Super Mothership
Regardless of whether Grand Duke Houghton was genuinely deranged or simply attempting an enormous gamble with his entire family, he was undoubtedly a force deeply tied to the Second Prince.
An enemy like that posed an even greater threat to Nie Yun.
After thinking for a moment, he looked at Messiah and Red Dragon, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
“So, what are your plans from here? I've already received word from the organization that it's not just the Dark Temple. Chloros of the Locke Consortium is also one of the Second Prince's men. They've already made it clear that they won't rest easy until the two of you are dead.”
The two exchanged glances, both wearing bitter expressions.
“What else can we do? We can only take advantage of the fact that the other side still can't control the situation in the Shattered Star Domain and get out of here as quickly as possible.” Red Dragon sounded rather dispirited.
He might have been stubborn, but he wasn't so delusional as to believe that two mere pirate groups could stand against the Second Prince.
“Are you confident you can escape their pursuit?” Nie Yun asked.
“We'll do everything we can and leave the rest to fate. Whether we can evade their pursuit will depend on luck.” Red Dragon shook his head and sighed.
The Woolf Empire was already a highly developed interstellar civilization, with a mature system of population control and administrative management. From the moment a person was born until the day they died, all kinds of information—including their DNA, fingerprints, irises, and brainwaves—were strictly registered in a central database. Forging an identity was extraordinarily difficult.
Even if someone spent a fortune buying a fake identity on the black market, the moment they entered a city, the countless surveillance and detection systems would quickly expose them.
This was also the main reason Messiah and Red Dragon had chosen to hide in a chaotic place like the Shattered Star Domain.
However, abandoning the territories they had worked so hard to establish and once again living a wandering, unsettled life while constantly fleeing from place to place was undoubtedly a difficult decision for both of them.
“Captain Ghost, it seems you have something to say?” Messiah was perceptive enough to quickly realize that Nie Yun hadn't asked the question without a reason.
“Mm! We're allies, after all. If the two of you need help, my organization and I are willing to lend a hand.” Nie Yun smiled.
Messiah and Red Dragon's eyes immediately lit up.
The All for One Society? That was a mysterious organization backed by the Mechanical Race!
Although it appeared to be nothing more than a loosely organized commercial association, its intelligence-gathering capabilities were extraordinary. Even the Second Prince's hidden forces had suffered a major setback at its hands. Its strength was evident.
If they could obtain its protection…
“What are your conditions?” Messiah asked directly.
“Lord Messiah, you certainly don't waste words. In that case, I'll be straightforward. The organization can offer you two choices.
First, we take over the Dragon Riders and the Red Dragon Pirates. They will become subordinate forces under our command. In return, we will provide the two of you with political protection.
Considering the distance involved and the living environments of different species, I'd recommend several nearby civilizations where you could immigrate, including the Gemini Civilization, the Kara Civilization, and Earth Civilization.
You can enjoy the splendid cultures of different civilizations while living out the rest of your days in comfort, without ever having to worry about food or clothing.”
In other words, they wanted us to flee abroad? Pay a price to make the trouble go away?
That actually sounded like a decent option. No matter how capable the Second Prince was, surely he couldn't extend his investigation into other civilizations?
“Then what is the second option?” Messiah considered it for a moment before finally shaking his head.
The first option seemed attractive, but its biggest drawback was that their lives would be entirely in the other party's hands. Who could guarantee that they wouldn't be discarded like worthless trash once their usefulness had been exhausted? Or that they wouldn't be used as bargaining chips to squeeze out whatever remaining value they had?
This kind of arrangement wasn't uncommon among the various countries on Earth, either. It had practically become an unspoken understanding between them.
Messiah certainly didn't want to be sold off while still helping his seller count the money.
“The second option is to join the organization and become one of us. The Dragon Riders and the Red Dragon Pirates would remain under your control, but they would operate as peripheral forces of the organization.”
The two men froze.
“You mean you want us to join you and continue staying in the Shattered Star Domain ‘openly’?” Messiah placed particular emphasis on the word openly.
Nie Yun nodded.
“You intend to confront the Second Prince directly?”
The two stared at him in astonishment.
“Heh! I'm sure you've already figured it out. The Second Prince and we… already have conflicting interests.” Nie Yun laughed casually.
He would absolutely never hand over the Vector Engine. Their interests were irreconcilable!
However, the meaning of those words sounded rather different to the two men.
Could it be… that the All for One Society also wants to get involved in the struggle for the imperial throne? What enormous ambitions this organization has!
I wonder which prince they're supporting.
“Uh… Is there no third option?”
The other party clearly intended to tie them to its own war chariot. But Messiah had no desire to get caught up in a conflict between these two enormous forces. There was only one reason: the risks were simply too great.
“Of course there is!” Nie Yun continued smiling.
“We're friends, after all. If you're not satisfied with the conditions offered by the organization, I can provide you with some personal assistance instead. Just follow my method, and I guarantee the other side won't find even the slightest trace of you!”
“There's really such a method?” Red Dragon's eyes lit up.
“Mm! Actually, I have some experience with human body modification. I can offer you various transformation packages to choose from, such as ‘Brain in a Vat,’ ‘Full Mechanical Conversion,’ ‘Ultimate Beastification,’ and ‘Cthulhu-Style Deluxe Edition,’ among others.
Of course, if the two of you don't mind being bored, and have grown tired of all the turmoil of the human world and its endless battles, I also have a ‘Vegetative Person Conversion’ project that's just entered the planning stage. I can find you a beautiful, picturesque planet, where you can face the sea with spring blossoms all around.
Hmm? I wonder which kind of life would interest you two?”
Red Dragon: “…”
Messiah: “…”
We aren't interested in any of those kinds of lives, you bastard!
“You never intended to give us any real choice from the very beginning, did you…?” Messiah said weakly.
Nie Yun smiled without confirming or denying it.
You've got to be kidding! After finally hooking such a big fish, how could I possibly let it go?
If a deal can't be reached… then there's no need to talk about friendship, either!
Even if the two tried to slip away quietly, Nie Yun would simply leak their information to the public. If possible, he'd even include their escape routes and sell the maps for five yuan apiece. He would do whatever it took to force them back!
As long as they couldn't bear to abandon the Red Dragon, that Legendary Mecha, he had no reason to worry about them escaping his grasp.
“Ahem! If we choose the second option, can you guarantee our safety?
You should know that if the Second Prince really wants to deal with us, he'll undoubtedly mobilize forces from outside the Shattered Star Domain. By then, we won't just be facing the enemies currently before us.
What's more, even if the three of our groups joined forces, our combined strength wouldn't be particularly impressive. We'd also have to worry about interference from the other pirates…”
Although Messiah seemed somewhat inclined to give in, he still wasn't optimistic about Nie Yun's side.
Even if the All for One Society was powerful, it had virtually no foundation in the Shattered Star Domain. Meanwhile, although two of the Second Prince's hidden pieces had been eliminated, the remaining Dark Temple and Locke Consortium would already be more than enough to give them a serious headache.
Not to mention Flint and the Maniacs. Those two might very well take advantage of the situation and stab them in the back at a critical moment. They couldn't afford to let their guard down, which would further divide their already limited strength.
“Mm. With our current strength alone, we naturally wouldn't stand much of a chance. That's why I need you to do something for me first!”
“What is it?” The two asked in confusion.
“Vote for me! I want to become… Pirate King!”
Nie Yun slammed his hand on the table, looking every bit like a candidate passionately canvassing for votes.
Red Dragon: “…”
Messiah: “…”
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