Noku was walking home from the store one day until it all changed. Not remembering anything about how he ended up in some hospital full of Dokas, people who looked somewhat like humans but with blue skin, antennas, and slime coating their skin. Noku runs from the hospital for what seemed like an eternity until he ran into other “humans” only to discover he is in the same time period but on a different world. Follow Noku’s journey as he unravels mysteries of his new world and tries to go home to deliver his groceries to his mom.

A world.
A place.
A fantasy that explains what might actually happen in the future. A war. Deaths. 
One girl.
One man.
An entire mystery.
What happens in the end?

Sa loob ng semi transparent na bahay na gawa sa kristal sa loob ng maze na matatagpuan sa archaeological ruin.
"Ang pagbagsak ay nangangahulugan ng kamatayan?"
"Tatlong taon?" sumama ng husto ang mukha ni Luo Feng. Hindi niya magawan kontakin ang mga tao sa labas ng archaeological ruins! At ang espesyal na death mission na ito ay binigyan lang siya ng tatlong taon. Kung mananatili siya rito ng matagal na panahon, ano na lang kaya ang iisipin ng mga tao sa labas?
Iisipin ng lahat na patay na siya!
At matapos nito ay kokontakin nila ang kanyang mga magulang. Malalaman maging ni Xu Xin ang nangyari.
"Anong gagawin ko, hindi pa naman ako patay!"
"Kung mananatili ako rito ng napakatagal na panahon ay hindi ko magagawang kontakin ang mga tao sa labas!" nabagabag ng husto si Luo Feng. Lalo pa itong nabagabag sa tuwing naiisip niya ang mga mangyayari sa oras na malaman ng buo niyang pamilya maging ni Xu Xin na patay na siya. "Buwisit, hindi ako makapaniwalang napasubo ako sa walang kuwentang pagsusulit na ito. Mas pipiliin ko na lang na makalabas kaysa ang mga kayamanang matatanggap ko sa pagtatagumpay!"
Hindi magawang maisip ni Luo Feng kung ano ang maaaring mangyari sa kanyang mga mahal sa buhay kung mawawala siya ng tatlong taon!
"Bilisan mo!"
"Kinakailangan kong masira ang testing room na ito sa lalong madaling panahon!" tiningnan ni Luo Feng ang mga dingding ng kristal na bahay. Mayroong napakaraming kumplikadong engravings na nakaukit dito pero wala ng pakialam si Luo Feng dito. Nagngitngit ang kanyang mga ngipin at whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Anim na throwing knives ay naging mga ilaw habang sinusubukang gumawa ng isang butas na mayroong diameter na umaabot sa 3cm.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Paulit-ulit, paulit-ulit na inatake ni Luo Feng ang dingding sa abot ng kanyang makakaya!
"MAWASAK KA NA!" sigaw ni Luo Feng sa kanyang puso.
"Ayokong manatili rito ng tatlong taon!"
Paulit-ulit siyang umatake pero walang ni isang marka ang iniwan nito sa kakaiba at mukhang gawa sa kristal na dingding ng bahay.
"Wala itong silbi, wala itong epekto," walang magawa na lumuhod si Luo Feng sa sahig ng kristal na bahay.
Ang bagay na pumapasok sa kanyang isipan ay dahil binigyan siya ng misyong ito ng tatlong taon, ang pag-alis sa bahay na ito ay walang duda na napakahirap. Kung… kung magagawa niya lang makontak ang mga tao sa labas gamit ang kanyang tactical communications watch para sabihin sa kanyang pamilya at girlfriend na buhay pa siya, hindi ba't napakalaking bagay na iyon para kay Luo Feng.
Pero sa kasamaang palad ay hindi niya magawang makontak ang mga ito.
Magkakaroon pa ba ng silbi ang mga pabuyang ito kung sakaling may mangyaring masama sa kanyang mga magulang?
"Wala na akong magagawa kundi tanggapin ito kung hindi ko ito magagawang labanan."
Kasing talim ng kutsilyo ang tingin ni Luo Feng habang inaaral ang mga diagrams at salita sa instruction manual, "Kung bibigyan mo ako ng tatlong taon ay papatunayan ko sa iyo na magagawa ko itong gawin sa loob ng tatlong buwan."
Click!
Pinindot ni Luo Feng ang pindutan sa kanyang tactical communications watch. Para ba siyang kumukuha ng isang video ay nirecord ni Luo Feng ang lahat ng diagrams at salitang nakaukit sa dingding gamit ang kanyang tactical communications watch bago ito itranslate sa salitang Chinese gamit ang translation software. Matapos ang nasa 20 minuto, ang lihim na instruction manual para sa mga controllers na may pangalang 'basic 312 moves' ay natranslate na.
….
22:56 ng 9/29/2057 ngayon sa Beijing China.
Sinimulan na ni Luo Feng na aralin ang instruction manual para sa mga controllers, ang 'basic 312 moves'. Ang kagustuhang makauwi ang lalong nakapagbigay ng determinasyon kay Luo Feng para magfocus ng husto sa kanyang pag-aaral dito. Mayroong pagkain at inumin sa loob ng archaeological ruin! Kung nauuhaw siya ay iinom siya ng tubig. Kakain naman siya sa oras na makaramdam siya ng gutom. Ang natitirang oras maliban sa pagkain at pag-inom ay kanyang ginamit para mapag-aralan ang mga basics na ito!
Matapos magsimula ay narealize ni Luo Feng kung gaano ba kalalim ang basic 312 moves instruction manual na ito!
Kung pag-uusapan ang hirap nito, sino ba namang makapagsasabi kung ilang beses na mas mahirap ito kaysa sa Celestial Deity Catalog.
Ang Celestial Deity Catalog ay isang libro na puno ng mga drawings na kung saan ay kinakailangan itong gayahin ng nag-aaral nito sa pamamagitan ng mga throwing knives. Nagmula ito sa ideya na "practice makes perfect", para sa isang tao na nagpapatuloy sa paghahasa ng kontrol sa kanyang mga throwing knife. Sa pamamagitan nito ay nagagawa ng isang tao na iimprove ang kanyang kontrol! Ang mga drawings na ito ay nilikha ni Hong gamit ang isang AI system. Ang mga drawings ay pahirap ng pahirap habang tumatagal.
Pero ibahin mo rito ang basic 312 moves instruction manual!
Ang mga taong gumawa ng archaeological ruin #9, na ginawa ito kasama ang isang training method para sa mga basics ng spirit reader 'controllers', ay isang organisasyon na matatagpuan sa kalawakan! Ang instruction manual na ito ay nagbigay buhay sa hindi mabilang-bilang na napakalalakas na taong mas malakas ng daan-daang beses kaysa kay Luo Feng noon pa!
Ang bagay na inuwi ni Luo Feng noon mula sa iniingatang kayamanan ni Hong, ang Spirit Reader Basics ay ginawa sa pamamagitan ng kaalaman ng mga tao sa loob ng ilang dosenang taon.
Pero ang basic 312 moves na ito ay ginawa sa pamamagitan ng ilang bilyong taon ng pagtesting!
Noong simulan niya ang pagsasanay ay agad na narealize ni Luo Feng ang pagkakaiba ng dalawang ito!
Napakabagal ang naging improvement ni Luo Feng matapos sanayin ang Celestial Deity Catalog ng napakatagal na panahon, pero matapos sanayin ang basic 312 moves instruction manual…. Ang kanyang kakayahan sa pagkontrol ng mga throwing knives ay nagimprove ng whoosh! Ganito kabilis. Maging si Luo Feng ay nasurpresa sa kanyang naging improvement.
...
"BOOM!"
"Hindi pa rin sapat," tingin ng mabigoteng mukha ni Luo Feng sa dingding na gawa sa kristal. Walang kahit anong marka ang naiwan sa kristal na dingding at matapos nito ay agad na sumayaw ang sampung piraso na hugis blade na tumama sa dingding pabalik sa Soaring Shuttle, "Sampung piraso na hugis blade, ang bawat isang blade ay mayroong impact force na umaabot sa 500,000 KG pero hindi pa ito malapit sa sapat na lakas na kinakailangan ko."
"Magsanay muli!"
Isinubsob muli ni Luo Feng ang kanyang sarili sa pagaaral ng basic 312 moves. Mula sa pagkontrol ng anim na piraso na hugis blade papunta sa sampung piraso na hugis blade ay nagawa ni Luo Feng sa loob ng dalawang buwan at 21 na araw na pag-aaral sa instruction manual! Alam naman natin na kahit sinanay na ni Luo Feng ang kanyang sarili ng husto sa pagsasanay ng Celestial Deity Catalog sa loob ng isang buwan ay hindi niya pa rin nagawang kumontrol ng pitong throwing knives mula sa anim! Nakakagulat ng husto ang pagkakaiba ng mga ito kung ikukumpara ang dalawang instruction manuals!
