Star Rank Hunter

“PUT DOWN MY JERKY!”

Every hair on Wheeze’s body was standing on end not out of fear, but anger. Its claws had also extended into the floor itself, putting a good number of holes in the thick metal.

Ice Cream squinted its eyes at Wheeze for a second. Then, it took a few big bites from the jerky cradled in its paws. Yes, it was totally taunting the fat cat.

“You DARE provoke me in MY territory!?”

Cillin caught the gray cat before it could pounce onto the mouse and trigger an irreversible diplomatic incident. Wheeze struggled even as it glared daggers at the creature sitting on Yin Wushe’s lap, eyes wary.

Yin Wushe watched the interaction curiously. Cillin was strong enough to resist the temptation of the Oskulos, so its cat could not be too bad. In fact, he could see that Wheeze wasn’t truly hostile toward Ice. It was angry because the mouse was eating its food, and wary because it was a threat it could not afford to underestimate, but that was it. Ice would’ve reacted the exact same way if someone aboard their ship had eaten its ice cream. It was a reaction he could accept.

“My apologies, little fatty. We can compensate you for the food if you want,” Yin Wushe chose this moment to speak up.

Wheeze’s ears straightened, and its struggles subsided a little when it heard this. Its eyes were still wary though.

“Will you really pay me for the food?” Wheeze asked.

“Yep.”

Wheeze raised two claws. “Double! You’ll pay me double of what it’s worth!”

“Double it is.”

Yin Wushe’s quick and unhesitating reply finally calmed Wheeze down a bit. Unfortunately, Ice Cream ruined his efforts by calling Wheeze, “Fucking fatty,” right as the gray cat was about to speak with Cillin about the list of damages.

“Who the fuck are you calling a fucking fatty you damn mouse! I HATE mice!”

“Alright, alright. Calm down already. They’re still our guests, you know,” Cillin said placatingly while giving it a scratch beneath the chin.

Claws twitching, Wheeze glared at the two bastards who were still eating its food without a care.

Yin Wushe let out a chuckle before patting the little fella on his lap. “I need to have a little chat with Commander Cillin, so why don’t you go to the side and play in the meantime?”

Ice Cream looked reluctant, but it eventually jumped onto a nearby table.

Cillin also gave Wheeze’s ear a flick and said, “We have things to discuss, so go play with our guest.”

Wheeze’s ears turned left and right as if a thought had just occurred to him. It then said, “Give me my ball, Cillin.”

Cillin knew that the gray cat was scheming to bully Ice the second he saw its reaction.

Well, it should be fine.

Cillin pulled out the ball from his subspace ring and tossed it in its direction. Wheeze nimbly caught it with a front paw before playing with it for a bit. At the side, Ice Cream was watching the ball with an envious look on its face. It wasn’t blind to the ball’s unique properties.

Suddenly, Wheeze tossed the ball into the air and did a backflip. It hit the ball with its tail and sent it flying straight toward Ice. Ice knew it was coming from a mile away, but instead of dodging out of the way it sent the ball flying right back at Wheeze with a headbutt.

Wheeze and Ice began exchanging blows like it was a badminton match, but the projectile kept moving faster and faster until it became outright impossible for an ordinary person to keep track of it. The half-cyborgs themselves were moving incredibly fast as well. One moment they were at the table, and the next they were next to the food cabinet.

Wheeze was aware that the mouse was also a half-cyborg. Its kind was exceedingly rare even on a galactic scale, which was why it couldn’t help but get competitive. The fact that the damn mouse had eaten its food was a factor as well. Wheeze began hitting the ball harder and harder. With luck, it would teach the damn mouse a lesson it wouldn’t forget before they were gone.

Yin Wushe looked particularly happy as he observed the ongoing “duel”. He was literally smiling from ear to ear as the two creatures moved at blurring speeds.

“When did you find your cat, Cillin?” Yin Wushe asked.

“A few years ago.” Cillin proceeded to summarize his experience for Yin Wushe, though he did not mention the white ball as a matter of course.

