Chapter 232 - 98: Making Friends Through Martial Arts

「Inside the space elevator.」

Lone Ranger resignedly strapped himself into his seat, then spoke to his shadow. "Making me suffer again, huh?"

"How can you call it suffering?" said Duan Fei, hidden in Lone Ranger’s shadow. "With Attributes as high as yours, who else would we give such a dangerous mission to?"

"Duan Fei, don’t talk."

"Afraid you’ll be captivated by my heavenly voice?"

"No. I can restrain myself when you’re quiet. The moment you open your mouth, I just want to punch you."

This world had already uncovered some of the secrets of electromagnetism. Directed electromagnetic forces were already being applied, and the space elevator was one such application.

The space elevator and the orbiting space station were locked in a mutual, counter-spiraling relationship. Their gravitational and repulsive forces only affected one another. Upon activation, they would generate continuous acceleration and deceleration to transport the elevator to its destination.

When the countdown ended, Lone Ranger immediately dissolved into smoke. The massive space elevator was launched by a powerful electromagnetic force, and once it reached mid-air, it was caught by the orbiting space station.

The electromagnetic force released by the station acted like a tether, capturing the car and accelerating it further, fighting against the planet’s gravity as it sped toward outer space.

The five-thousand-kilometer journey was over in the blink of an eye. As the elevator approached the station, the attractive force converted into a repulsive one, allowing the car to decelerate rapidly and finally enter the space station.

Once the space elevator finished docking, the car’s doors opened. A group of Starlink Company executives stood outside, looking as if they’d just eaten shit as they glared at Lone Ranger inside.

Inside the car, Lone Ranger had returned to his human form. The members of the Salted Fish Squad materialized from within him, then filed out one by one.

Each of them was dressed to the nines in a suit. The terrifying muscles on Bartender and Anna made them look like bona fide thugs in suits, a particularly conspicuous sight in the futuristic space station.

Duan Fei, who led the group, adjusted his tie. He turned to Lone Ranger, who stood beside him in a matching suit, and said, "I have to admit, you actually look a little handsome in a suit."

"The way you talk is disgusting. Can you please stop?" Lone Ranger said, frowning.

"I give you a rare compliment, and you get all shy?"

"Your compliments are cheap and laced with ulterior motives. Hearing one just makes me feel like I’m about to be sold out again."

Duan Fei squinted at Lone Ranger. ’Seems this guy got a little smarter. He won’t be as easy to mess with from now on.’

’Lone Ranger, you just lost a favorability point with me. Don’t be so smart in the future.’

After that brief moment of reflection, Duan Fei quickly turned his attention to his surroundings.

The massive space station was like a self-contained corporate campus. Throngs of Starlink Company employees lined both sides of the corridor, glaring at the newcomers with hostile expressions.

For a corporation like Starlink, losing one war was no great catastrophe. But being forced to give the victors a tour of their headquarters after the defeat... The humiliation was worse than France’s six-week surrender.

However, Duan Fei couldn’t be bothered to rub it in. He had more important things to do.

At the end of the corridor, the robotic president of Starlink stood in a doorway. His lips slowly peeled back into a demonic smile.

"Welcome, victors. Should I kneel to offer my greetings?"

"That won’t be necessary," Duan Fei said, waving his hand dismissively. "After a corporate war, the victor gets to make demands of the loser, correct?"

"Correct."

"We want to see the Level 9 Citizen. Please arrange it for us."

The Starlink president was not at all surprised by Duan Fei’s request.

After telling a subordinate to make the arrangements, he stripped off his outer clothes, revealing a lean, muscular physique.

"I’ve already submitted the request for you. Whether it’s approved is up to Lord Zero. And I, as Lord Zero’s guard, will not allow you to pass."

"But we already won the war!"

"Apologies. Just a moment ago, I resigned from my position as president of Starlink Company. I am now merely a humble guard. So come. You’ll have to pass over my dead body."

As Lear was about to step forward to face the guard, who had already assumed a fighting stance, Hyena walked up and said quietly, "I’ll take him."

The guard was somewhat surprised to see Hyena approach.

But he was even more surprised when he saw the stance Hyena took.

"Mecha Technique... How do you know it?"

"Don’t you?" Hyena replied.

"I learned the Mecha Technique from Lord Zero. Where did you learn it?"

Hyena glanced at the Illusion beside him and smiled faintly. "So did I."

The area was cleared. The two men bowed to each other, then closed the distance.

Mecha Technique was a martial art that integrated muscle and breath.

As a Sword Master, Lear’s assessment of this martial art was "Unity of Heaven and Man."

It fused the modernity of artificial muscles with the natural attributes of the human body, perfectly integrating technology with Ancient Martial Arts to form an elegant yet brutally effective fighting style.

Pulling Duan Fei and Lone Ranger aside, Lear said to them, "Watch closely. A duel between two masters of the Mecha Technique... This might be the only time you ever see something like this. You need to commit it to memory."

"Don’t worry. I’ll burn it into my memory," Lone Ranger said with a nod.

"No need to remember it, I’ll just record it," Duan Fei said, pulling out his phone.

Noticing them both staring at him, Duan Fei brandished the phone. "Ultra-high definition, high frame rate. I guarantee you’ll be able to see every single nose hair."

The solemn atmosphere from a moment ago evaporated, leaving Lear speechless and Lone Ranger wondering why his squad leader had to be such a degenerate.

’You could have just recorded it secretly! Why did you have to announce it and ruin the mood?!’

In the makeshift arena, Hyena and the guard didn’t notice what was happening on the sidelines.

Their senses were heightened to an unbelievable degree. The mecha muscles in their bodies were perfectly synchronized with their breathing, to the point where their very breaths began to resonate with one another.

Every glance was a probe, every surge of power an entanglement. When Hyena stepped forward and they finally clashed, the instant their palms met, a tremendous boom rang out, followed by a sound like the sharp crack of a whip.

One strike was parried, only for another to follow. They both launched kicks in nearly the exact same manner, their legs colliding in mid-air with a thunderous CRACK.

They fought like mirror images, their Power clashing, dissipating, re-condensing, and clashing again in an endless cycle.

At this point, victory and defeat were no longer important. They both saw a familiar style in the other’s techniques, and with every exchange of blows, they could sense the other’s state of mind.

It was after a direct clash of fists that the Close Guard finally froze.

Hundreds of blows had been exchanged, leaving them both battered and bruised. But it had also led the Close Guard to a stunning realization.

He looked at the equally exhausted and battered Hyena before him and spoke in utter disbelief, "Lord Zero?"