���
Sa underground base ng archaeological ruin #9.
"Tatlong buwan na ang nakalilipas!"
Iniling ng lalaking nakasuot ng pulang robe ang kanyang ulo habang nagbubuntong-hiningang sinabi na, "Tatlong buwan na ang nakalilipas pero hindi pa rin nakakalabas dito si Luo Feng. Sabihan mo ang Dojo of Limits."
"Opo!"
Mabilis na ipinadala ng napakaraming miyembro ng base ang mensahe.
...
Walang kaalam-alam si Luo Feng kung gaano nagulat ang mundo sa labas habang isinusubsob niya ang kanyang sarili sa pag-aaral! Sa ngayon, sa walong wargods na pumasok sa archaeological ruin #9, lima sa mga ito ang lumabas. Dalawa ang nagtagumpay habang tatlo naman ang nabaldado sa limang ito. Ang natitirang tatlo ay hindi pa rin lumalabas hanggang ngayon.
Pangkaraniwan na idinedeklara na patay ang mga fighters na hindi nakakalabas ng archaeological ruins ng napakatagal na panahon!
Pero ilagay natin sa ating isipan na ang isa sa tatlong taong hindi pa nakakalabas sa archeological ruins ay ang hindi mapapantayang wargod na si Luo Feng! Walang sinuman ang nag-isip na babagsak si Luo Feng! Kahit na bumagsak man ito ay magagawa pa rin nitong lumabas ng may kapansanan. Pero walang kahit anong balita ang nakuha nila kay Luo Feng at sa dalawa pang wargod sa loob ng archaeological ruins.
Sa malaspaceship na building ng Dojo of Limits world headquarters.
Ang lalaking nakasuot ng kulay itim na damit na si Hong ay tahimik na tumayo sa kanyang kuwarto habang nakatitig sa labas gamit ang bintana.
"Head," buong galang na sinabi ni Allure.
"Hindi ko naisip na, hindi ko talaga naisip ito…" malalim na hinga ni Hong.
Sa walong pumasok, lima rito ang nakalabas. Ang pinakamabilis sa kanila ay nagawang makalabas sa loob ng tatlong araw! Ang pinakamabagal naman ay nagawang makalabas sa loob ng 15 days! Ang natitirang tatlo ay hindi na lumabas pa… isa na si Luo Feng sa tatlong ito. Pangkaraniwan lang na ideklara nilang patay ang isang fighter na hindi pa nakakalabas sa loob ng tatlong buwan!
Bago pa man magawa ang translation software, ang pinakamatagal na oras na nanatili ang isang wargod sa loob ng archaeological ruins ay sa loob ng pitong buwan dahil hindi nila magawang mabasa o maintindihan ang kahit anong nangyayari sa loob ng archaeological ruin #9.
Pero matapos magawa ang translation software ay mas lalong tumaas ang efficiency ng mga ito sa pagpasok. Ang pinakamatagal na panahong nanatili ang isang fighter sa loob nito ay umaabot na lang sa kalahating buwan!
Kaya dinoble ng Dojo ang oras na iyon, dito nila sinimulan ang pagbibigay ng tatlong buwan na taning.
Kung hindi nila magagawang makalabas sa archaeological ruin #9 sa loob ng tatlong buwan ay idedeklara na nila itong patay!
"Hindi nagawa ng tatlong tao na makalabas dito ngayon," mahinang sinabi ng nakaitim na lalaking si Hong, "Sabihan niyo ang kanilang mga pamilya ng balita tungkol sa kanilang pagkamatay! Pero maliban kay Luo Feng…. Sabihan niyo ang kanyang pamilya na maaaring namatay siya sa loob nito pero hindi pa natin ito nakukumpirma."
"Opo," yuko ni Allure.
"Pero sumapit na po ang tatlong buwan head?" hindi maiwasang masabi ni Allure.
Huminga ng malalim ang lalaking nakaitim at sinabing, "Hindi pa rin ako naniniwalang namatay ang Luo Feng na iyon sa archaeological ruin #9. Dalian mo!"
"Opo," agad na umalis si Allure.
Ang lalaking nakasuot ng itim na damit na si Hong ay tahimik na nakatingin sa labas ng bintana ng kanyang kuwarto. Noong una ay nakita niya si Luo Feng sa loob ng elite training camp. Sa oras na iyon ay nagulat si Hong sa ipinakitang talento ni Luo Feng! Matapos nito ay nagpatuloy sa pagtaas ang kanyang naging pag-asa kay Luo Feng. Nagawa pa niya itong bigyan ng Soaring Shuttle. Iniisip niyang maaari niyang maging kanang kamay si Luo Feng pagdating ng panahon.
Pero hindi niya naisip na...
Mamamatay si Luo Feng sa loob ng archaeological ruin #9, isa sa pinakaligtas na ruins.
���
Kinaumagahan, sa Ming-Yue sector ng Yang Zhou City.
"Ano na ang nangyayari Hong Guo?" sigaw ni Gong Xin Lan sa kusina, "Hindi pa natin nakokontak si Luo Feng tatlong buwan na ang nakalilipas. Matagal na akong nag-aalala sa anak natin."
"Magrelax ka lang."
Tawa ni Luo Hong Guo habang tumitingin sa kanyang diyaryo sa loob ng kanilang sala, "Ang anak natin ay isa sa pinakamalakas na tao sa buong mundo! Nagagawa niyang pumatay ng mga halimaw na para bang naghihiwa ng mga gulay! Nagawa pa ngang magpunta rito dati ng commander ng southeastern sector para pasalamatan ang ating pamilya."
Nang biglang--
Nagring ang kanilang doorbell.
"Nakauwi na siguro si Feng," agad na tumayo si Luo Hong Guo pero mas naging mabilis dito si Gong Xin Lan, tumakbo ito mula sa kusina papunta sa pinto para buksan ito.
"At sino naman po kayo?"
Nagtatakang tiningnan ng mag-asawang Luo Hong Guo at Gong Xin Lan ang dalawang tao sa kanilang harapan. Ang nakatayo sa labas ng kanilang pintuan ay isang napakagandang babae at isa pang babae sa kanyang tabi. Makikita naman sa ibaba ng hagdan paakyat sa pintuan ang apat pang tao: ang chairman at ang tatlong chiefs ng Dojo of Limits sa Jiang-Nan headquarter city.
Bagsak na bagsak ang itsura ng anim na taong ito.
"Mayroong mali Hong Guo, natatakot ako," mahinang sinabi ni Gong Xin Lan.
"Chairman Zhou? Pasok po kayo," ngiti ni Luo Hong Guo.
Ang anim na ito ay pumasok sa tahanan ni Luo Feng.
Yumuko ang isang babae sa harapan, "Mr. Luo, Mrs. Gong, ako po ang guro ni Luo Feng na si Jiang Fang."
"Oh, gurong Jiang Fang. Naririnig na kita mula sa anak ko," ngiti ni Gong Xin Lan.
"Nagpunta po ako ngayong araw para sabihan ng isang bagay," makikita ang matinding kalungkutan sa mga mata ni Jiang Fang. Hindi niya naisip na ang isang talentado at masikap na bata ay …
Nagpalitan ng tingin sina Luo Hong Guo at Gong Xin Lan.
"Pinagsususpetsahan ng aming dojo na ang inyong anak na si Luo Feng, ay namatay, kaya ginusto nilang ipaalam ito sa inyong dalawa," mahinang sinabi ni Jiang Fang.
"Ano!?"
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Gong Xin Lan bago siya biglang nahulog.
Nanigas ang buong katawan ni Luo Hong Guo pero nagawa pa rin niyang hawakan ang kanyang asawa. Hindi na napigilan ni Luo Hong Guo ang pagbuhos ng kanyang luha.
Hinawakan din ni Jiang Fang si Gong Xin Lan. Nanigas ang nahulog na katawan ni Gong Xin Lan habang nanlalaking nakatingin ang kanyang mga mata kay Jiang Fang na nasa kanyang harapan. Nanginginig ang boses nitong sinabi na, "Gurong Jiang, imposible, napakaimposible po nito. Maayos lang po ang Feng namin. Imposible po talaga, napakaimposible…" nakakatakot ang pamumutla ng mukha ni Gong Xin Lan.
"Hindi pa po kami sigurado dahil hindi pa po ito nakukumpirma," dagdag ni Jiang Fang.
"Oo, hindi pa nakukumpirma," hinawakan ni Luo Hong Guo si Gong Xin Lan, "Walang kahit anong magiging problema. Uuwi ng maayos si Feng sa amin."
Pero umiyak si Gong Xin Lan ng walang ingay.
Hindi sigurado?
Anong klase ng power ang Dojo of Limits? Ang pinakamalakas na power sa buong mundo! Nagpadala ang Dojo of Limits ng iilang wargods para ipaalam ito sa kanilang dalawa. Kung wala silang kaalam-alam ay magagawa ba nilang magpunta rito at magsabi ng isang bagay na kagaya nito? Malinaw para sa ama ni Luo Feng na si Luo Hong Guo na… mayroong 90% chance na ang kanilang anak na si Luo Feng ay patay na.
"Hello, chairman Zhou."
Naglakad si Luo Hua sa loob ng kanilang bahay nang mayroong mataas na ngiti sa kanyang mukha, pero matapos makita ang kanyang ama at ina ay hindi na rin nito napigilang magpanic habang tumatakbo palapit sa mga ito, "Ma, Pa, anong nangyari?"