“You found it on a hunt? You must be an exceedingly lucky man. I had mine for over a decade already, but it wasn’t me who found Ice. Ice was the one who saved me during the lowest point of my life,” Yin Wushe said. “The short version is that a former subordinate of mine—one who had served me loyally for twenty years until that point—betrayed our entire organization, and he might have succeeded if it wasn’t for Ice. Who would’ve thought that a cute little animal would change the course of history itself?”

Yin Wushe did not go into details, but Cillin could guess that the enemy who nearly took his life was probably from Mist. What he did not expect was the fact that Yin Wushe would value a half-cyborg much more than his own organization.

“A human’s lifespan is short. It is my sincere wish that Ice would have a friend—even one who only elicits violent impulses from it—when the day comes where I cannot eat ice cream with Ice anymore. That it won’t be too lonely. For so many years, your fat cat is the only one I’ve found who meets these requirements in GAL.”

A human’s lifespan really was too short compared to unique creatures like Wheeze and Ice Cream. Even the strongest, longest living of them all could not hope to match their lifespan. After all, they were part biological and part mechanical. They themselves didn’t know how long they could live.

“How old is your cat?” Yin Wushe asked.

“It’s over two hundred years old, or so it claimed. What about yours?”

“I don’t know. Before we found each other, it used to live on a C-rank habitable planet with below average civilization level. Moreover, it hid in its tunnels all day and night unless it was hunting for food. It’s really stronger than anyone or anything on the planet, but it rarely went to the surface almost as if the light itself could kill. I thought I was going to be eaten when it dragged me into its tunnels back then. It wasn’t until later that I realized that it was just trying to keep me safe. It was because there was no creature on the planet who would dare to enter its tunnels.”

Yin Wushe’s eyes were gentle when he talked about his history. An outsider could probably never imagine such a look on the face of the boss of Merciless.

Assuming that Yin Wushe was telling the truth, Ice Cream had definitely lived like a mouse before it met the middle-aged man. But what about Wheeze? Cillin could still remember the cat swallowing a couple of wolves like nothing despite looking as weak as a kitten who hadn’t weaned off its milk. As far as he could tell, the gray cat had been living arrogantly and wantonly since the day it came to be.

Cillin could tell that Ice Cream was very important to Yin Wushe, but he didn’t believe that Ice Cream was the only thing in his mind in regards to this meeting.

As expected, Yin Wushe would speak about Ice Cream a little more before changing the subject, “I used to spy on the secret labs littered across GAL during my search for a half-cyborg companion for GAL. There are a surprising number of labs in GAL who research half-cyborgs, but I can tell you right now that their findings are worse than subpar. They are failures, to put it bluntly.”

“Is that why you sent your men to steal information from that research lab in Sector C?”

“That’s right. One of its labs was looking into ways to combine machine and biological life into one. I thought it might be an eye-opening experience, but in the end, it was the same trash all over again.”

His eyes were calm, but there was an obvious tinge of disdain in his voice.

“While looking into this information, I came upon some behind-the-scenes stuff such as the fact that someone is behind the most influential company in GAL, Miracle. I’d also found out the dirty trades the bastards were conducting away from the public’s eyes. There was one time they partnered up with Nebelah and tried to kidnap Ice, so I assassinated the shit out of their people in retaliation—or at least I tried to.”

“Who are these ‘bastards’ you’re talking about?”

“The seniors of the Yu Family. I would’ve succeeded if it wasn’t for Grim Reaper sticking their nose into my business. Oh right, you’re good friends with their princess, Yu Linglung, aren’t you? Did you know that there was a time where she lost her legs?”

Cillin frowned. He did remember the time where Yu Linglung had to sit on a wheelchair. It was around the time that area in Sector Z had opened, and he became aware of the Grim Reapers for the first time.

“The Grim Reapers and the Yu Family share a business relationship. I don’t know exactly what their business is, but I know they’re in contact with one another. The device that the Navigators used to shut down your starship’s system? That’s something the Grim Reapers had come up with.”

It was a most informative statement to say the least. Were the Grim Reapers the ones who were helping the Navigators? Or was the Yu Family actually the one behind the scenes?

“One more thing. Are you aware that Yu Linglung was plotting to steal your cat from under your nose at first? You didn’t, did you? I’m not saying that your precautions were insufficient, in fact they were excellent all things considered, but some people still noticed how special it is. When it was time to take action though, they suddenly decided to change their minds and target Ice instead. All politicians are natural born actors.”

