Masquerade

Ye Chong was surprised at the sight of the crowd of pedestrians on the street. Considering how the Black Cove is located in the corner of the galaxy, and the hassle to get here, one would have expected it to have the least population, but it turned out to be the other way around. The interior of S.S. Zhi Lan was rather spacious so Ye Chong did not feel claustrophobic. Overwhelmed by curiosity, he could not stop examining every nook and cranny of that place – the same as he entered the virtual world the first time.

In the midst of the fun-filled exploration, there seemed to be a fiasco up front. He hastened his steps and joined the chaotic crowd. Apparently, an overweight man dressed exquisitely was arguing with an elderly. His oily face expressed anger and frustration while the brawny man by his side seemed like his personal bodyguard. He had a cocky look on his face as he pushed the elderly, and was pretty self-absorbed too. His actions were merely because his boss was enraged. The bodyguard wielded great strength. The poor elderly lost his balance and landed on his bottom.

The man was agitated and berated the bodyguard.

The elderly did not mutter a word. He just stood up and snickered while the man quickly forced a smile back. The elderly remained silent, and the man sweated profusely; his fleshy cheeks twitched over time as he continued to force a smile.

A rumbling sound of an engine could be heard out of the blue. “Who’s the one causing trouble here?”

Ye Chong shuddered as he did not sense the sneaky arrival right behind him. Imagine if the person were to assassinate Ye Chong – that would be a nasty one to deal with! This person is strong! Encountering such power minutes after his arrival, he definitely did not see this coming. He felt excited! Compared to the electrifying adventure he had before, a field of strong opponents was much more preferable. The Black Cove sure is a better place for me!

He hardly encountered any formidable opponent ever since he left Trash Planet-12. Disregarding opponents of any kind, he still could tell there were flaws in them. A kind of fragility either in their physique, skills or mentality which was such a turn-off to Ye Chong’s battle will. He only had a simple request –to become stronger. In his mindset, strength was the only factor to guarantee his life and determine his fate.

A man wearing a black mask stormed in. The mask was smooth in texture, and glowing in gentle linings. His facial features were mellow; the nose and lips were well-rounded while the eyes were decorated with intricate silver, giving off a dynamic visual. The mask exerted some kind of strange force that made people lower their gazes at the sight of it. The cloak that was as dark as night exuded a sense of mystery and unworldliness.

Sweat trickled down the man’s forehead.

The man behind the mask was Johansson and he felt agitated at the commotion. How dare the people cause trouble while he was on duty!

Looking at the situation, Johansson deduced in his mind what probably had happened. He shot an icy glance at the man; a piercing gaze that sent shivers down the man’s spine. He sweated extensively and fear was clearly plastered on his face which intensified afterwards.

Johansson held his hand up to stop the man from speaking as he was too lazy to interrogate or to even communicate with the man. He walked straight to the side of the wall and tapped a few buttons. A hologram display popped out of the wall, and replayed the incident.

“I’m impressed.” The inhospitality in Johansson’s voice was eminent, “You people are actually brave enough to defy the law of zero violence in the Black Cove. So, do you want to come with me… or do you want a fight instead?”

The brawny bodyguard beside the man did not seem to care. His lips curved into a wry smile of disdain. The masked man before him seemed too petite to bring any harm; so frail it looked as if the masked guy could be sent flying with a punch. He was puzzled by his boss’ irrational fear of the masked man. What could an elderly and a puny masked man do?

Meanwhile, Ye Chong was cautiously watching the masked man. He could be considered as a dangerous individual judging by how he managed to sneak in without being noticed. He must have something up his sleeves! Ye Chong had a keen sense of hearing as well as his other senses. There was not a time where he failed to notice anyone coming close to him. His strength could not be justified through his frail physique, and lack of defined muscles. Men with such physique were able to throw great punches too, like Ye Chong himself!

Johansson sneered under his mask. The corners of his lips curled into a broad contemptuous smile.

Everyone was blinded by a sudden flash of light but only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow lurking near. The bodyguard held his abdomen whimpering, and his face distorted in pain. He could barely let out a cry. His expression twisted in agony while his body caved into the pain, and eventually he fainted and collapsed on the ground. He did not speak a word.

Ye Chong’s heart skipped a beat; flustered by what he had witnessed. I could be taken down anytime! That was the first time Ye Chong encountered someone who could travel as fast as him. He saw everything clearly, the whole sequence of action –the masked man sprinted to the front of the bodyguard, and sprung a kick right into the bodyguard. His leg was like a dagger drawn from its sheath. It felt like a mere tap on the man’s body as he backed off like phantom after delivering the blow.

Ye Chong’s back was already wet from the stream of cold sweats!

Johansson humph in dissatisfaction, and walked towards the bodyguard who had been taught his lesson of the day.

“Hold it!” A person shouted from the crowd.

Johansson’s eyes discerned the one who shouted. He raised his eyebrows. Such an ordinary looking boy. Yet, he stood out like a sore thumb from the crowd. Like the big bad wolf in a group of sheep! A man from the crowd walked too close for comfort to the boy but he reflexively adjusted his body right away; just enough to avoid his attack! Johansson was taken aback by surprise of course. Such swiftness! He continued to observe the boy and felt astonished. The boy was actually in a much different stance than the others. He stood in a way which was easier for him to lunge into an attack when threatened while others in the crowd was standing with ease; this tiny detail set him apart from regular people.

The boy had a balanced physique. He did not have a set of bulky muscles anywhere. Johansson judged based on him experiences. He knew Ye Chong was not as weak as he appeared to be. In fact, he was as potent as Johansson himself. Johansson was well aware of the potential terror a boy like him could bring. Nevertheless, Johansson was confused. A body of his built requires a certain type of training which was not known by anybody else outside the Black Cove supposedly. If that was the case, how was it possible that a complete outsider possess a physique of such kind? Did he spy on their training process? Impossible! The coaching of this place is one-of-a-kind; there would not be a chance for outsiders like him to learn by just peeking! In fact, not only does it call for a special skillset, it also requires other supplementary acts to be taken. If not, it impossible to stop the muscles from enlarging!

The people around Ye Chong quickly distanced themselves from him like he was Satan or something from the underworld. But this made it easy for Ye Chong to move.

Ye Chong took a deep breath and immediately grabbed the optimal rhythm for his breather.

Johansson’s heart quivered and shifted his step gently a little to the left to face Ye Chong in the face.

Johansson made up his mind. By hook or by crook, this strange boy before him must be arrested and handed over to Instructor Hak. The instructor shall show special care to this boy; a session of detailed interrogation. We must know who this boy is and where he came from!

Ye Chong alarmingly stared at the masked man. The right leg of his which formerly right beside his left went backwards much more, about a distance of two feet, while his left knee bent way more! His feet that were placed side by side were now two feet apart on guard.

“So it was you I supposed? The one who spoke up.” Johansson asked coldly. His tone was glazed with ice; more hostile than when he spoke to the bodyguard.

Everyone in the crowd could sense how frigid the atmosphere had turned, as if time was frozen. The pressure exerted in space… they couldn’t breathe!