Taong 2056, sa loob ng isang siyudad na makikita sa Su Jin Area makikita ang isang teenager na nakasuot ng combat vest, pangsundalong pangibaba at battle boots na gawa sa alloy na nakaupo sa tuktok ng isang sira sirang six story residential apartment. Makikita sa kaniyang likuran ang isang hexagonal shield at ang kaniyang hawak hawak na blood-shadow battle knife. Tahimik siyang nakaupo sa dulo ng rooftop. Makikita sa mga oras na ito ang kumikinang na kalangitan at mararamdaman ang napakapreskong hangin na kasalukuyang umiihip patungo sa kaniya. Pero tanging katahimikan lamang ang maririnig sa sira sira at abandonadong siyudad na ito at kung minsan ay mayroong paisa isang pagalulong ang maririnig na magbibigay takot sa sinumang makarinig nito.

Due to his elevated status and his inordinate amount of wealth, Ves did not frequent any casual store. Bentheim featured a large amount of stores that sold weapons and armor, but most of these products were aimed towards the average consumer.
Ves was anything but an average consumer. Whereas someone might struggle over the decision whether to fork over a thousand credits for a basic laser pistol, Ves could easily purchase a million pistols in bulk!
No, as a more refined customer who was willing to spend big money, he instead decided to visit a more upscale outfitter store. Bentheim hosted a decent amount of stores geared towards millionaires or billionaires. Those with more discerning tastes expected much greater service.
After sending a message to Professor Ventag, he received a short message in return that recommended him to a particular business in downtown Dorum.
The armored shuttle touched down on a landing pad next to a range of exclusive shops catered to the rich and wealthy. The Blackbeaks and Crystal Lords escorting the shuttle could no longer proceed forward from this point. Security within this shopping street was very high, and the guests who frequented it would not feel comfortable being around mechs controlled by other people.
"You are only allowed four guards for a party of this size." A Planetary Guard lieutenant stated at the entrance to the shopping district. "Your SASS security guards are already vetted, so they are free to accompany the two of you. Please have a nice day, sir."
Retaining the services of Sanyal-Ablin proved to be quite a boon in this instance. The security company maintained a significant presence in Bentheim. Whereas unknown security guards would have been blocked from entering the high-class shopping street due to the risks they posed to everyone's security, SASS did not have to deal with this problem due to the reputation they built up over the years.
With four armored guards in tow, Ves entered the shopping district and passed by various wealthy visitors or locals on his way to his intended destination.
Due to the exclusive nature of the shopping street, only a modest amount of people were about. All of them inevitably brought along their own guard escorts, ruining the tranquil nature of their visits.
Eventually, Ves and Ketis walked up to an understated but very classy store called Renny's Outfitters. Lucky also came along, of course. The gluttonous cat was comfortably nuzzling in Ketis' arms.
"Mr. Ves Larkinson!" A store attendant called inside the foyer of the upscale, multi-leveled store. "Welcome to Renny's Outfitters. Professor Ventag has sent us word that you might be stopping by. It is an honor for us to meet the needs of an esteemed war hero and mech designer such as yourself. You can call me Dias. I have been assigned to personally tend to your needs, so if you have any requests, feel free to voice them. Here at Renny's Outfitters, we offer a wide range of personal gear, and if we don't have something that you need, our extensive network of suppliers will be able to ship them personally to your doorstep."
Ves brushed past the marketing spiel and went straight to the point. "Well, Dias, I would like to outfit myself and Ketis here with some personal gear. To be more specific, we want to acquire high-quality weapons, armor and and various handheld tools."
Dias presented him with a gleaming smile. "We offer some of the finest weapons, armor and tools in our extensive product catalog! In order to offer you the most suitable selection of products, it would help if you list out some criteria. What is your budget? Do you wish to buy locally-produced gear, or would you rather take a fancy for some of our imported products from the Friday Coalition?"
"I'm looking for products that esteemed craftsmen have made by hand." Ves stated immediately. While he did not expect to obtain something as fantastic as the original Amastendira, he wanted to obtain something better than mass produced gear. "Preferably, I'd like to obtain custom products, but I'm kind of in need of gear right now."
"Hmm. It is indeed difficult to obtain customized gear on short notice." Dias frowned. "Many craftsmen that produce the best weapons and armor have waiting lists that stretch for months or even years. Those that are more immediately available won't offer the quality that a discerning customer such as yourself will be satisfied with. However, we offer a wide range of high-quality ready-made products that are just as good as custom pieces. Please follow me while I guide you to a showroom."
They moved up a few levels and entered a largely empty showroom. Dias activated a command on his comm which caused a table to arise from the floor. A projection appeared in front of the table which gave the user access to the product catalog of the store.
Dias then began to manipulate the interface, causing a few weapons to appear on the table from below. "We know that each piece of craftsmanship is a unique work that differs from every other product even by the same maker. Looking at a finely crafted product through a projection is as senseless as admiring jewelry from afar. Here at Renny's Outfitters, we offer you the opportunity to touch and study all of our readily-available products up close."
Ves and Ketis approached the table and studied the wide range of pistols on display. They encompassed most of the types and subtypes of pistols in use in the Bright Republic.
"Ketis, you need a new sidearm, right? Do you prefer a laser weapon or a ballistic weapon?"
"Laser. It's easier to work with when paired with a good targeting system." She replied.
Dias immediately latched on to that. "While a fair number of our laser pistols are geared towards expert marksmen who distrust targeting systems, we offer hundreds of laser pistol models that are highly compatible with all of the targeting systems integrated into our other products. Even if you pair a pistol imported from the Friday Coalition with a suit of combat armor from the Reinald Republic, our software engineers have already made sure that they will be able to work together without any of the usual incompatibility issues."
Ves nodded in satisfaction. This was indeed a legitimate concern to most people who sourced their gear from different sources, but an all-service store like Renny's Outfitters saved their customers a lot of eeffort.
With a few commands, the other types of pistols disappeared from the table. Instead, more laser pistols emerged in their places.
Like a kid visiting a candy store, Ketis immediately leaned forward and grabbed the shiniest pistols on offer. She weighed them in her hands and admired their exquisite craftsmanship.
As a mech designer, she possessed enough awareness to know that these were genuine expressions of craftsmanship. They were literally individual pieces of art with a useful function thrown in for good measure. These pistols were the kind of weapons that Ves could hang up on the wall of his penthouse office to impress the visitors.
Ves only found it regretful that he hadn't spotted any mastercrafted products. Even a store as renowned as Renny's Outfitters wouldn't easily display any mastercrafted gear. Such products usually came about by chance. The craftsmen who were lucky enough to produce a work of mastercraft quality would almost certainly sell them to their friends or favored customers.
