The Mech Touch (Web Novel)
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chapter-6369
As a cat, Lucky had no interest in human politics.
That said, he spent enough time around Ves to know that he did not have the best relationship with the Hunting Association.
Even a cat could tell that there was something extremely suspicious about finding a Hunter as well as a strategically valuable Mentalist Crystal in the middle of a cosmopolitan flagship!
Lucky had no idea what purpose the Mentalist Crystal served, but he could guess that it was doing far more than just improving the performance of the strange crystalline processors.
As the Hunter looked ready to turn Lucky into his latest trophy, the gem cat was already thinking about trying to slip away.The cat had fallen for this kind of trap once before in the past, but he was much different from his past self!
After eating and digesting exceedingly precious materials such as ATC-A and EE-343F-00334R, Lucky had multiple ways to jump out of this trap.
He could either phase through the azure energy shields by force, or he could attempt to teleport his body a few hundred meters away!
Neither of these options were cheap, and Lucky would definitely expend a lot of energy in the process, but that was better than confronting this unusually strong and well-equipped Hunter!
Just as Lucky chose to phase through the multiple layers of azure energy shields by force, the Hunter standing on the other side of the data room made a surprising move. He deliberately relaxed his posture and put away his hunting equipment. A wrist port in his armored suit automatically folded and sucked in the trapping net. The Hunter also placed his javelin back in a storage port mounted on his back armor.
"You are Lucky, the mechanical pet that has accompanied Professor Ves Larkinson since he became a Novice Mech Designer."
Sensing that the Hunter did not seek to turn Lucky into a trophy, the cat minutely relaxed.Though he was still vigilant for any tricks, the gem cat was willing to give the mysterious Hunter the benefit of the doubt.
That was especially when the Hunter retracted his helmet, revealing a grizzled but confident human head.
"Meow."
"I am Soto Nil. I am a Titled Hunter recognized by the Hunting Association. My fellow
Hunters has seen fit to call me the Deep Wanderer, for my passion for solo hunting is so strong that I regularly cross into alien space in order to hunt exobeasts while evading detection from the native aliens. You cannot understand the thrill of completing a successful hunt and returning to human space while evading alien detection and pursuit."
Lucky tilted his feline head. Even for an adventurous cat like himself, that sounded crazy!
"Meow meow!"
"I do not understand your speech, but I have hunted enough exobeasts to infer what you mean. If you are asking why I am here, then I cannot offer you a straightforward answer. You will have to bring what you have learned back to your master so that he can attempt to solve this puzzle. I am willing to state that I am not your master's enemy. I may be riding on a cosmopolitan warship, but that does not mean I am a cosmopolitan myself. I am a guest, nothing more, nothing less."
"... Meow?" Lucky looked disbelieving.
After all, no matter whether this Hunter spoke the truth about his identity, it was highly suspicious for a Hunter to guard the Mentalist Crystal aboard a genuine cosmopolitan flagship!
If the so-called Deep Wanderer was part of a conspiracy, then there were probably far more people involved than himself!
Soto Nil adopted a mysterious smile as he faced the famous cat of the Devil Tongue.
"I am not your enemy. I do not pose a threat to you, and I will not hinder you from doing what you have been tasked to do on this warship. After I pass on a message that you should deliver to your master, I will take away this Mentalist Crystal and quietly evacuate from this ship. You will do nothing to hinder my actions."
Lucky did not want to let the Mentalist Crystal slip out of his grasp!
Who knew when he would have an opportunity to eat such a precious material? Ves would certainly not reserve one for himself!
"Meow meow meow!"
Even though Lucky was a bit intimidated by this Titled Hunter, he was not that weak either. The gem cat never engaged in a proper fight for years. It was about time he tested his upgraded combat capabilities against a truly formidable opponent. Though Lucky obviously looked as if he was getting closer and closer to starting hostilities, the Deep Wanderer remained confident.
"If you want to beat the answers from my mouth and claim this Mentalist Crystal for your master, then you will have to fight me for it. Defeat me and claim your prize. If you lose, then you will be at my mercy. Are you certain you wish to challenge me to a duel? It is not clear who shall be the hunter and who will bear the identity of hunted in this
matchup.
