The Only Ultimate Alpha in the Universe - Chapter 17

Zhiyang Star.

It was the peak of midsummer. The sun in the sky hung like a burning sphere of iron, its scorching rays nearly igniting every speck of dust in the air.

For the following period, Xiao Sa stayed within Duan Feng’s base, barely stepping foot outside. The solar radiation outside was simply too intense; even with his entire body wrapped tightly in a black cloak, his skin could still feel a faint, stinging pain.

Xiao Sa did not idle, however. Aside from immersing himself in learning the Empire’s language and knowledge from Hainuo, he spent time daily practicing meditation and occasionally performed simple mental sea combings for Duan Feng and others.

The rest of his time was spent in the Arena.

A victory in the Rookie Room earned ten points. Terminating a match midway yielded no points, while a loss resulted in no deduction. Only after accumulating one hundred points was a player eligible to sign up for the Ladder Arena qualifiers. Furthermore, a ten-match winning streak was required to unlock the formal Ranking Matches.

Xiao Sa refreshed several opponents in the Rookie Room, but to his surprise, once they saw the ID above his head and recognized the “Black-Clad Knight” avatar, they would either surrender immediately or perform a technical logout. This made Xiao Sa’s subsequent battles incredibly dull. It took a long time to finally gather enough points to shed his rookie status.

Inside the base’s master bedroom, Xiao Sa was performing a final mental combing for Duan Feng. The latter lay in a therapy chair. After this period of treatment and recovery, the majority of the ugly scales on his previously beast-like legs had peeled away. The webbed skin between his toes had cracked and molted, and his sharp claws had gradually returned to the semi-arched shape of human nails.

Though he still could not walk freely, standing upright for short periods was no longer a problem.

Xiao Sa wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded to him. “As long as you don’t continue to excessively use your mental power over a long period, your life should no longer be in danger.”

“I am deeply grateful to you, sir,” Duan Feng said with feeling, patting his knee. A small octopus appeared on his shoulder, its size having notably increased since Xiao Sa first saw it as a hatchling. It extended two long tentacles and waved a greeting at Xiao Sa, who looked away in disdain—bald, slimy, and hairless; he didn’t like it at all.

Xiao Sa placed several vials of recently produced, diluted inhibitor on the table and said neutrally, “I intend to leave this place and head for the Central Star.”

Duan Feng had expected this and nodded. “I’ve already had the tickets and cabin arranged. The earliest flight is tomorrow. Since my legs are still difficult to move, I’ll have Deken escort you to the Starport.” He paused. “If you ever have need of my strength in the future, just give the word.”

Xiao Sa skipped the pleasantries and nodded directly. “Actually, there is something I need your help with.”

Duan Feng’s spirit lifted. Whether as a former Imperial soldier or a current space pirate, he never liked owing favors, especially life-saving ones. However, the requests Xiao Sa had made previously were far too insignificant. He sat up slightly straighter and made a gesture for him to continue. “Please, speak your mind.”

Xiao Sa thought for a moment before speaking slowly. “I have become separated from my people. They might be stranded on other planets, and I cannot search for them alone. Since you are pirates, you must navigate the universe frequently. Therefore, I want to ask you to help me find word of my people’s whereabouts.”

Duan Feng agreed immediately. “No problem. How do we identify your kin?”

Xiao Sa replied with a serious face without hesitation: “They are all as handsome as I am.”

Duan Feng: “…”

He cleared his throat and tried a different approach. “I mean, do you have images, or other distinct characteristics?”

Xiao Sa shook his head at first, then remembered something. “There are no images, but… their mental power levels are all quite high, and none of them possess a mental entity.”

Duan Feng froze, his brow furrowing secretly. So it’s a family-inherited mental disability. That was indeed rare, but how could their mental power levels be high? “I understand. I’ll have my men keep a lookout. If we find any clues, I will tell you immediately.”

The next day.

Deken drove the aircraft himself, escorting Xiao Sa to the Starport.

