45: They tried to drive my spaceship away.

"Clang... Clang..."

In the vast starry sky, a fearless ii assault ship was wobbling as it traveled.

"Oh, damn it. I'm really sick of this crappy engine. It's like the second-hand tractor my great-great-great-grandfather drove; it feels like it's going to fall apart every once in a while!"

"There's nothing we can do, Boss. After all, it's a piece of junk that's over a hundred years old and has passed through a dozen hands. Even though it has many problems, it's cheap!"

Inside the cabin, an old man with a full beard and disheveled clothes said helplessly, "And I've told you how many times already? This is called a power reactor, not that damn engine! If you're this uneducated, we'll lose face in front of other Pirate Groups!"

"Oh, just shut up, Old Bert! Hurry up and fix this broken trac—oh wait, this broken ship. I spent half of my savings buying that piece of information from a fellow villager. If we miss it, I'll shove your head into this damn engine!"

"Fine, fine. First Mate, land on that uninhabited planet ahead. I've scavenged a reactor that's sixty percent new; this time it should last for a long while!"

"I hope so..."

Meanwhile.

As the fearless ii ship approached, Zhang Huaiyuan finally saw its full appearance through the images sent back by the probe.

It seemed to have gone through a fierce battle; the ship's gray-blue coating was covered in scratches, and many parts of the metal were distinctly different in color from the rest of the hull, clearly having been repaired after sustaining damage.

The only conspicuous thing was a lightning-shaped icon painted with special spray paint near the front of the ship.

"Interstellar Pirates?"

Zhang Huaiyuan frowned slightly, relevant information flashing through his mind.

Before the birth of the Imperial supercomputer, when humanity had just entered the interstellar era, control over territory was weak. In many remote star sectors, Interstellar Pirates were rampant, specializing in robbing passing merchant fleets, and the bold ones would even raid planets with weak defenses.

It wasn't until the technological explosion and the appearance of the Star Vault Supercomputer that they gradually disappeared within the empire.

"It seems highly likely that they are from the Free Star Alliance."

Zhang Huaiyuan speculated inwardly; he knew roughly some history of the Free Star Alliance.

They promoted extreme freedom there. Many gray industries prohibited within the empire were permitted there, and even heinous professions like piracy were no exception.

Furthermore, from the unconventional starship design of the fearless ii, it could be seen that their "free and casual" style permeated every field.

"Master, they have landed at coordinates 265.731, over 1,700 kilometers away from here. It seems they are conducting maintenance on the ship."

Asroth said, projecting the surveillance footage before Zhang Huaiyuan's eyes.

He saw several burly men in protective suits leaning against the airlock, chugging strong liquor and chatting, while a bearded old man was using an exoskeleton to climb to the back of the ship, dismantling the reactor.

However, none of them noticed a grain-sized micro-probe silently slipping into the interior, dropping a translucent chip that embedded itself into the console.

A light flickered slightly in Zhang Huaiyuan's eyes as streams of information flowed into his mind.

Ability Acquired: Iron Body — Physical enhancement type, can greatly increase physical strength.

Negative Effect: Causes a decrease in physical perception.

Ability Level: Lower.

extraordinary level: D.

Ability Acquired: Spiked Claws — Physical enhancement type, can cause sharp claws to suddenly grow from any part of the body, with power increasing as the extraordinary level rises.

Negative Effect: Extremely small probability of permanent, irreversible changes.

Ability Level: Lower.

extraordinary level: C.

Ability Acquired...

"The strongest is only C-level, and most are D-level... The weapons and equipment are also outdated, second-hand goods that haven't been modified much. What a weak Pirate Group..."

After scanning them, Zhang Huaiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn't help but be curious. For such a weak team to still be surviving so well, it had to be a miracle.

"Mecha Legion, head to the target location immediately. Asroth, has the intrusion into that ship been completed?"

"Immediately, Master. Although this ship's defense system is weak, it requires a bit more time because it uses a different system than the empire's."

"Hmm, as soon as possible."

Zhang Huaiyuan nodded and continued to watch them through the surveillance footage, feeling a sense of excitement.

Although it was an antique, after repairs and modifications, it should be sufficient to travel to nearby planets to explore and obtain resources.

Additionally, he could obtain intelligence about the vicinity to plan a route back to the empire.

"Hmm...?"

After staring for a while, Zhang Huaiyuan was suddenly stunned. He saw the old man who seemed to be the mechanic jump down and return to the ship after replacing a power reactor.

"What is he doing? Can't he see that it's obviously incompatible?! If he just connects it like that, it can only output sixty percent of its power at most, and it will definitely break down within three months... Wait, what are they trying to do!"

He saw that after everyone returned to the cabin, the entire hull lit up, and deep blue flames spewed from the bottom. They were preparing to take off immediately without any delay!

"Damn it, Asroth, how much longer?"

Zhang Huaiyuan couldn't help but get anxious. "These guys are actually trying to steal my ship. Stop them quickly."

"98 percent... 99 percent... 100 percent... Intrusion complete. Master, I have successfully seized control of the ship."

"Control the ship to land within the Mecha Legion's encirclement. Be careful, try not to damage the ship itself; this antique can't handle much rough treatment."

"Understood, Master."

Meanwhile, inside the ship.

"Oh, listen to this powerful roar. It's as fascinating as those hot ladies on Sea Tree Island. Old Bert, you finally did something that satisfies me."

"Hey, Boss, you're telling me! This is a rare find that I spent my entire budget on, and I even chipped in another 100,000 Star Coins of my own to buy. See if you can reimburse me..."

"Shut up, Old Bert. Look at your ugly face, squawking non-stop over a little money. Have you forgotten our slogan? We set sail for our dreams! Dreams, understand! Dreams!"

Boom!

Just as the two were arguing, the entire ship suddenly gave a violent jolt.

Caught off guard, everyone in the cabin was sent tumbling to the floor.

"Damn it, what's going on? First Mate, how are you flying this thing!" The boss stood up, cursing, and couldn't help but yell.

"It's not me, Boss... This... this ship isn't listening to my commands!"

The First Mate had an expression like he'd seen a ghost. He jumped up from the pilot's seat and pointed at the control panel, saying:

"I clearly set it to accelerate and ascend, but it... it's actually heading toward the ground on its own..."

"Heading toward the ground on its own?"

The boss couldn't help but widen his eyes, shouting angrily: "What kind of joke is this? Are you telling me that this ship also wants to yearn for freedom!"

"Uh... Boss..."

Just then, a pirate near the window suddenly pointed outside, his voice trembling: "I'm afraid it's not the ship yearning for freedom... We might be in big trouble..."