Lucky possessed a lot of confidence in the strength that he had attained over the years. How could a Hunter cope with his upgraded capabilities?
Yet... Hunters were not normal humans. They were cultivators who constantly gained more strength with each successful hunt.
A Titled Hunter who dared to invade alien ace just to hunt their exobeasts should not be weak in the slightest!
Hunters also posed a much greater threat than conventional soldiers because folk like the Deep Wanderer definitely had experience dealing with unusual and exotic creatures. When the Deep Wandered stared into Lucky's glowing optic sensors, the gem cat keenly felt that he would likely end up as the prey in this confrontation! Lucky's tail nervously twitched as he decided to err on the side of caution.
"Meow meow..."
"I take it that is your agreement with my proposal. That is good. As I have said, I do not mean to harm or impede you. Our goals are not aligned or compatible with each other. Our masters pursue very different agendas. That may occasionally put them into conflict with each other, but they also have shared goals. Trust that they have enough in common for there to be no reason for us to fight against each other."
That confused Lucky. This completely flew above his archemetal head. He did not even know whether he should continue to fight or back off and let the Deep Wanderer take
away the Mentalist Crystal.
Even if Lucky could resist the temptation to nibble at it, he distinctly remembered that Gloriana badly wanted a whole Mentalist Crystal in order to implement a massive upgrade to the Minerva!
For the sake of a future ace command mech, Lucky could not give up so easily. Seeing that the gem cat slowly assumed a prowling posture, the strange Hunter let out a
sigh.
"Can you contact your Master?"
"Meow."
"I take it you can, but doing so will expose your intrusion. Fair enough. Then consider this, my mechanical feline friend. The Huntsman has been fighting diligently to preserve our defensive lines and stop the native aliens from overrunning human-occupied space. He has the blood of many alien soldiers on his hands, and he has turned the ancient phase whales he hunted last time into his personal trophies. There can be absolutely no reconciliation between him and the Red Cabal. Do you truly think that he and the organization that he has founded have turned traitor?"
That sounded far too crazy even for a cat!
"Meow." Lucky shook his head.
"As for our relations with the cosmopolitans, you have to know that they are not entirely
our enemies. As extreme and unusual their beliefs may be, they are still human, just as your Larkinsons. They may be our enemies, but unlike our alien foes, we still possess a shared identity with the cosmopolitans. That gives us the possibility to maintain contact with them and occasionally conduct exchanges in secret. I will not deny that these clandestine transactions are dishonorable, but the rest of human civilization is not clean either. My presence aboard this ship is not meant to be a slight against your master. This is why I am willing to forget about your intrusion and leave so that you can do what you
want." "Meow." Lucky stared at the Mentalist Crystal.
"This." The Deep Wanderer said as he casually plucked the Mentalist Crystal from its central position and carefully placed it in a container that he had prepared in advance. "Does not belong to you. It does not long belong to the cosmopolitans either. They have served their use, and should be consigned to oblivion. I shall take back this Crystal so that it can be put to a more worthy use, unless... you wish to issue a challenge?" There were metaphorical sparks in the air as the Hunter spoke those last words. Lucky tried to measure his chances against this prepared human fighter and did not feel completely confident about his chances.
"Meow meow meow..."
The Titled Hunter minutely relaxed. "If you want more answers, then I can oblige you, but only briefly. The battle taking place outside is not doing much good to the
cosmopolitan ships. What do you wish to know?"
"Meow meow meow... meow meow, meow?"
The furrowed his brows. "I am unclear what you are trying to ask. If you are trying to find
out the reason why I am here, then let me give you a permissible answer. The cosmopolitans are our enemies... but they can also be our tools. As long as your master establishes friendly relations with one or more of their cells, he shall discover that it is not that difficult to get them to act on your behalf... often without your enemies discovering your involvement. Does it not sound convenient to have a clandestine organization at your disposal that can handle the dirty business that would normally
sully your reputation if exposed?"
Lucky looked scandalized!
"Meow!"