The afternoon sun was still relentless. Xiao Sa, ignoring the heat, wore long black clothes, sunglasses, a mask, and a hooded black cloak over everything. The aircraft glided low over the steel ruins of the suburbs. Through the window, the vast desert stretched into the distance, with distorted steam rising in the intense heat.

“Mr. Alpha, a bit further and we’ll have to switch to ground driving,” Deken’s loud voice boomed like a bell.

Xiao Sa propped his face on one hand, watching the monotonous scenery outside with boredom. He turned his head. “Why?”

Deken pulled the lever, preparing to descend. “The area ahead isn’t our territory. It’s a mix of different groups and criminal organizations. An aircraft is too conspicuous; it’s not safe…”

To his surprise, before he could finish his sentence, the aircraft’s radar began to alarm frantically. A mini-warhead struck the wing in the next second. The vessel shook violently, shrouded in a large plume of thick smoke as it began to lurch downward.

“Cursed bastards! Sir, get your head down!” Deken spat out the smoke from his mouth. Using mental power to replace his hands, he operated the console to stabilize the descent while pulling out his side-carried laser gun. He propped it against the window and began a fierce counterattack.

The sheer practiced ease of the process suggested he frequently engaged in skirmishes with nearby factions. The aircraft skidded across the road for a long distance, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand. Not far away, light-armored off-road vehicles blocked every intersection in their path.

Deken’s expression turned grim. “This isn’t right. Usually, attacks are just harassment. This is a deliberate blockade.”

He directed another squad leader to take the wheel and looked back at Xiao Sa, warning him sternly: “Sir, stay in the car and do not come out. I’ll have Old Eight find a chance to get you away. The rest of you, follow me out to hold them off!”

Without waiting for Xiao Sa’s answer, he pulled out equipment stored beneath the seats and quickly armed himself along with his men. By the time they left the aircraft, Deken and his group were encased in dark gray external power exoskeletons, leading several armed off-road vehicles in another direction.

However, Deken’s plan soon fell through.

At some point, a dozen more flying cars arrived from the intersections. Dozens of burly, fierce-looking men stepped out. Each wore an external power exoskeleton and carried firearms of various sizes. These men were all desperate, vicious criminals, and at their feet were various combat mental entities: snakes, wolves, hounds, eagles… a dazzling array of mutated flora and fauna.

Old Eight stared out the window in shock. “The leader is from the Ross Club. How do they have so many fully armed men? It’s not just one gang! They really went all out for us!”

External power exoskeletons could be seen as a simplified, miniature version of combat armor. The steel frame attached to the human limbs and torso, significantly increasing strength and protecting fragile flesh. Such equipment was expensive; not even everyone in the Duan Feng Pirate Group had one.

The Ross Club? The local gang I beat up last time?

Xiao Sa observed the enemies before him with cold indifference. There was no need to ask; nine times out of ten, these people were here for him.

The leader of the Ross Club was a tall, thin middle-aged man who stepped out of his car flanked by his subordinates. Though he looked thin, his strength was immense. He gripped someone by the collar and casually threw them onto the ground.

“Is the person in that car the mental healer you mentioned who can produce high-concentration B-grade inhibitors?”

That person turned out to be the manager from the auction house who had previously sold Xiao Sa’s inhibitors. His face was a patchwork of bruises, and one arm hung at a broken angle. He pointed a trembling finger toward Xiao Sa: “Yes, yes, that’s him. Those people with him are Duan Feng’s men.”

The leader of the Ross Club nodded. He walked to the window of a black off-road vehicle and bowed respectfully, whispering a few words to the person actually in charge inside the car.

Then, he raised a megaphone and shouted at Xiao Sa: “Mr. Alpha, we of the Ross Club have no intention of making an enemy of you. No matter what Duan Feng offered you, we can double it. You need only ask.”

The aircraft Xiao Sa was in remained silent; no one bothered to respond.

The leader let out a cold laugh. “Duan Feng’s injuries are severe. He might be dead in a few days and won’t be able to protect you for long. Since you’ve ended up on this lower-class planet, you likely have nowhere else to go. You should understand the principle that ‘an innocent man gets into trouble because of the treasure he carries.'”