If someone like Ves wanted to obtain a genuine mastercrafted piece of gear, he would have to either make friends with a craftsman or obtain one at a sky-high price in an auction.
Ves did not have the time to wait for either of those possibilities. Besides, his expectations may be high, but they were not excessive.Ves was not willing to fork out billions of credits just for a single piece of exquisite gear.
"Ves! Come take a look! I think this laser pistol is the right one for me! I have a good feel for this gun!"
To his surprise, Ketis favored a large, masculine looking laser pistol. Its visual design incorporated a brutal element that looked very macho when used by tough guys. In the hands of Ketis, however, all of her dormant pirate traits began to rouse themselves. It was as if a sleeping dragon started to wake!
After holding out his hand, Ketis passed over the hefty weapon. The weapon bore its name on its side. 
"The Udor is not an elegant pistol, but what it lacks in grace, it more than makes up for it with its punch." Dias explained. "The Udor is a large laser pistol with a high capacity and offers a wide variety of firing modes. Whether you want to burn through a hatch or stop a mob of hundreds of madmen, the Udor is capable of saving you from a variety of threats with the right configuration."
Ketis practically fell in love with the Udor already. She bobbed her head so vigorously that her poofy beret threatened to fall off!
All of the capabilities mentioned by Dias sounded somewhat similar to what the Amastendira offered, though not as powerful. Perhaps that was part of the reason why she opted to go for a large pistol rather than a smaller and more concealable sidearm.
Ves recognized the Udor as a true piece of craftsmanship. Not that Renny's Outfitters would ever stoop to passing off mass-produced goods as artisanal pieces, but it helped that Ves could feel the care and attention its maker put into the gun. A weak but very present form of spirituality suffused the weapon.
There must be a story behind the Udor. Perhaps something related to pirates for its maker to incorporate so many visual motifs related to frontier pirates into the design.
"Price?"
"39 million credits. This price encompasses both the product and the services we offer. The Udor requires periodic maintenance in order to retain its peak condition, and we have many experts on hand if you desire some adjustments."
Ves already made his own evaluation of the weapon. The Udor, despite its brutish appearance, was a very high-quality pistol that incorporated a lot of expensive exotics in a very tiny package.
"We'll take it. Please inspect the Udor thoroughly."
Dias understood Ves' concerns. "We work with various independent appraisers and inspectors to make sure that the hardware and software of our products are free from defects and malicious elements. It will take a few hours for them to inspect the Udor, but you will eventually be able to receive it in a sealed state along with certificates that verify its integrity upon the moment of delivery."
With the Udor sinking back down the floor to be sent for inspections, Ves moved on to picking his own sidearm.
Since he already possessed the Amastendira, Ves sought out a weapon that inflicted physical damage. He didn't wish to buy a gun as big and excessive as the Udor. Instead, he wanted something that was much less ostentatious, yet still exuded a lot of class.
When Ves presented his criteria to Dias, the man manipulated the interface and caused every laser pistol to sink away. Moments later, dozens of ballistic pistols and a few more unusual weapon types rose up. Each of them called for his attention.
"I want a pistol with a high magazine capacity." Ves added. "It should be capable of firing rounds with decent armor-piercing capability, but I don't want the gun to run empty after firing only six or seven rounds."
If Ves ever lacked aim-assist, he would probably need more chances than that to actually hit a target at a distance!
Dias wordlessly retracted over half of the pistols, only to cause new ones to take their place.
Most of the pistols still consisted of regular ballistic pistols, but a few looked decidedly odder. Ves lacked the training to use these more advanced weapons proficiently, so he didn't study them for long.
"Let's see what I can use."


Humanity has conquered half the galaxy and the Age of Mechs reigns supreme!

Ves Larkinson lacked the genetic aptitude to become a famed mech pilot. Fighting against his fate, he studied mech design in order to express his love for mechs as a builder instead of a soldier.

When Ves graduated from college, he returned to a new but empty boutique. Left with a small, newly founded mech workshop that his father painstakingly built with a mountain of debt, Ves somehow needs to make ends meet with the bank breathing down his neck.

In the midst of his despair, he found salvation from another legacy his father had left.

"Welcome to the Mech Designer System. Please design your new mech."

--Join The Mech Touch's unofficial Discord server: https://discord.gg/APB5KCU

"It's simple, young boor!" The historian said.

"You don't understand the whole story of research, the process of work is interesting and not its final result, it's just like a cherry on a cake!"

"Nothing more"!

- Uh, dear! I noticed, Dara, you see, I'm not a student already, I'm a businessman. Farmer, shopkeeper. I have little time.

"Well, you yourself, were interested in the history of these mountains, how to look for coins and other precious objects" ?!

"This is also work, this is an interesting work, adventure, quest, good luck, sometimes you find trash in general, and sometimes coins for which you can earn some money!"

- I understand that, just talk about it, tell me about the method, don't need a lot of water, I'm not a scientist, I just came here to make easy money to develop my business in the capital! Said, losing his temper, Dara.

"I understand that, but you show warmth, you yourself live in the East and must understand how life is arranged here."

- Eeeee ... oh well ash stump ... (Local dialect) ...

- Okay, let's say the methodology ... and what did you find, how much and where did you sell it, did you become a millionaire? Said Dara.

"Well, you old man, have you read Jack London?"

- Ahh, you about the fact that a real treasure hunter or a gold digger will never say that he hit a big jackpot?

"About it, dear"!

- Hey, sir, historian, do not say this word, they beat us in the face for this! Noticed, Dara.

"Why"? "This is such a familiar way of talking in the West!"


_ Well, damn it, we are not in the West, we ourselves were talking about the East!

- We don't like familiarity, some kind of horseradish from the mountain (a local dialect came from the second empire) - and says, dear, it smells like bad.

- It's good if they're just banned in the network, in real life, it's possible to get a shot in the face!

"Ahh, I seem to understand!"

"But you also understood where I got this catch phrase"

- Sure! This is from the Kinzaza movie!

"Intelligent"! "They're gone."

- Yes, but they skillfully hide. Ahahahaahhahaa! Laughed, Dara.

"Well, let's move on to our rams" (local dialect).

"So:

look for old maps of the 19th century, the 18th century they are not very accurate, you need to mess around there more.

Imperial military maps of the second half of the 19th century, tsarist, British, Germanic, Austro-Hungarian, Japanese, are best suited. Well and the USA. Yes, the USA in the late 70s of the 19th century intensively mapped the territory of Asia.

Then we need satellite images and aerial photographs, there are archives, they are free, practically.

The data that you write out from the ancient road builders are Arabic in the main and the first empire, after information from historical manuscripts of the late 19th century - early 20th centuries.

Historical names, the origin of place names, make up the database. You record key data in a table. Unforgettable to look for them on the old map. Prescribe their coordinates.

