is snow on the mountain, I will fight with a sword in the snow
Using violence against someone you just met and whose true identity you don't even know is a very out-of-bounds act that goes against the spirit of pioneering. But when Sora pointed out that the blue-haired man in front of him was a follower of Aha, and Sambo himself admitted it, the train crew turned a blind eye to Sora's behavior, and even secretly applauded him.
That slick look made San Yue even more alert to him, even though he hadn't done anything yet. Although Wumingke was not as vindictive as the hunting believers, it was common for him to remember a grudge like bombing a car for hundreds or thousands of years.
"Cooperation, of course we will cooperate, Boss Kong, hehehe..."
After being beaten, it was not known whether Sambo was really afraid that Kong would continue to resort to violence or because he was still the Envoy of Pleasure in name, so he took the initiative to confess to Kong some of his work on this planet.
The living environment of Yalilo VI is indeed harsh, but there is still hope in this icy and snowy world.
It is called Beloberg. Rather than being called a country or a colony, it is more like a giant shelter city and the last bastion of mankind on this planet.
In Aha's words, a casual glance from the "idiot" gave the human beings in this world endless hope and endless despair. The joy born from opposing emotions is always delicious.
Sambo was on his way to pursue pleasure and chose to temporarily settle down in Beloberg, and Kong's arrival was just a small accident in his pursuit of "pleasure", but he did not miss this good opportunity to meet the Order - even though the Orders of Pleasure were some guys who were mentally unstable for mortals, and he had confirmed this through the bruises on his buttocks.
"In this environment, building a large settlement requires a huge amount of energy and materials... From what you described, the scale is comparable to some small colonized planets? It seems that Kripper's glimpse really benefited them a lot."
After thinking about it, Kong understood the source of the abnormal temperature changes near the core of the star... Klipper even concealed the traces of human activities on Yalilo, so that outsiders far away from this planetary system could not see the specific appearance of Beloberg.
...But why did you build the city so close to the star core? Or did Klipper choose a high-end scenic spot when he enclosed the land so that the residents of Beloberg could watch the wandering Rift Creatures every day to relieve their boredom?
Shaking his head, Kong suddenly felt that his way of thinking was too frivolous and too "happy", so he quickly thought about it more realistically:
Clipper's brief attention could only save them, but it could not allow the humans here to expand outward, nor could they process the star cores. Over the past seven hundred years, the technology of the colony has almost completely stagnated, or even regressed, and there has been a trend of rapid deterioration in the living space in the near future. According to Sambo, if there is no external intervention, and without the addition of star cores, these humans will self-destruct.
He added that the Beloberg people as a whole were still very resilient, but the leader of their generation seemed to be a bit dim-witted.
Thus, a group of simple stereotypes of indigenous peoples took shape in Kong's mind.
Although Sambo was a funny guy and should be guarded against, Kong really couldn't hear any intelligence loopholes from his narration.
He nodded with satisfaction and handed Sambo a terminal.
"You know how to use it, right? It can last for 30 days at full power. This is the only way you can contact me, so don't lose it. If I need anything, I'll ask you for help. You can also ask me for benefits by making conditions. This time, it's real benefits. I won't let you work for nothing. Whether it's helping you get some goods or intelligence that can't be obtained locally, I'll do it for you—"
"Kong Lingshi is always generous... Hehehe, then I won't pick up the scrap copper and iron outside for now. These so-called ancient relics are not worth many credit points if sold outside. They can only be exchanged for the tattered Winter City Shield..."
When Sangbo heard that Kong could get him something from outside the orbit, he couldn't stop flattering him.
Although the other party was well-dressed and showed no signs of malnutrition, Kong guessed that since Sambo was in such a blockaded area, the material things might not be that abundant. For the Masked Fool, some material rewards could be considered a cure for the disease and could keep them away from the ascetic life.
"Regarding the matter of the Lower Town and the Great Guardian, I'll listen to your detailed explanation sometime later, or I'll ask the authorities. The group of people ahead are getting closer and closer to here. I remember you said you were a wanted criminal in the Lower Town? Hmm...should you disappear for a while?"
"Oh, this terminal looks like a high-end product! Hey, you mean a group of people?"
Sambo immediately looked tangled. "The only ones who can appear here are the Iron Guards... I don't think I attracted them... Your landing capsule is too conspicuous. If you go further north with such an arrogant appearance, you may be directly besieged by the Rift Creations, and you may even have to fight with those Iron Guards."
"Do we look as sneaky as you do?"
Kong, who was called three different names by Sambo, said unhappily, "If my appearance is not conspicuous, how can I attract you and the local officials?"
"...I don't think it's a good idea to deal with the Silver Mane Guards right now. Their boss, the Great Guardian, has some issues..."
Sambo made frantic gestures, as if trying to think of the best entry point for the train crew.
"I don't think making a deal with you is a good option either. But no matter what the 'conflict' that awaits us is, as long as our goals are noble, it doesn't matter."
Of course, Kong would not listen to all of Sanbo's one-sided words.
If you want to quickly clean up the star core, the easiest way is to start with the official big forces and start cooperation. If you encounter some unexpected obstacles...
Well, in that case, that strange weekly quest also seems to be hinting at Sora.
"Well, then I, the 'irrelevant person', will disappear. Man, although we are all trying to please that adult, you should try not to destroy yourself. Self-destruction is not fun at all."
After leaving behind a meaningful remark, Sambo disappeared in the snow mist in a flash.
