Challenge Tournament?

"The conversion has begun," Luo Wen said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Now we need to channel the converted energy into the shield system."

He entered the final set of commands on the console, connecting the converter to the ship’s main defense system. A few seconds later, good news came through the ship’s broadcast system:

"Shield energy rising. Current energy level: 56%… 62%… 70%…"

The three exchanged looks, victorious smiles appearing on their faces.

"Success!" Thor exclaimed, pumping his fist. "We did it!"

"Don’t celebrate too soon," Hong warned. "We still need to maintain this state until the ship passes through the edge of the Chaotic Star System."

Luo Wen continued monitoring the converter’s operation. "Everything is normal so far. Energy conversion efficiency is stable at around 85%. If nothing else goes wrong, we should be able to pass through the Chaotic Star System safely."

However, just as they breathed a sigh of relief, the equipment bay door was violently thrown open. Ying stood in the doorway, his expression terrifyingly grim, with two fully armed security personnel behind him.

"I knew it was you!" Ying roared, his energy gun aimed directly at Luo Wen. "Activating unauthorized equipment without permission—do you have any idea what consequences that could bring?"

Thor immediately stepped in front of Luo Wen. "Ying, have you gone crazy? We just saved the entire ship! Can’t you see that the shield energy has already recovered?"

Ying remained completely unmoved. "This isn’t something you should have decided on your own. That converter is still in its experimental stage and hasn’t undergone sufficient testing. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"If we hadn’t done this," Luo Wen retorted, "the ship’s shields would have collapsed within ten minutes. All of us would have been torn apart by the spatial turbulence of the Chaotic Star System. We were saving lives, not taking risks!"

Ying gave a cold laugh. "Saving lives? Or trying to get close to that stone box? Don’t think I don’t know your purpose, Luo Wen. From the moment you appeared in the cargo hold, I knew you had other intentions."

Hong frowned. "Captain Ying, you seem overly concerned about that stone box. Logically, we’re only responsible for escorting it. We don’t need to care about the cargo’s exact contents. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Ying asked warily.

"Unless you know what’s inside that stone box, and care deeply about its safety," Hong said, staring straight into Ying’s eyes. "More deeply than you care about the safety of the ship and its crew."

Ying’s gaze flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. "Nonsense. My responsibility is to ensure the mission is completed smoothly, including protecting the cargo and maintaining the ship’s safety. Your unauthorized actions constitute a serious violation and must be punished."

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the ship’s broadcast system sounded again:

"Attention. Spatial turbulence intensity has weakened. The ship has successfully passed through the edge of the Chaotic Star System. Shield energy is stable at 85%. Thank you for your cooperation. The emergency has been lifted."

Thor looked at Ying smugly. "Did you hear that? We succeeded. If we hadn’t activated that converter, everyone might already be space debris."

Ying seemed to hesitate briefly before finally lowering his energy gun. "No matter what, your actions still violated regulations. Let it go this time, but I will record this incident in my report. And…" He fixed his gaze on Luo Wen in particular. "Don’t go near that cargo hold again, or suffer the consequences."

With that, Ying left the equipment bay with his security personnel. Once the door closed, the three finally let out a breath of relief.

"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" Thor said resentfully. "We obviously saved everyone, yet he doesn’t have a shred of gratitude."

Hong spoke thoughtfully. "Ying’s behavior is indeed suspicious. His attitude toward that stone box goes far beyond the concern required for a normal mission. I suspect he may know some unspeakable secret hidden within it."

Luo Wen nodded. "And he seems especially hostile toward me, as if I’m a thorn in his side. But strangely enough, I really do feel some kind of connection to that stone box, even though I don’t remember ever seeing anything like it."

"Either way," Thor said, patting Luo Wen on the shoulder, "the crisis is over for now. We should return to our posts and get some rest. That turbulence took quite a bit out of us."

Hong agreed. "Yes, and we need to remain vigilant. Ying may have let us off for now, but he definitely won’t leave it at that. We’d better rest in shifts and make sure at least one person remains on guard."