You attach all the cartographic data to the area, for this you will have to use GIS software. Perhaps applications for digital thematic processing of satellite images, software. With an application for processing archaeological data.

You find the data from the cards in a satellite image and do their binding. Then you will need to clarify them on the ground and adjust the map.

- Christmas tree winders (local dialect) Dara thought, this is too scientific ... but also interesting, to some extent.

Then you make up a general idea for yourself where there were some historical events. But they are not in the "red zone", that is, real historical places included in the register of cultural heritage. You can't search for anything there. Prohibited.

But in places that are not listed in the registry, you can try to search. But this is the same as with drones, first you need to register a metal detector, get permission, undergo minimal training. What you can use and sell, and what you need to take to museums and notify the police. These are naturally cultural values, great finds - treasures, old weapons. But coins, single, or a scattering of ten is your business.

If you find something interesting, accidentally discovered the archaeological layer, and there, in addition to ceramics, also some remains, you need to notify the historical and local history museums, turn to scientists, archaeologists and ethnographers. All these moves are registered.

Well, this is already boring, but necessary knowledge. And then registration as a treasure hunter, tax payment, at the end of the year, on the profit received. About 26 percent.

And production can be sold at electronic auctions or delivered to the state reception departments, but there they take 40 percent cheaper than at auction.

If you pass it to the museum, you will not see the money at all, but they will write on a copper plate that this or that exhibitor was donated by a treasure hunter.

And so, look at the electronic catalog of coins, if they meet the requirements, then put up for auction.

Prices are different, from 30 cents to 10,000 dollars. Usually from 100 to 1000 dollars. Well, how lucky.

When searching, unforgettable, after the spread of dirt, remove, dig holes. Such a code or ethics of the treasure hunter. Share advice with others.
What did I find? Coins are basically, I said earlier.

I made a map of the ancient roads, clarified by satellite images, tied them to the terrain ... that is, I specified ...

and then just went with a metal detector along the road.

Paths, roads, the most interesting in terms of search and in terms of finds, coins. Different cities, countries, eras.

You follow it ... and you know that caravans and people of 60 centuries walked along this road in the steppe. They connected the continents!

You read about it in ancient road builders, and now you yourself are walking along this road, the road like a time machine, if you have a good imagination!

Coins come across every 100-200 meters. Coins are different, there are modern ones, there are first and second empires. Among them, rare coins sometimes come in that cost $ 100-260 apiece, if they are in good condition.

Provided that they are not in the flood zone of the river, it spills and floods the ravines, and then there is only the plain ... and the sands ...

Less common are coins of various regional principalities of the 18-17-16 centuries.

Most often, copper, after silver, very rarely gold and bronze.

On the plain closer to the mountains of Light, you can find Arab coins from the time of the Abbasids and coins of the empire of Ming, Tan, Qing ...

In the mountains, sometimes it was possible to meet Macedonian - Greek coins, more of the Arab and local principalities, silver 17-18 centuries.

That is, each point, mountains, mountain valleys, passes, foothill plains, deserts, steppe, has different types of coins, the frequency of their meeting ...

COMPLETED

The Silk Road ... it is inevitable the emergence of wells, caravanserais, guard fortresses, postal stations, local bazaars, regional bazaars, the emergence of new jobs:
- robbers (there were whole settlements)
- caravan guards
- changed
- merchants

Just about them and will be discussed.


About their life, tricks.

Alas, English is still the same ... there are mistakes, I am sure of it.

I hope over time I will be able to fix them.

I just wanted to share information about such an interesting topic as the history of the development of the Silk Road.

----
And also a series of stories about treasures, treasure hunters.

--------------------------------
This is a work of art. Any resemblance to real people or real events is purely coincidental.

After class, Liu Yang returned straight home, he wanted to look for information about Lyna Oddmind before completing the other quest.
 
This was supposed to be done yesterday, but Liu Yang preferred to be intimate with Rose and he fell asleep on her chest after she hugged him to the bed.
 
When a player sleeps inside the game, he is disconnected half an hour later, this was to improve the sleep of players in the real world. By the time Liu Yang woke up, it was another day, he had to go to school.
 
…
 
By the time Liu Yang's character appeared in New Earth, where he was still Rose's room at the Heavenly Winds Hotel. Looking at the large bed and chairs around a table, scenes from the day before began to appear in Liu Yang's mind.
 
The feel of the delicate lips, the soft breasts, the thin and delicate waist, the warmth… All the sensations and feelings that Liu Yang felt in those minutes along with Rose were appearing in his mind. A slight smile appeared on his face as he thought about it.
 
He, Liu Yang, never imagined that he would be with two beautiful young girls like Rose and Little Thorns. His perspective on life was not that high, he just wanted to earn money by playing New Earth, but it seems he managed to get two beautiful lovers instead.
 
The moments he spent with Rose and Little Thorns began to pop into his mind, from the day Liu Yang met them to the present moment. Although it was only within the game, the sensations and emotions the three felt were real.
 
When it was over, Liu Yang slowly opened his eyes, he had a smug smile on his face. As an ordinary person, Liu Yang could never have had the chance to come so close to the two girls had it not been for his class skills. What he could do was something many could not.
 
After thinking a lot about it, Liu Yang made a bold decision, he would take Rose and Little Thorns as his official lovers, the lady, and the maid, but how would he do that, Liu Yang didn't know yet. This kind of situation was common, having more than one wife in the kingdom of orcs and dark elves, but not in the human kingdom and white elves.
 
Looking sideways, Liu Yang pulled a pen and piece of paper from his inventory, he wrote a few things before laying on the bed.
 
Glancing back into the room, Liu Yang pulled out a return scroll and used it. His face had a solemn look as he left the room.
 
…
 
In a city fully decorated as a festival, tens of thousands of people were coming and going through the wide streets. The city seemed to be having a big festival.
 
In the crowd, you could see a person dressed in a black cloak walking slowly toward a large majestic building that had a large black lettering sign on the entrance, Central Library. Inside the library was gigantic with a very large amount of books, the place looked like a big maze due to the bookshelves.
 
There were very few people going to the library, so the interior was quiet and serene.
 
A person dressed in a black robe walked into the library and headed for the information desk, where it had a middle-aged woman answering.
 
"Hello, I would like some information" The person dressed in the cloak stuck up spoke.
 
"Hello, what kind of information would you like?" The attendant didn't care that the other side was wearing a black cloak. She called the other side as sir because of his voice.
 
"I would like to know where the information about the Great War."
 
"Books on this subject were on the second floor, and the third session."
 
"Thank you"
 
…
 
The person dressed in the black cloak went towards the second floor, he did not draw the attention of other players or NPCs by the way he was dressed, as it was normal to see players wearing black cloaks to cover their bodies.
 
The second floor looked like a little maze because of the way the shelf were arranged.
 
Within the game there was a quick way to read the books, which was just leafing through the book and the information would instantly appear in the player's mind. This was because the information in the books was stored inside the character's data. 
 
Using this method, the person dressed in the black cloak only had to quickly flip through each of the books. However, the number of books on the second floor was absurd, to be able to flip through all the books would require several days in a row. That is what the person dressed in black did.
 
Taking the first book, which was thick as an encyclopedia, and flipping through, the person in the black cloak finished looking in a few dozen seconds. Taking the second book and doing the same thing, then the third, the fourth…
 
The person dressed in black was doing the same thing for several hours straight, he would always take a book and flip through every page before putting it back on the shelf. The other players realized that the person dressed in the black cloak was looking for information about something.
 
…
 
The person dressed in the black cloak stayed inside the library for two full days in the gaming world, after which time he found the information he was looking for. The book that had the information was about the enemies of the human kingdom, Wanted Catalog.
 
According to the book, Lyna Oddmind was the elven princess of the white elven race, she was the daughter of the king and queen, her beauty could be considered the first in the elven kingdom at that time.
 
