Colonial Suit

The Strike Shuttle cruised through the vast universe, marking the seventh day since its departure from Space Station T6.

Due to the extreme distance of their target, conventional warp methods were insufficient. Therefore, their initial destination was the 'Far Reaches Corner' space station, located five standard distances from the T6 branch. They planned to use its large-scale warp device to launch the Strike Shuttle into anti-space, before re-emerging near their target area.

This qualified as high-level warping, the fastest method of travel before astral teleportation.

Inside the Strike Shuttle, Priest Robbie sat quietly in the captain's seat, a sunny smile on his face. Beside him, Blood瞳 leaned lazily against his seat, a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

This was a rare expression for him, but he looked relaxed.

At Blood瞳's feet... the Nether Leopard, Fang, dozed off, occasionally extending its claws to scratch randomly, leaving streaks on the surrounding floor.

Robbie chuckled wryly at Blood瞳. "Looks like I'll have to replace the flooring after this trip. Your pet is a bit too restless."

"Only when it's resting. If it were hunting, it could lie still for five days straight," Blood瞳 glanced at the Nether Leopard, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Nether Leopards are decent combat pets," Robbie looked at Fang with some envy. "Too bad I can't afford one."

"If I remember correctly, you should be richer than me," Blood瞳 took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a smoke ring. "Don't forget, you were already a probationary mercenary before I became a Fief."

"But I have a lot of burdens..." Robbie sighed. "I have quite a few people to support. And I have to turn over fifty percent of my mission earnings. So I'm always in the red."

"Turn over earnings? What do you mean?" Blood瞳 was taken aback.

"Don't you know?" Robbie asked in surprise. "Every Fief has to pay a portion of their earnings to their Overlord from the moment they start taking missions. Usually it's 10%, but mine is higher."

"I think I've heard something about that," Blood瞳 rubbed his hair, remembering such a saying. "But I don't think I've ever paid."

"You have a good Overlord," Robbie said enviously. "Lord Hensel is famously generous. He's richer than any mercenary in the T6 branch."

"What about you?" Blood瞳 asked curiously. "I don't remember you ever mentioning who your Overlord is. We've been friends for so long. That information isn't a secret, is it?"

"It's not exactly a secret," Robbie smiled slightly. "But my Overlord is a bit special, not a person, but an organization."

"I serve the Church."

"The Church?" Blood瞳 was surprised. "Are mercenary forces even allowed to have other organizations within them?"

"Of course," Robbie replied. "In fact, the structure of the universe's mercenary forces is very loose. It has to do with mercenary tradition. The mercenary headquarters is only responsible for task distribution and logistical support. The management of specific mercenaries is almost non-existent. Of course, if you don't follow the mercenary rules, that's another matter."

"So under this management model, the emergence of small mercenary organizations is inevitable. Our Church of Condemnation is one of them. But our organization is small, only a few people. I grew up in the church, and after being discovered to have combat talent, I started specialized training, and eventually embarked on the mercenary path."

"But speaking of... those days living in the church... I really miss them..." Robbie looked up, full of emotion. "Bathing in the glory of the Lord, feeling the mercy of our Lord. Those who have not experienced it firsthand cannot understand."

Saying this, Robbie looked intently at Blood瞳. "Join us. Blood瞳, I am willing to be your guide."

"Stop..." Blood瞳 waved his hand. "I respect your faith, Robbie, but you know where I came from. Compared to faith, I trust my own fists more. So... don't talk to me about this again."

"Okay. I knew it would be difficult to convince you," Robbie shrugged helplessly, then offered a new suggestion.

"We'll be at Far Reaches Corner soon. How about a drink after we disembark? I hear the Kala wine there is good."

"Okay," Blood瞳 agreed readily, then kicked Fang at his feet. "Go on, it's time for your training. You'll be spending five hours in the ten-times gravity chamber before we disembark."

"Roar!" Fang growled in dissatisfaction, got up, and reluctantly walked away.

"What a great fellow..." Robbie watched the Nether Leopard's lithe back, once again filled with envy.

.................................

The Strike Shuttle's flight speed was very fast, and they arrived at their first destination, 'Far Reaches Corner', a day later.

This was an extremely large space station, its shape somewhat resembling a giant turret suspended in the air. From afar, a thick muzzle constructed entirely of alloy steel jutted out at an angle, with a diameter of at least three kilometers. The entire space station was extraordinarily large, at least three times the size of T6. The Strike Shuttle was nothing more than an ant in comparison.

As a transportation hub, the number of ships here was extremely high. Entering the spaceport required waiting in line. Watching all kinds of bizarre and unusual ships hovering around, Blood瞳 was quite amazed.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to a green object shaped like an olive. The object's exterior seemed to be plant-like, with many scattered leaves.