His judgment wasn’t inaccurate. Most mental healers held high social status because they were backed by the Royal Association or Great Noble families. Lone healers existed, but they were invariably coerced or enticed into serving specific organizations.

On a lower-class planet where the law of the jungle prevailed, coercion was always more effective than enticement—and far more naked.

The leader licked his dry lips, his eyes fixed on the aircraft. He was different from Duan Feng, who obsessed over principles and morality. The profit represented by a healer who could produce 90% concentration B-grade inhibitors was simply too immense. Xiao Sa was a literal money tree enough of a reason for him to persuade the other gangs to set aside their feuds and seize him together.

As for Xiao Sa’s opinion? That didn’t matter. Beyond their gift for healing, what combat power did healers have? If the leader was happy, he’d give the man some face and treat him well; if not, there were always whips.

“Bullshit! You’re the one who’s going to die! Our Boss is doing great. Once he’s healed, he’ll gun you down easily!” Deken had no patience for the chatter. He grabbed his weapon and opened fire.

These dregs of society weren’t fit to be mentioned in the same breath as his Boss. Though they were pirates, they were former military; they sought fortune, not senseless murder. They weren’t on the same path as these human stains.

The leader snorted. “Do it. Kill everyone except the healer, I want him alive.”

At his command, both sides opened fire. The roar of mini-cannons echoed across the plains, and bullets flew through the rising yellow sand. Following the gunfire came the bizarre and colorful skills of various mental entities snakes, wolves, dogs, eagles, a chaotic, dazzling display.

While Duan Feng’s group were well-trained elites with far better coordination than the gang members and mercenaries, they were outnumbered ten to one. They quickly began to falter under the sheer weight of the opposition.

Old Eight gritted his teeth. “Sir, keep your head down. I’ll get us out of here. We’ve sent the signal; reinforcements from the base will be here soon. We need to go… Sir???”

He turned around. Xiao Sa, who had been sitting in the back seat just a moment ago, was gone.

The sun was high.

Xiao Sa had no desire to fight under the blistering daylight, but there were always people without eyes who insisted on seeking death.

He glanced up at the sun radiating heat and light, rubbed his right wrist, and pulled a pair of black silk gloves from his pocket. He put them on, determined to keep his skin covered.

[Xiao Sa, I’ve detected other armed forces nearby. Suspected to be the security forces from the Central District. The signal source is in the back seat of the car next to the enemy leader.]

Hainuo’s timely reminder made a cold smile play on Xiao Sa’s lips. No wonder they were so bold; it was collusion between officials and criminals.

Several enemies had noticed him. Their steel exoskeletons stepped heavily onto the sand as they led their mental entities to surround him.

“Hey kid, our leader thinks highly of you. Don’t be ungrateful, or you’ll suffer later.”

One, two, three… Xiao Sa counted. Nearly twenty men were coming his way.

“This isn’t the arena. Being without a weapon is a bit of a disadvantage, but…” Xiao Sa stood his ground. The shadows of the approaching enemies were reflected in his amber eyes behind his sunglasses.

Finally, a snarling spotted leopard pounced at him with lightning speed. He could clearly see the serrated edges of its sharp teeth.

“Hands up. Don’t move.” The leopard’s master pointed a laser rifle directly at the bridge of Xiao Sa’s nose.

Xiao Sa shifted his body slightly, raised his hand, and delivered a swift, heavy punch to the creature’s neck. Then, he grabbed the leopard by the tail, swung it like a top, and slammed it into its master’s chest.

The next second, gunfire rang out, kicking up dust where he had been standing. Xiao Sa had already vanished.

The leopard’s owner felt a blur before his eyes, followed by agonizing pain in his arm. His steel exoskeleton felt as if it were caught in a vise, being pried backward against the joint bit by bit.

A lazy, magnetic voice whispered near his ear: “But it’s okay. My enemies are my armory.”

“You!” The man only managed one syllable before the steel arm was snapped clean off.

“Awoo—!” The spotted leopard crashed to the ground, its head pinned down by Xiao Sa’s high-top boot.