After reaching an agreement, the three decided to return to the living quarters first. The ship was now cruising steadily, while the staff inspected every system to ensure everything was functioning properly. As they passed the main control room, they could see through the transparent bulkhead that Ying was talking with several crew members, his expression stern.

"Looks like he’s still angry about what happened," Thor whispered. "What an ungrateful bastard."

After returning to their resting cabins, the three decided to take turns resting. Hong volunteered to stand the first watch, while Thor and Luo Wen went to recover their strength.

Back in his sleeping pod, Luo Wen lay on the bed, yet he could not fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. Everything that had just happened replayed endlessly in his mind: that Mysterious Stone Box, Ying’s abnormal reaction, and the voice that had sounded in his head. It was all too strange, as if an invisible net were being woven around him, yet he could not see the whole shape of it.

Just as Luo Wen was about to sink into thought, the ship suddenly shook violently. A tremendous roar followed, as though something had struck the vessel. The alarm sounded once more:

"Warning. The ship is under attack. Suspected encounter with interstellar pirates. All combat personnel, report to your positions immediately and prepare for a possible boarding invasion."

Luo Wen sprang from the bed, quickly put on his combat suit, grabbed his energy weapon, and rushed out of the resting cabin. In the corridor, he ran into Thor, who was also fully armed.

"Pirates?" Luo Wen asked in surprise. "How could pirates be operating in this area?"

Thor’s expression was grave. "The area around the Chaotic Star System has always been pirate territory. They like to use the turbulence as cover to ambush merchant ships that have just passed through the Chaotic Star System. We were too focused on dealing with the spatial turbulence earlier and may have neglected scans of the surrounding area."

The two hurried toward the command center and encountered Hong on the way.

"How is it?" Luo Wen asked.

Hong looked serious. "Not good. According to the preliminary scan, three pirate ships are approaching us. They’re all light attack vessels with extremely high mobility, and their weapons appear to be quite formidable."

The three quickly arrived at the command center. Several crew members and security personnel had already gathered there. Ying stood before the central command console, issuing orders.

"Shields at full power. Energy weapons, stand by," Ying commanded calmly. "Communications team, try to contact nearby patrol ships and request support."

He noticed the arrival of Luo Wen and the other two, but only gave them a cold glance before continuing to direct the defense.

The main screen displayed the external situation: three black attack ships were approaching their vessel from different angles. Their vicious-looking hulls were covered in weapons systems. They were clearly modified combat ships.

"They’ve sent a message on the communications channel," a communications officer reported.

Ying nodded. "Put it through."

The main screen switched to a communication feed, revealing a burly man with a face covered in scars. He had a thick beard, savage eyes, and wore a hat decorated with a skull emblem.

"Well, well, look what we’ve caught," the pirate leader grinned, revealing several gold teeth. "A beautiful transport ship. Here’s the deal: hand over all your valuable cargo and equipment, and I might consider letting you leave alive."

Ying responded without expression. "This is a legally registered transport ship of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, protected by Imperial law. Attacking us without authorization will bring severe consequences."

The pirate leader burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Law? In this starfield, I am the law! You have one minute to consider. In one minute, I begin boarding operations. Believe me, you won’t want to experience what comes next."

After the communication was cut off, the command center fell into brief silence.

Thor stepped forward. "Ying, let the three of us handle them. We have more than enough strength to drive off these pirates."

Ying shook his head. "No need. The ship has sufficient defense systems and armed personnel. Besides, I’m not sure of your loyalty, especially after what happened earlier."

Luo Wen felt anger rise within him. "You’re still doubting us? At a time like this?"

Ying answered coldly, "Caution is never wrong. The three of you stay here and assist the crew with internal defense. I’ll handle the external threat."

With that, Ying walked toward the weapons storage room and began equipping himself. He put on a set of black combat armor, far more advanced than ordinary protective gear. It looked like high-end equipment reserved for Military special forces. He took a large energy rifle and several small Blast devices from the weapon rack, moving with the practiced ease of an experienced warrior.