Cillin did not say a thing. Forget about the Yu Family, the fact that Yin Wushe knew about Wheeze since way back then meant that the middle-aged man had been observing the two of them for just as long. This conversation would never have happened if Yin Wushe hadn’t concluded that they were reliable and fit for his purpose.

A moment of silence later, Cillin urged, “So? What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that we should partner up. I won’t interfere with your business, and you won’t interfere with mine both publicly or privately. Otherwise, let’s cooperate with each other as we see fit. Mist and the Grim Reapers are wearing the same pants. I think we should cooperate with each other too, don’t you agree?”

“Who am I in this equation, exactly? Vanguard or the Eleventh Squad?” Cillin asked.

“The Eleventh Squad, of course. You know Ji Feng and I don’t mesh for various reasons.”

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Cillin mulled over the suggestion for a second before extending his hand and smiling. “I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with you.”

“Same here,” Yin Wushe replied while clapping hands with Cillin. They did not sign a contract or anything because it would be pointless. If it ever came to the point where they were thinking about betraying the other person, the contract wouldn’t be able to stop either of them.

While Cillin and Yin Wushe were talking business, the ball fight had devolved into an actual fight. The two half-cyborgs were currently clinging against one another, biting, kicking and sending fur flying all over the place in general. Even the nearby tables and chairs had been torn or bitten to shreds. Cillin wasn’t exactly paying attention to the fight.

“Look at those two. I can tell they’re going to be fast friends already,” Yin Wushe said with a chuckle.

Cillin: “...” What part of this scene suggested that they would be friends, exactly?

Yin Wushe knew what he was thinking and added, “It’s normal for kids to get into fights, isn’t it?”

“Say, is Ice a female?” Cillin asked.

“I think so.”

You think so? You’ve been living together for over a decade, and you didn’t even know what gender your pet is?

It was at this moment Yin Wushe received an encrypted message on his communicator. He looked down.

“Looks like the war is finally about to end, which is my cue to leave. I’m very happy with how our conversation turned out,” Yin Wushe said before calling out to Ice.

Ice Cream immediately kicked Wheeze in the chest and dislodged itself from the cat. Then, it leaped back onto Yin Wushe’s lap in the blink of an eye.

“You better watch it, you damn mouse! The next time we meet, I’m gonna turn you into a hairless mouse!” Wheeze spat out a mouthful of white fur before declaring ferociously.

Ice Cream merely let out a disdainful snort before licking its own fur.

Both animals were bald in some places, though their wounds quickly healed, and new hair grew over the healed wounds until they looked as good as new. To the half-cyborgs, this level of injury was practically nothing.

Yin Wushe and Ice Cream left the starship after that. Cillin, Wheeze and Czedow were the only ones who were aware that they were ever here. Not even the Origin robots had detected their arrival or departure.

Wheeze was looking through its food cabinet and counting its losses when suddenly, it screamed in rage, “Meowafacka! They didn’t pay for the food before they left! That damn mouse better not show its face again, because I will murder its ass the next time we meet!”

Cillin shook his head before picking up the lonely, forgotten ball at the side. The gray cat would definitely throw a tantrum if it couldn’t find it later.

Just as Yin Wushe had said, it wasn’t long before both sides declared a ceasefire. As the Navigators had suffered more losses than Vanguard, they were the ones who withdrew first. As the winner, Vanguard stayed behind to deal with the aftermath.

Aboard an A Squad starship, Ji Feng was lying in a medical capsule and receiving treatment. He was covered in wounds from head to toe, and all kinds of tubes had been plugged into his body. He wasn’t in the best condition so to speak. Despite his rather grotesque appearance, the man was fully conscious. Beside the capsule, a couple of higher-ups including Stanley himself was giving Ji Feng a report.

Ji Feng was closing his eyes as he listened to the reports. When Stanley was finally done talking about the Eleventh Squad, he finally opened his eyes and said, “I’m not about to bid this world goodbye yet, so if Pango wants to stay with the Eleventh Squad, then let him. It’s the same with the Eleventh Squad. Let Cillin do whatever he wants to.”