Such skills made Dan Heng narrow his eyes slightly.
If he had shown such means just now, the gun handle he knocked down might have been controlled by the opponent, putting him in a passive position.
"The Masked Fool... He has a playful aura all over his body, but he is very powerful."
"There are many ways to tell if a person intends to harm us. At least he doesn't have that intention - but there is no guarantee that he will do the wrong thing with good intentions. Let's take it step by step."
Sora loaded his beam gun and pointed to another inactive rift opening that was marked on the map.
"Let's go over there and meet the real locals. Create some little 'surprises' that will make them accept us quickly."
179. No need to recognize each other, you and I are comrades
"Ah? Why are we moving towards the Rift? If we are going to meet the locals, shouldn't we ensure the safety of the surrounding area?"
In the public channel, March still plays her role as a curious baby.
It's not that she had any problem with Kong's arrangement, she just wanted to seek answers from him to enrich her own experience.
There must be a reason why Kong did this, but I am stupid and I still need some advice before I can figure it out.
"Any first contact is always accompanied by hostility and vigilance. In the long history of human colonization, purely benevolent contacts are rare. Miss March, we must establish a common enemy that is hated by both sides, so that we can quickly reach a consensus, skip some suspicions, and reduce vigilance."
Kong had no intention of whetting Sanyue's appetite, but Befa explained before him. It seemed that she had a unique understanding of the task of "protecting Sanyueqi" assigned to her by Kong, and she also offered teaching services as a gift.
"Eh, is that so?" March was still a little confused.
Kong walked straight towards the rift and added two more sentences, "That's right. And we have to make sure we don't become the party that is 'rescued' when we meet the enemy. This will put us at a disadvantage during negotiations. In summary, we should pick the weak ones and find a rift with a low energy level reaction and not many creatures around it to trigger it."
The casual words seemed to completely ignore the possibility of the creatures in the Rift Realm taking care of each other. It was so tough after opening the map - Kong's eyes condensed and he returned to the aiming posture.
"Get ready, Little March, give our local friends a little train-set shock, but be careful not to hurt them by mistake."
"Yes!"
Sanyue, who was drawing the bow and arrow, looked a little more serious.
Although Old Yang Jizi had been teaching them when she took them on missions before, there was still a big gap compared to Kong's way of trying to teach them something every moment.
Worthy of being called a “teacher”.
……
"Captain Jeppard, the reconnaissance team has confirmed the direction of the small-scale avalanche that just occurred. We did not find the blue-haired main culprit, but we did find a group of armed citizens fighting against the Rift Creatures!"
"Armed citizens? What are armed citizens?" Upon hearing the strange words, a moment of confusion flashed across the blond garrison officer's face, which was as strong and handsome as a knight in a traditional RPG game.
"I'm sorry, sir. The scouts are not sure what to call them, because their equipment is completely different from that of the Iron Guards, and they don't look like a gang of thieves. They use sets of ancient relics, and their weapons are sophisticated and standardized. Please decide whether we need to intervene."
"…Since they are fighting the Rift Creatures, we cannot just sit there and do nothing. We should go and help them immediately. After we defeat the Rift Creatures, we can ask them why they are active nearby."
"Yes."
"I'll take more people with me, but according to your description, the criminal gang can't have such good equipment and morale. Be careful, and the remaining team should be prepared. If the team I take with me is attacked, return to Beloberg immediately to report and ask for help—"
"receive!!"
These soldiers, wearing armor and clearly possessing some remnant technology from the interstellar era, but also equipped with a mixture of guns, cannons and cold weapons like a medieval legion, quickly headed for the scene of the incident under the command of the blond garrison officer.
This area is not the most active area of the Rift, but generally smart people - Jeppard specifically refers to those who can survive on the snowfield - will not take the initiative to challenge the Rift.
With more than 150 people, the garrison officer rushed to the location of the avalanche. From a distance, they saw the sight of red beams streaking through the snow fog. Different from the weapons equipped by the Silver Mane Iron Guards and autonomous robots, it looked more deterrent. With a strange whistling sound like compressed gas being ejected, the white mist continued to rise, and several humanoid monsters with slightly stiff bodies were hit and fell down in an instant. Their heads made of ice crystals could not gain them even a little extra protection.
Those monsters are the “old rivals” of the Silvermane Iron Guard. They imitate the shadows of the past Iron Guards, wandering in the material world and bringing panic and destruction. Although their powers have been weakened, their numbers are huge, and it seems that they can never be completely killed.
These tricky enemies were rapidly retreating under the overwhelming attack of the opposing team.
The Iron Guard, who had just found the reverse slope for close observation, put down the telescope, turned around and made a gesture to Jeppard's troops to suggest that they stop marching.
He seemed certain that those men were capable of handling the Rift on their own.
But just as he turned around, a humanoid Rift Creature rushed over from the reverse slope, holding its battle axe high. It locked onto the Iron Guards behind the slope without even visual contact, then crossed the hill and smashed down at the scout who had not adjusted his posture in time.
Jeppard's pupils shrank, but at this distance his ability was not enough to protect the soldier. He hurriedly rushed forward two steps, shouting at him to be careful of sneak attacks, trying to save him.
But a bright green light fell from the sky, like leaves scattered in the forest in the legend, and fell between the scout and the monster of the Rift.
"boom!!"
The man in the gray-brown tactical uniform smashed the running monster into pieces with one spear. The splashing debris also scratched the part of the Iron Guard's skin that was not completely protected by the helmet, leaving bloody marks.