Thor whispered to Luo Wen, "Looks like this captain isn’t just some ordinary escort. That suit alone is worth at least several million Cosmic Credits. It’s not something an ordinary person could get their hands on."

Hong nodded. "And his movements are highly professional, like he’s received specialized military training. This escort mission is probably not as simple as it seems."

Luo Wen was about to respond when the alarm sounded again.

"Warning. Multiple breach points detected. Pirates have begun boarding operations!"

The main screen switched to footage from the external cameras, showing several small landing craft approaching different parts of the ship. These landing craft were covered in cutting tools, clearly designed to forcibly cut through the ship’s hull.

"All defense personnel, take your positions," Ying ordered through the communicator. "Prepare for a multi-point invasion."

He turned to Luo Wen and the other two. "You stay in the command center and help defend this place. Everyone else, come with me."

Ying led several armed personnel out of the command center, heading for the expected breach points.

Luo Wen, Thor, and Hong exchanged looks, each seeing dissatisfaction and confusion in the others’ eyes.

"What the hell is this?" Thor grumbled under his breath. "The three of us are professionally trained escorts, yet we’re being left here to play babysitters?"

Hong analyzed the situation calmly. "Ying may not simply distrust us. He may also have his own agenda. I noticed that he deliberately avoided arranging defenses around the cargo hold—the exact place where that Mysterious Stone Box is stored."

Luo Wen looked thoughtful. "You mean he may care more about protecting that stone box than the safety of the ship and crew?"

Hong nodded. "Very likely. Considering his earlier reaction to the stone box, I suspect it contains something extremely important—perhaps priceless, perhaps incredibly dangerous."

Thor gritted his teeth. "So we’re just going to sit here and wait? Let that arrogant bastard deal with the pirates alone?"

"No," Luo Wen decided. "We’ll follow his arrangement and stay in the command center, but we’ll keep a close watch on the battle. If the situation gets out of control, then we’ll act. After all, everyone’s safety is what matters most."

The three agreed to the plan and began observing the battle through the command center’s surveillance system. Fierce gunfire had already begun erupting throughout the ship. The pirates had successfully boarded at multiple points and were engaged in intense exchanges of fire with the defenders.

The main screen split into several smaller windows, displaying live footage from different sections of the ship. Luo Wen noticed that Ying had gone alone to the most dangerous breach point—the main cargo hold. Five or six pirates had already rushed inside and were exchanging fire with the defenders.

"Is he insane?" Thor said in shock. "Charging at that many pirates alone?"

Yet what happened next left all three of them dumbfounded.

The moment Ying entered the cargo hold, he displayed astonishing combat ability. His movements were so fast they were almost impossible to see, his body leaving streaks of black afterimages in the air. Before the first pirate could even turn around, Ying shot him in the head, dropping him instantly. The second and third pirates opened fire at him simultaneously, but Ying dodged at an unbelievable speed while returning fire, striking both men precisely in their vital spots.

"This…" Luo Wen said in shock. "This is absolutely not the combat level of an ordinary escort."

Hong nodded, surprise flashing in his eyes. "His strength has reached at least genius level, perhaps even Cosmic-Level. That kind of speed and precision would make him a top contestant even in the Virtual Universe Company’s Challenge Tournament."

Thor’s eyes widened. "Challenge Tournament? You mean he might be one of the contestants?"

"Very likely," Hong said thoughtfully. "And judging by his fighting style, his training has been extremely systematic, like he was cultivated by a professional military force or a special organization."

On the screen, Ying had already dealt with five pirates and was confronting the last one. That pirate was clearly stronger than the others. He wore some kind of Enhancement combat suit and wielded two Energy Blades, his movements sharp and swift.

Yet even against such an opponent, Ying remained absolutely calm and in control. He lowered his energy rifle, drew a short blade from his waist, and engaged the pirate in close combat. The two moved like lightning. Amid flashing blades and shadows, the sound of metal clashing echoed continuously through the cargo hold.