“But admiral, don’t you think we’re giving them a little too much freedom? They’re easily the most uncertain factor in Vanguard right now,” someone said worriedly.

“Cillin won’t harm Vanguard unless we aggress against him first. After all, we were the ones who gave him the opportunity to become who he is today. Also, the Eleventh Squad possesses something no other hunter regiment has: a team of highly skilled individuals with expertise in technology-related fields.”

Technical talents were valuable, but they generally weren’t valued too high by hunter regiments. Even Chamonidine’s Parasite Code wouldn’t have become as influential as it was if it wasn’t for Nata’s help.

Internally, hunter regiments rarely developed their new technology. Even the Great Four had bought or exchanged most of their technology from others. The Eleventh Squad was completely different though. Be it their Armor, their fighters, and their small yet exceptionally skilled crew, they all left a deep impression on those who had witnessed their prowess with their own eyes.

Ji Feng didn’t get angry when Stanley brought up the list of damages the Eleventh Squad had sent them. In fact, he even let out a chuckle before saying, “That’s definitely something that boy would do. Pay them exactly what they had requested.”

“Got it. And how should we treat the Eleventh Squad in the future?” Stanley asked.

“We treat them as we have done before. There is no need to change anything, not to mention they aren’t the type to care about another’s opinion. I must admit that I’ve underestimated Cillin though…”

Ji Feng closed his eyes after saying that. He had definitely underestimated Cillin, but he was sure that he wasn’t alone in his mistake. Mist, the Grim Reaper and many other forces had paid the price as well. While Ji Feng could not say how strong Cillin was right now, he did know that the man had chosen to keep a low profile despite the absolute chaos that was tearing GAL from the inside out right now.

Just what on earth in Cillin planning?

Despite everything he knew about Cillin, Ji Feng had never managed to figure out the young man’s true objective. He knew that Cillin only cared about a small number of people in Vanguard and not the organization itself—it was why Ji Feng was never afraid that Cillin might challenge him for his position one day—and at first glance, it seemed like that was all he cared about. However, Ji Feng never thought that Cillin was ambitionless or aimless. It was just that no one could figure out what he wanted.

It was at this moment Stanley reported, “Admiral, the corpses of the three Mist killers just came in.”

Ji Feng’s fingers twitched. “I don’t need to tell you what to do with them, do I? Just do as you please.”

To put it shortly, they were going to use the three bodies to pay tribute to all the people they had lost today including the higher-ups who had been assassinated by Mist.

“Admiral… is Cillin really that strong?” A man next to Stanley asked.

Ji Feng waved a hand at Stanley instead of answering his question. Stanley immediately brought up a hologram showing Blue Phantom’s corpse. The fatal wound that had nearly severed her entire body in half was in full display.

“Judging from her severed arm and the fatal wound across her torso, you can tell she didn’t react to either attack until it was too late. Cillin isn’t just fast. When it is time to kill, he will kill his enemies as quickly as possible.”

Cillin had struck Blue Phantom down so fast that she never reacted to it until it was over. Just how fast was that?

The small group huddled around Ji Feng’s medical capsule couldn’t help but glance at their admiral. They wondered how Cillin would measure up to him.

“Have we figured out how Laton had died yet?” Ji Feng asked another question.

Stanley shook his head. “No. The Eleventh Squad isn’t saying anything either.”

“Forget it then,” Ji Feng said while waving his hand, meaning that there was no need to look into it any longer.

“Admiral!” It was at this moment someone entered the med bay. It was one of Ji Feng’s most trusted subordinates, Suoli.

Ji Feng motioned for the others to leave. When they were gone, he received an encrypted message from Suoli.

“Blue Butterfly? Why is he contacting me? He should be duking it out with Heaven’s Birth right now.”

Despite his confusion, Ji Feng still sent Suoli away before muttering out a very, very long password. The nearby projector immediately projected a hologram in front of him, and the man in the hologram was none other than the current leader of Blue Butterfly, the man who was codenamed Blue Butterfly himself.

“How’re ya doing? You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“Cut the crap. What’s your business?”

“Let’s partner up.”