Besides the information was a full-length photo of Lyna Oddmind, she was quite pretty, her hair was golden down to her round buttocks, pointed ears, sleek face, medium breast, and long, slender legs.
 
The information about Lyna Oddmind was just information about her, there was nothing about what happened to her on the battlefield or her past.
 
The person dressed in the black cloak understood that the information he sought was in another book. This person was Liu Yang, after leaving the hotel room, he went to the library to research about Lyna Oddmind.
 
…
 
 
 

 
 
A few more hours later…
 
After leafing through for a while, Liu Yang found the book he was looking for: The Great War and its conflicts.
 
The book told the story of the conflicts that occurred before and after the Great War of the Four Kingdoms. Each conflict, who were the generals, who were the main characters, the locations of the conflicts, and more.
 
Liu Yang was not interested in the story, he just wanted to know information about what happened to Lyna Oddmind. Skipping the information, he finally found the page.

In a world where power within a game is used to solve crises in a country. Find out what our players will do to survive in this world, where they care about their level and equipment.

---------

The story begins when the young Liu Yang turns sixteen and has his initiation to start playing a game called Project: Unknown.

Due to an accident while he completed a quest, Liu Yang got a mysterious chest, and after discovering that it belonged to a master of souls. Liu Yang embarks on the journey to becoming the next master of souls.

Follow the adventures of Liu Yang as he talks and helps those who have died, but have not left this world.

This is the tale about the one who has the power to see and talk to souls.

This is The Tale of Souls.

--------------------

Cover created by MikeWe - https://forum.webnovel.com/d/27252-free-covers-for-your-books
--------------------

"Welcome to our humble abode Mrs.Tang." Mei Leng gracefully ushered Tang Fei into the house.

"Thank you for inviting me to stay." Tang Fei responded. "I really do hate to be intruding on you like this!". 'Of course earning time to spend with my male god is nice too.' Tang Fei felt a burst of excitement at the thought of staying at her male gods house even if it was only until the storm lessened up.

"Not at all with having my ice block of a brother as company all the time you're a breath of fresh air!"
Mei Leng then gestured to the living room. 

"By the way I was just about to watch a movie would you two care to join me?" She asked taking a seat on a black cushion.

"I'd love to." Tang Fei excitedly agreed as she positioned herself near Mei Leng.

Meanwhile the ignored Youyuan Leng who has been forced into watching a movie with his annoying sister and a woman out for his tofu was ruthlessly pulled by aforementioned sister in between her and Tang Fei.

Watching Mei Leng flip through the catalog Tang Fei wondered what type of movie they'll be watching. 'Maybe it will be romance or comedy maybe even action! I'm still so excited I get to watch a movie with a new friend and Youyuan Leng!'. But as Mei Leng stopped on a certain movie Tang Fei's face began to pale.

It was the newly released horror movie that depicted a family living in a house full of deadly secrets and multiple ghosts. Apparently it had been nominated as one of the scariest movies of the year!

'Noooooooooo!' Tang Fei internally screamed. If I watch this I'll have nightmares nightmares! Of course she still had to smile and turn to Mei Leng to confrirm her suspicion.

"Will we be watching this tonight?"

"Yup!" Mei Leng cheerfully smiled. 'Friend you will surely thank me for this my brother hates horror movies. Use the suspension bridge effect* to your advantage and conquer!' Mei Leng gave herself a pat on the back for her genius strategy oblivious to Tang Fei's internal conflict.

(*Supension Bridge Effect- to make the one you love easier to fall in love with you by you two share the experience of feeling anxieties and fears.)

"Can we not." The ever silent Youyuan Leng finally spoke up his face white as a sheet displaying his obvious reluctance and fear.

'Please male god convince your sister to let us escape this predicament!' Tang Fei prayed that she would not be subject to this torture today.

"Nope!" Mei Leng quickly replied. "Unless you want me to give your fan girls your address!" She sweetly smiled betraying her vicious words.

 Youyuan Leng dared not respond for only he knew the true power of his "fans".

'Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy QAQ' Tang Fei cried at her bad luck. 'I absolutely hate horror movies!'

Tang Fei was a lady said to be unconquerable until she met the president of Leng Corps Youyuan Leng. With one glance she.... fell in love!! Expending all her efforts to chase this seemingly cold president while taking on an equally difficult case, will she succeed? Or will she always just be a buzzing fly?


Updates Monday-Friday

"You've finally come around, thank heavens I didn't give up…"
A song began to play in Mag's mind. It was a system-version remix, so it was tinged with an abundance of resentment.
"System, I'm not buying anything ever again if you play music with that surround-sound system of yours again." Mag furrowed his brows and expressed his displeasure toward the sound wave attacks being directed at him.
"I'm just trying to express the excitement in my heart. Don't you humans also like to hum and sing when you're in a good mood? How can you rob the system of its freedom like this?" The system delivered a stern retort.
"Alright, then I'm not going to upgrade the restaurant." Mag pursed his lips.
"You were right! Such a heinous method of expressing joy must be nipped in the bud!" The background music immediately stopped, and in a fawning tone, the system said, "Let's discuss the restaurant upgrade now. You have enough points to upgrade the restaurant to level two, after which you'll unlock many rights. At the same time, the restaurant will also undergo some renovation, so please confirm that you would like to go ahead with the upgrade."
A restaurant upgrade contract suddenly appeared in Mag's mind, and he read through it carefully from start to finish. It was just an ordinary contract with no traps or anything like that, nor did it specify the rights that would be unlocked following the upgrade. Thus, he pressed the "confirm" button on the lower right corner with his mind.
"Ding! The restaurant upgrade has been successfully confirmed!
"Ding! 50,000 points have been successfully deducted!
"Ding! Restaurant is undergoing renovation, which will require three minutes. During this period of time, please do not go down to the first floor of the restaurant!"
System notifications rang out one after another, following which some sounds began to erupt downstairs.
"By the way, system, while you're doing that, can you transform that room on the second floor into a miniature children's playground?" Mag asked internally. That room was empty anyway, so if he could transform it into a playground, then Amy and Ugly Duckling would be able to have a lot of fun.
"The upgrade package does not include this option." The system offered a stern rejection before continuing, "Also, please remember that the system is a cuisine system, not a construction contractor. Please do not insult the system by asking it to build a children's playground; that is unacceptable!"
"Just state your price!" Mag rolled his eyes. He had heard similar words being spoken by the system countless times before.
"Well…" As expected, the system immediately began to hesitate once money was mentioned.
"1,000 gold coins," Mag offered.
"Deal!" the system immediately replied.
"There's a good system." Mag pursed his lips before shaking his head as he said, "You may agree to this price, but I don't; it's too expensive!"
"We can negotiate on the price, and calculate production costs based on your requirements. The system's manufacturing quality is guaranteed to be of an extremely high standard, and every single copper coin that you pay will be well worth the price. The objective is to build a playground for the little princess in a limited space so she can have a fun and enjoyable childhood," the system urged.
"Show me the concept design first," Mag requested. 1,000 gold coins was 100,000 copper coins. Business was quite good for the restaurant at the moment, but that was still a large sum of money, and he couldn't afford to let it go to waste.
"Ding! The indoor playground concept designs have been transmitted. You may view it at any time." The system's voice immediately sounded.
Mag looked at the concept designs that had appeared in his mind, only to find that the prices started at 500 gold coins before gradually increasing, all the way to 10,000 and even 1,000,000 gold coins.
Mag began to flip through the designs one by one. The 500 gold coin playground was quite similar to the indoor playground of the modern day. The place was decorated with a cartoon wallpaper, and within it was a trampoline, a seesaw, a wooden horse… The entire room was littered with all types of toys, and there were many options, but it reminded him of a low-level playground that one could purchase a daily ticket to access for 10 yuan.
He continued to flip through the options, and the 1,000 gold coin playground appeared to be a much more attractive option. There were many themes to choose from such as underwater world, purple dream kingdom… Not only were these themes reflected by the wallpaper, the toys had also received an upgrade. There was a miniature two-person merry-go-round in the corner, a cartoon dance machine, an electronic wooden horse… The whole thing appeared to be very high-tech.
This one's not bad. For a room of this size, a playground of this level should be the limit. If any larger toys are crammed in, there wouldn't be enough space. Mag was quite pleased with the concept design for the purple dream kingdom. However, he was curious about the more expensive options, so he continued to flip through the catalog, and his expression gradually became more and more peculiar.
The 10,000 gold coin playground essentially had the scale of an outdoor playground, with all types of large playground facilities. As for the 1,000,000 gold coin playground, it was pretty much the same scale as Disneyland. There were all types of themed sections, and it was clearly something that such a small room couldn't contain.
Furthermore, according to the system's introduction, some of the sections had super high-tech features, such as ultra-realistic space simulation, galactic tour simulations, black hole simulations, magic battle simulations… Even Mag was getting tempted by those features.
If I build a playground for 1,000,000 gold coins, then sell tickets for entry, would I be able to earn money that way? Mag thought to himself as he looked at the concept design, but he quickly shook his head to rid himself of that thought. 1,000,000 gold coins was a massive amount, and even if he were to sell tickets, he most likely wouldn't be able to break even after many years. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that kids would come to play.
Most importantly, if he used 1,000,000 gold coins to purchase strength points, he would most likely be close to returning to his peak. In comparison to building a playground, regaining his former strength was clearly far more important.
Of course, if someone could invest in this project, then it wasn't a bad idea. In any case, it would be fine as long as he wasn't the one putting in the money.
"System, can you quote a lower price for this purple dream kingdom?" Mag asked internally. That one was clearly the most suitable design.
"The prices listed are already the cost price, and the system can ensure brilliant quality of all designs. These prices are already a massive bargain, so what are you waiting for?" The system gave an earnest response.
"500 gold coins," Mag immediately offered.
"…"
A string of ellipses rolled through his mind, after which the system roared, "Who barters like that?!"
"Doesn't bartering always start at half price?" Mag asked.
"…"
The system fell silent.
"That's all the money I have. If you can do it, great; if not, I can just take them outside to play. The outside world is far more spectacular anyway." Mag stood up, and prepared to walk out of the room. The three-minute renovation period was almost up, and he wanted to check what changes had been made.
"Please wait! Can you maybe add a bit more to that price?" The system's voice sounded.