"Hahaha! The Huntsman is not in total control over us. We do not inform him of every
action we make. Even if his involvement can be proved, he will definitely be able to justify any underhanded decisions. His Holiness lives and dies by the hunt. As the best hunter to ever exist among us, he knows better than anyone that in order to set up a good hunt, it is occasionally necessary to prepare the hunting ground in advance. The entire Red Ocean is his hunting ground."
"Meow." Lucky shook his head.
"As for our relations with the cosmopolitans, you have to know that they are not entirely
our enemies. As extreme and unusual their beliefs may be, they are still human, just as
your Larkinsons. They may be our enemies, but unlike our alien foes, we still possess a shared identity with the cosmopolitans. That gives us the possibility to maintain contact with them and occasionally conduct exchanges in secret. I will not deny that these clandestine transactions are dishonorable, but the rest of human civilization is not clean either. My presence aboard this ship is not meant to be a slight against your master. This is why I am willing to forget about your intrusion and leave so that you can do what you
want." "Meow." Lucky stared at the Mentalist Crystal.
"This." The Deep Wanderer said as he casually plucked the Mentalist Crystal from its central position and carefully placed it in a container that he had prepared in advance. "Does not belong to you. It does not long belong to the cosmopolitans either. They have served their use, and should be consigned to oblivion. I shall take back this Crystal so that it can be put to a more worthy use, unless... you wish to issue a challenge?" There were metaphorical sparks in the air as the Hunter spoke those last words. Lucky tried to measure his chances against this prepared human fighter and did not feel completely confident about his chances.
"Meow meow meow..."
The Titled Hunter minutely relaxed. "If you want more answers, then I can oblige you,
but only briefly. The battle taking place outside is not doing much good to the
cosmopolitan ships. What do you wish to know?" "Meow meow meow... meow meow, meow?"
The furrowed his brows. "I am unclear what you are trying to ask. If you are trying to find
out the reason why I am here, then let me give you a permissible answer. The cosmopolitans are our enemies... but they can also be our tools. As long as your master establishes friendly relations with one or more of their cells, he shall discover that it is not that difficult to get them to act on your behalf... often without your enemies discovering your involvement. Does it not sound convenient to have a clandestine organization at your disposal that can handle the dirty business that would normally
sully your reputation if exposed?"
Lucky looked scandalized!
"Meow!"
"Hahaha! The Huntsman is not in total control over us. We do not inform him of every
action we make. Even if his involvement can be proved, he will definitely be able to justify any underhanded decisions. His Holiness lives and dies by the hunt. As the best hunter to ever exist among us, he knows better than anyone that in order to set up a good hunt, it is occasionally necessary to prepare the hunting ground in advance. The entire Red Ocean is his hunting ground."
"Meow?" Lucky tilted his head in confusion.
"As far as hunting grounds go, the dwarf galaxy that we reside in is particularly rich in prey. However... the ecosystem is out of balance. We humans can be considered an invasive species, but our entry may end up doing a lot of good, as our collision with the
native aliens have caused both sides of the Red War to develop faster and adopt each other's technologies. The hunting ground needs more changes in order to produce a more sustainable and ideal environment. I am a small part of a greater plan to reshape this great hunting ground according to the will of the Huntsman. That... is all I am permitted to share with you and your infamous master. In time, he shall discover the meaning of my words."
"Meow! Meow meow! Meow!"
"If you are asking whether we have anything to do with the ambush of your master's fleet... so what if we did?" The Titled Hunter deliberately grinned at Lucky. "Let me reiterate that we are not your enemies. That does not mean we have no plans towards
your master. For example, we may feel it is necessary for a future leader of red humanity to undergo a serious challenge. We are curious to see whether we can draw out the inner hunter from his violent heart. We cannot accept the leadership of a human who
possesses the mentality of a prey as opposed to a predator. If he has managed to complete this hunt today, then his ascension in Yernstall will be a foregone conclusion."
With that, the Deep Wanderer turned around and activated his remarkably effective stealth system.
The data room fell silent. The surrounding crystal processors had dimmed as their
activity had degraded after the removal of the Mentalist Crystal. Lucky felt tempted to go after the Deep Wanderer, but his caution had prevailed this
time. The cat thought it was a bad idea to mess around with a powerful hunter who clearly possessed a mysterious purpose for being here of all places!