It tried to struggle, but a thick scent of tequila suddenly assaulted its nose—aggressive, fierce, and arrogant. The leopard’s eyes widened, and its howling stopped instantly.

Xiao Sa leaned down, patted the leopard’s head, and gave a wicked smile. “Nice texture. I happen to need a pair of leopard-print gloves.”

Leopard: “?!!”

Xiao Sa snatched the laser rifle the man had dropped, still keeping his foot on the terrified leopard.

“Hainuo, block that signal source. Don’t let their reinforcements arrive. Can you do it?”

[No problem!]

Amidst the flying dust and yellow sand, Xiao Sa’s black cloak billowed. His hood fell back, revealing short, neat dark brown hair and a pair of sharp, arrogant eyes. An invisible mental domain expanded from beneath his feet. He took off his sunglasses, bit the edge of his glove to pull it tight, and stared coldly at the stunned enemies.

“Let’s make this quick. I have a flight to catch.”

The leader of the Ross Club never dreamed that after convincing three gangs to join him and even winning over the Minister of Inhibitor Rationing from the Central District, the result would be his men getting their heads handed to them.

Who could tell him why a mental healer possessed such terrifying physical power?

He wanted to retreat, but he had spent a lot of money to mobilize this many people. If he didn’t bring the healer back, it would all be for nothing.

Xiao Sa floored two more mercenaries and tossed a depleted weapon aside. Bodies were already strewn across the sand around him. The crowd further away no longer dared to approach, only firing occasional potshots from a distance.

With Xiao Sa’s powerful support, the pressure on Deken and his men lessened significantly. They were now in absolute awe of him. “Lord Alpha, just hold on a bit longer! Our reinforcements are coming!”

“Mhm,” Xiao Sa replied noncommittally, though he was secretly anxious.

The solar rays were too strong. This was an open area with no buildings to provide shade. His palms were sweating, his heart rate was climbing, and his mental power was draining like water. He was nearly at his limit for maintaining his mental domain.

Hainuo’s voice rang in his ear: [Xiao Sa, ten unknown combat flyers are approaching rapidly from the east. They’ll be here in three minutes. They aren’t from any local signal source.]

“Ten flyers? From the east?” Xiao Sa frowned. No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t fly without a mech and couldn’t take on combat flyers barehanded. If they weren’t from Duan Feng’s base, were they enemies?

After taking down another enemy, Xiao Sa felt a rush of air. Instinctively, he rolled to the side as a wave of heat brushed past him. It was a “Gold-thread Rat” with a self-destruct talent. He dodged the blast, but his cloak was shredded into rags.

“Tsk, what a pain.” Xiao Sa’s gaze darkened. Without the cloak, the burning sensation from the sun intensified. His vision blurred, and he suddenly swayed, dropping to one knee as if his battery had run dry.

The Ross Club leader, who had been on the verge of despair, lit up with joy. “Quick! Charge! He’s at his limit! He can’t keep going!”

He knew there was no such thing as an invincible freak. Nothing encourages men more than hope in a moment of desperation. The remaining gang elites and mercenaries gritted their teeth and charged. Gunfire and lasers filled the air. Even the mental entities, previously too terrified to move, lunged forward at their masters’ urging.

Under Deken’s cover, Xiao Sa fixed his eyes on that black off-road vehicle outside the main battlefield. It seemed he would have to take a final, risky gamble—

Just as he was about to make his move, two rows of combat flyers dove from the sky. Machine-gun fire rained down like a storm, shredding the Ross Club’s vehicles and sending men flying.

Dozens of ground mechs leaped from the flyers, trailing streaks of blue flame.

Among them, a three-meter-tall black-and-gold mech took the lead. It streaked toward the center of the crowd, its streamlined frame gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sun.

The black-and-gold mech slammed into the ground, landing precisely in front of Xiao Sa. Amidst the rising sand, its thick mechanical legs dropped into a half-kneel, and a mechanical arm was gently extended toward him.

A deep, cold, and sharp voice rang out from the cockpit:

“Who dares to bully you?”

Xiao Sa: “…?”

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