In Chaos City on the Norland Continent, there is a strange restaurant.

Here, elves and dwarves share tables. Beastmen are prohibited from making a din, and giant dragons can only seat around the tiny square in front of the restaurant. Even demons have to bring their own stools…

But it is such a strange restaurant that has long lines outside every day.

Elves are stuffing kebabs, paying no mind to their manners; giant dragons are sitting around a hot pot, strainers in their hands; demons are eating nice-looking dango…

"There's no other place on this continent where you can find food like that! The boss here is a genius!" a customer provides such a review. Then, he gives a furtive look at the door. "Also, don't you think of kidnapping the boss away or dine-and-dashing, or you will suffer a tragic death."

"Eat, pay, or you will be beaten to death." says a cute little girl in her childish voice as she trots forward. A five-meter tall dragon shivers when it meets her eyes.

Artificial intelligence was a word most people on the internet were familiar with. They usually played the antagonist role in the action-packed Hollywood movies, only to have their plans of world domination gloriously foiled by the protagonist.
It could be seen from the mainstream media that humankind had always been skeptical and afraid of artificial intelligence.
The perception was logical; they were, after all, beings not reliant on a physical body, both eternal and wise. There was no reason for such a "god" to abide by the rules of humans.
However, ventures into artificial intelligence research never ceased. From novels written in the 1950s that imagined the future of artificial intelligence to IBM’s development of Watson who could design a menu and voluntarily participate in contests—within sixty years, artificial intelligence had made leaps and bounds.
What about in another sixty years?
There was no need for another sixty years; the Han internet user could now experience it in the present.
An unknown software—as if carefully planned—entered the Android platform, 361 stores, and the APP store. The download number exploded exponentially, breaking one million downloads on the tenth day after release, beating Line’s record at six hundred thousand downloads a day.
This could only be described as a miracle.
Using common sense, it would still take great marketing to pull off such a feat. Otherwise, no matter how amazing the app, it would take time for anyone to become familiar with the product. Future Technology Corporation—it was a name no one ever had heard before.
Artificial intelligence? A changed algorithm with an increase in phone performance by threefold? Decrease power consumption by half? Automatic compatibility with both Android and iOS apps? Did they take all of the users for fools?
Fu*k, it actually has artificial intelligence that can speak? Siri is so dumb in comparison.
Fu*k, it actually increased the phone performance by three times! Even cheap phones can play high-end games now without any lag!
Fu*k, it actually decreased the power consumption by half. My Huawei has a battery span of two days now!
A chain of explosive reactions ensued, followed by an exponential number of downloads. The waves of good ratings and comments convinced the skeptical users to join the forces. In response to their shocking discovery, they also joined in promoting the app.
Future 1.0 officially caught the attention of all mobile users.
－
Within 361 Corporation's headquarters.
"I want to know the developer of this app, as well as the background of Future Technology. I don’t care how you do it; I want a detailed report on my table in two hours." 361 Corporation's president Zhou Hongwei sat at his office desk, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to alleviate his tiredness as he gave a task to 361 Phone Helper’s Project Manager Zhang Jianfeng.
"Yes." The middle aged man nodded as he hastily walked out of the office.
"Boss, is the Future 1.0 as scary as it sounds?" The assistant couldn’t resist asking after seeing her boss's gloomy expression.
"Do you know what artificial intelligence and enhanced phone functionality mean?" Zhou Hongwei sneered with raised eyebrows.
"But based on user dependency and..."
"Don't mention those things; those are applicable when the software are comparable." Zhou Hongwei rejected the assistant's point right away. "Would you continue to use an old flip phone after the introduction of a smartphone?"
The young assistant was speechless, unable to argue against her boss's point. Even if the book said otherwise, the reality was right in front of her.
"The introduction of the touch screen replaced the necessity to have fifteen physical buttons, but the Future 1.0 replaced the need to use fingers. The increased phone performance also broke through the limitation of mobile game development. The two breakthrough technologies exist on one software. Pity, if even one of them had been born in our 361 Phone Helper, I have full confidence that I would’ve been able to replace Penguin and become the new leader in the tech industry."
The thought of his horrendous defeat against Penguin in a battle for market shares enraged him to this day.
Zhou Hongwei's finger gently tapped against the table amidst the assistant’s silence.
Less than half an hour later, the door was pushed open.
Zhang Jianfeng did not bother to knock on the door as he hastily approached his boss.
"The information is here."
"Excellent." Zhou Hongwei immediately began reading the information. Instead of criticizing him for his informality, he was pleased by the efficiency.
After scanning through the document with a frown, Zhou Hongwei immediately handed another task to his assistant.
"Go and contact Gu Cheng from the technology's department. I give him permission to use any developers from any project. My only requirement is that I want to see a cracked version of Future 1.0 in a week."
"Yes." The assistant nodded as she stepped out.
Immediately, Zhou Hongwei gave directives to his right-hand man Zhang Jianfeng.
"Zhang Jianfeng, go contact Future Technology's owner Jiang Chen and discuss the possibility of an acquisition. If it can be purchased, then that would be the best option. If he asks for a price within 2 billion, I give you permission to accept right away. At the same time, ask if he is interesting in working for 361."
"Yes." Zhang Jianfeng nodded, agreeing that the price his boss offered was not too high. As the 361 Phone Helper’s Project Manager, he knew the value of this app.
2 Billion RMB? Even 2 billion USD was not enough. Zhang Jianfeng could only hope that Jiang Chen was too new to know the value of his software and would be shocked by the billion dollar offer.
But was that possible? Jiang Chen's own valuation for the company was over trillions.
USD.
At the same time, what happened in 361 was also taking place in Baidu, QQ's headquarters, and even in the overseas Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple technology giants who expressed significant interest towards the app born in Hua.
Acquisition, cracking, joint venture... A series of meetings revolved around the "giant bomb" that was Future 1.0.
－
"Marketing expenditure of five hundred ninety thousand includes creating impressions on social media, utilizing platforms such as Baidu, Wechat, and QQ, as well as other forms of advertisement."
Xia Shiyu had recovered from her cold. In professional attire, she concisely reported the company development before Jiang Chen.
The work could have been completed like usual in Xia Shiyu's home, but for whatever reason, the girl strongly opposed this idea. Using the excuse of the newly renovated office, she argued that the company should start on the right track and changed the work location to here.
The girl’s cold attitude made Jiang Chen feel extremely "hurt" as he had stayed with her for the entire night when she had been sick.
"What's the download number?" Jiang Chen leaned against the chair and asked in a lazy tone.
Perhaps used to his complacent work attitude, Xia Shiyu did not look displeased. She took out another report and continued, "Future 1.0's total download has reached 20 million, with the record high reached on the tenth day."
"Only 20 million?" Jiang Chen frowned as he was unsatisfied.