"A Mir race's Traveling Cocoon, which is their ship," Jack quickly replied from the side. "The Mir are insects, so their ships are very strange, but their performance is excellent. It is said that their Traveling Cocoons are woven little by little from their own silk. A Mir race can only weave one Traveling Cocoon in its lifetime. The size of the cocoon indicates the Mir race's maturity."

"Insect race?"

"Yes, sir. The Mir race's Traveling Cocoon is their shell. Generally, they won't come out from the middle. So very few people have seen their true faces."

"But I feel like it's a plant."

"That's because the Mir race adds some special plant fibers when weaving their Traveling Cocoon. These plant fibers can greatly enhance the strength of the Traveling Cocoon, and can also continue to survive relying on the nutrient fluid secreted by the Mir race. Speaking of which, the nutrient fluid secreted by the Mir race is a good thing, at least one hundred star coins per unit on the market..." Jack said with some envy. Someone of his status could only be envious of such high-end goods. The price of one hundred star coins per unit was simply unaffordable for them. Even probationary mercenaries couldn't necessarily afford it.

"What a strange race," Blood瞳 exclaimed. To him, a 'bumpkin' from Planet X35, everything before him was incredibly novel.

"Also a very powerful race," Jack also praised. "It is said that before the Great Chaos, they were very arrogant guys."

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"Oh? Why?" Blood瞳 asked.

"Because their warships, that is, the Traveling Cocoons, are very strong... This thing is their shell, so they are extremely flexible in space flight, and their defense is also high. They had always occupied an advantage in fleet battles before the emergence of the universe mercenaries. The corrosive liquid they sprayed could reach hundreds of kilometers, and even the armor of old-fashioned heavy battleships might not be able to withstand it," Jack introduced. "A long, long time ago, they once conquered many star fields. But they declined later."

"Very powerful," Blood瞳 commented fairly.

As they spoke, two guiding beams had already slid to the side of the Strike Shuttle. It was their turn to enter the port...

The spaceport of Far Reaches Corner was very large, with many docks. It could accommodate the docking of thousands of ships simultaneously. Because the Strike Shuttle that Blood瞳 and others were traveling in was considered a small ship, they were assigned to dock number 773, located near the bottom. Under the guidance of the guiding beams, the Strike Shuttle smoothly docked at the edge of the dock. Soon, various auxiliary devices were attached.

After adjustments such as air pressure being adjusted, gravity system handover, gas composition detection, and environmental humidity, the hatch opened, and Blood瞳 and the others stepped off the Strike Shuttle.

"Welcome to Far Reaches Corner, I hope you have a pleasant journey," a beautiful welcoming girl stepped forward and gave them a warm greeting. "If you have any needs, please notify us, and we will arrange it for you as soon as possible. Would you like us to arrange a tour guide for you?"

"We'll take care of it ourselves," Robbie said to the girl with a smile. His handsome appearance and unique demeanor immediately made the girl's eyes light up.

"Looks like you're popular," Blood瞳 said.

"You didn't just find out today," Robbie shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes great charm is also a fault. It makes people only pay attention to my appearance, and forget the glory of our Lord."

"You're being a charlatan again."

"Hey, don't doubt my faith, okay? I am our Lord's most faithful shepherd. Okay, I get it. Let's go find a bar first. If I remember correctly, the Traveler's Dream Bar here is good."

"Then let's go," Blood瞳 replied.

"What about them?" Robbie didn't move, but nodded at a place not far away. Blood瞳 looked back and saw the twin siblings and Pandora walking down the ramp.

These two little guys were dressed very well today. The younger brother was wearing a purple swallow-tailed coat, and the older sister, Miya, was carrying a delicate parasol, looking like two richly dressed noble children. Pandora was following behind in a maid outfit, carrying a not-small handbag.

"Go eat!!" The younger brother, Bo Xi, announced excitedly. "I want to eat good food!"

"Then go shopping," the older sister, Miya, followed up. "It is said that the shopping street here is very famous. I don't want to miss any merchandise!"

"..." The maid, Pandora, didn't speak, but pushed up her old-fashioned glasses. But her eyes still revealed a yearning look.

"..." Blood瞳 was speechless for a while, then said to Robbie. "Forget it, don't mind them. Girls' shopping desires are terrifying. If you disturb them, I won't keep you company."

"Don't worry, my IQ is always normal," Robbie replied with a smile. Then the two walked towards the speeder not far away.

Behind them, the Nether Leopard curiously looked around this place, following closely...