"This is not bad, okay?" Xia Shiyu rolled her eyes at him. As soon as she woke up from her sickness, the first person she saw was Jiang Chen; afterwards, the way she treated him became ambiguous.
"There are at least five hundred million smartphone users in Hua, and this is a conservative estimate. I only have 20 million out of this giant market. How is that not a little." Jiang Chen was trying to prove this point.
"It’s predicted that the user base will break the one hundred million mark by the end of August. Since our user base is too small, this is a commendable result." Xia Shiyu flipped through the document as she explained.
"You don't have to be so concerned. I am certain of your ability, Miss CEO." Jiang Chen grinned.
"I am not concerned!" Xia Shiyu rebutted.
But then she realized that arguing with the shameless Jiang Chen was futile, so she took a deep breath and brought the conversation back on topic. "There is a total of twelve companies that announced interest in partnership and acquisition."
"Partnership, I am interested. You can arrange a schedule for me; I'll personally chat with them. As to acquisition, you can reject them without asking for my permission." Jiang Chen stretched.
"Oh? IBM offered one point three billion USD." Xia Shiyu raised her eyebrows as she shoved the letter of intent into Jiang Chen's arms with a smirk.
"Hehe, I won't sell it for thirteen billion USD." Jiang Chen took the letter of intent and threw it into the garbage without a glance at the page.
Xia Shiyu's mouth curved up at Jiang Chen's response. She held the same opinion as Jiang Chen on the value of this software.
Suddenly, as if she just remembered something, she hesitated for a moment before she opened her mouth. "Also, President, I have another thing I want to confirm with you."
"What? You don't have to call me president, just call me Jiang Chen." Jiang Chen waved his hand.
"Please keep business and personal life separate, Mr. President." Xia Shiyu smoothly replied as she continued on the topic, "The quality of Future 1.0 is without a doubt impeccable. But regarding privacy, do we not need to submit a patent?"
"Privacy? There is privacy for software in this country?" Jiang Chen laughed at her rhetorical question.
Xia Shiyu was speechless, but she still offered her own opinion.
"At least we will gain the advantage from a legal perspective. If another company uses our technology without permission, we can proceed with legal action."
"Submitting the patent means we have to provide a detailed explanation of our technology. To be honest, I don't trust them." Jiang Chen was straightforward. "I am confident that within fifty years, no one will be able to crack Future 1.0. Moreover, in a couple of years, Future 2.0 will be introduced. As long as we remain the pioneer of this industry, we don't need a patent."
The nature of the patent was to receive protection and exclusive rights in exchange for sharing information. The patent required sufficient disclosure of the technical information which would allow people to replicate the technology.
But that was the last thing he wanted to do; how would it benefit him to disclose D++? He was not some selfless philanthropist.
Xia Shiyu remained silent. She didn't know where Jiang Chen's confidence or the fifty years remark came from, but surprisingly, she didn't insist on it and chose to trust him.
"Okay, since the majority shareholder has already made the decision, then Future 1.0's core technology will be classified as a business secret. The relevant privacy information would require you to discuss with the software developer."
His title was the chief developer of this app, but it was only a fake role. The setting disclosed to the public was that an overseas developer team created Future 1.0 while his position only required him to represent the team.
Just like deceiving Zhao Chenwu, except he was deceiving the whole world this time.
Do you want to find the real developers? Go ahead; it's in the other world.
Jiang Chen nodded as he didn't say anything more.
If a programming language developed 100 years into the future managed to be cracked by the people of this time, it would literally have to be done by supernatural activity. As an example, it was like asking someone to program using the C language when they had never learned it before. Even with the unencrypted code provided, the person was required to understand first; the only way was to guess and learn a language with stronger logic flow compared to C.
"On the other hand, considering Future Technology's growing popularity, I have contacted Wanghai University's administration and students to adjust the hiring time and location," Xia Shiyu said.
"Oh? You don't have to report these things to me, just give me a schedule, and I'll make time to take care of it." Jiang Chen shrugged.
"This is not a small task. Talent acquisition is critical to the future of the company, especially the first batch of employees—they will become the core of the company's operation. From personality to knowledge, everything must be tested under a strict process."
"Okay, because I trust your ability, I'm assigning this important task to you."
Xia Shiyu's face burned under Jiang Chen's "passionate" gaze, but because she had light makeup on, with her limited facial expressions, Jiang Chen didn't notice her odd reaction.
"Okay." Although she wanted to criticize Jiang Chen into at least preparing for the interview process, everything she wanted to say turned into one word.
"Then let's go with this decision." Jiang Chen laughed as he stood up from the office chair and walked to the door behind Xia Shiyu. "Call me if you have anything. If I’m not within the service zone, send me a text, and I'll call you back when I see."
Jiang Chen then left the company, leaving Xia Shiyu staring blankly into space.
[Is there a president this irresponsible?]
Xia Shiyu rubbed her face with her hand.
There was another thing she didn't report: seven companies extended offers to her as shareholder and CEO of Future Technology. These companies included world-renowned technology giants where every graduate dreamed to work at.
If it were like before, she would most likely have taken a look at this information. But this time, without glancing at it, she shredded it. Even she was surprised by her decisiveness.
[With Future 1.0's potential, there is no need to consider the tech companies that are about to get reshuffled. President... Jiang Chen, he is probably working hard in areas I can't see. Future 1.0 can't drop from the sky, right?] Xia Shiyu convinced herself.
She glanced at the messy documents, sighing at Jiang Chen’s work habit.
She organized them into categories before she left the president’s office, gently closing the door behind her.


After the nuclear war, ruins stretch across the landscape in the apocalypse.
If you accidentally survived on the wasteland, then you must be ready to face the endless hunger, ceaseless dangers, the mad zombies at night, and the peculiar mutant creatures that are the aftermath of constant radiation.
But for Jiang Chen, this place is heaven.
Mansions standing tall, luxurious cars parked on the street, high tech products and gold abandoned everywhere.
What? You were the president of a game development company before the war? You were responsible for the development of the 3D virtual reality online multiplayer game? Well, that’s great, why don’t you come work for me. Your salary is two pieces of bread a day.
iPhone? Ultra thin design? Don’t you see that the phone I invented is thinner than a condom?
Aircraft carrier? Fighter jets? Oh, I have those things as well, but they are designed for space combat.
Watch the story of Jiang Chen, who possesses the ability to travel through space and time, as he witnesses the creation of an empire stretched across space and time... 


flip catalog software

Flip side

Software Requirements Specification

CODENAME: SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD

Swallowed Star (Tagalog)

The Mech Touch

Stories about merchants or cunning merchant

MMORPG: The Tales of Souls

POV of a Buzzing Fly

A Stay-at-home Dad's Restaurant In An Alternate World

I have a Mansion in the Post-apocalyptic World

People search flip catalog software also like: