Chapter 00233: Preparedness Against Misfortune (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of Destiny Above SSR)
# Preparedness Against Misfortune (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of Destiny Above SSR)
Chapter 233
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 233: Preparedness Against Misfortune (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of Destiny Above SSR)
Boom!
The moment the shockwave arrived, it abruptly halted, the explosion occurred, then it ceased…
In the workshop beneath the forge, countless fragments lingered in mid-air, and then, as if time reversed, returned to their original positions.
Restored to their former state, they remained unscathed.
Only the mercury spiders were crushed by an invisible pressure, their residual spirits obliterated, vanishing without a trace.
Following that, an unseen force surged forth, sweeping downwards, instantly spreading out, chasing along the remaining traces, battering repeatedly, but yielding no results.
There was only a pile of footprints from a deceptive maze.
Plus a heap of spiders dragging their legs haphazardly…
“Where have you hidden them?” Jian Yuan asked with an impassive expression.
“Who? I have no idea,” Ji Jue chuckled, showing no concern. “As a master craftsman, you should watch your words. Otherwise, I might go report you for defamation to the vortex... Besides, didn’t you just say so?”
He said, “One must always be prepared against misfortune.”
There must always be a backup plan.
In fact, there must always be a backup for the backup plan.
Under such circumstances, no hassle or trouble would be feared.
Mechanical descent indeed had its omnipotence, yet, under Jian Yuan’s watchful eyes, it was merely a trick of trifles.
A prepared craftsman was the true omnipotent one, for in their own workshop, a prepared craftsman could do even the impossible.
He could not ascertain where his plan might show flaws or expose vulnerabilities.
He had to think of more ways around this.
At this moment, Jian Yuan's fingers lightly twitched, and in an instant, a projection appeared; the list of materials retrieved from the underground recycling chamber and the records of submitted works materialized.
At the moment of mutual verification, various discrepancies emerged under the master craftsman’s discerning gaze.
He tapped a finger on the armrest.
Instantly enlightened.
After a slight daze and confusion, he could no longer contain it and burst into laughter.
Leaning forward, he found himself a few minutes prior, outside the workshop.
In the ruins of the dimly-lit spring city, heavy steel was dragged out from the sewer, and one by one, the mercury spiders climbed up, twisting screws, dragging welding guns, completing the final processes.
The mercury puppet cradled Lou Yanyue, placing her into a pre-prepared groove, conveying the creator's words: “Please send my regards to the plants, and see you again!”
Smack!
The cover closed, the welding gun swept across, sealing the seams tightly.
Then, the puppet took a step back and gazed at the launch pad before it… which was made of various scraps and parts, now fashioned into a missile!
Executing the order—standing with hands on hips, it exclaimed: “I am truly awesome!”
Then came the ceremonious big red button slammed down!
Accompanied by the rumbling explosion resonating from the distant workshop.
On the launch pad, the rear of the ‘knockoff missile’ suddenly erupted with flames, surging forth, a whirlwind sweeping in, the roar resounding, howling as it launched and swiftly shot into the night sky!
Like a distant point of starlight suddenly igniting.
Beneath the eerie night cloaked in a spectrum of shifting colors, it flickered and vanished; moments later, its tail fell off, exploding thunderously.
And amidst the splendid fireworks’ cover, the rocket debris, raised over the speed of sound purely through the violent propulsion of its fuel increment mode, careened towards the designated direction, wobbling uncontrollably.
Or perhaps, it plummeted…
Racing towards freedom.
Boom!
Amidst the tremors of the ruins, a tremendous roar reverberated, and a storm expanded.
In the surrounding shadows, the little cattle and horses that had been waiting for who knows how long surged forth the moment it fell.
With the rapid cultivation of telekinesis, soon, the fragmented missile debris was unearthed, among the leaking mercury water, crystalline in a deadlock.
After undergoing terrifying acceleration, explosions, supersonic flight, and a fall, cracks had already appeared on the crystal’s surface.
Lou Feng was the first to leap forward, using both hands and feet to tear apart the twisted metal plates.
Her face turned pale.
Only after seeing the cracks on the crystal did Lou Yanyue manage to regain a bit of color, choking and gasping.
As if torn between laughter and tears, her lips moved but no words escaped.
Surrounded by immense surprise and horror, she hardly knew what words to utter.
“Ji, I thank you! I really thank your eight generations of ancestors…”
But upon seeing the grievous wounds on her aunt, her eyes turned red involuntarily.
Then…
With a howling cry, she clutched her belly and rolled away.
“What are you crying about? Do you want a beating?”
Lou Yanyue irritably retracted her fist, tilting her head slightly, her dark eyes glaring at Tong Shan: “Secretary Tong? Thank you, if you find it unbearable listening to Xu Chaoxian’s words in the future, feel free to come to me.”
“Are you the only one?” Tong Shan’s expression was grim, repeatedly sifting through the fragments.
“That guy…”
Lou Yanyue coughed softly and sighed: “Now he’s probably in danger.”
Tong Shan didn't reply, bending down to pick up a fragment of metal left on the missile, with markings on it—[Situational change, being targeted, there are other plans, don’t come looking for me].
Smack!
The metal piece contorted out of rage, collapsing into a lump, ground to pieces.
“Shall we make a counterattack?”
Having just escaped danger, Lou Yanyue didn’t have a single thought of respite.
Blood oozed from the cracks on her face, her hatred rewarded with a smile, “Jian Yuan that old man can be left for me.”
Tong Shan shook his head, expressionless, glancing at the bizarre rainbow light flowing in the sky, soon retracting his gaze.
“Let’s go.”
He took off his clothes, draping them over Lou Yanyue’s shoulders, and lifted her onto his back.
They vanished silently into the darkness.
Never to be seen again.
Within the workshop, in the long, profound silence, no one dared to speak.
All that remained was Ji Jue, stuck with his hands tied, and Jian Yuan, exchanging silent glances.
“Alright, everyone else go back down,” Jian Yuan waved his hand, dispersing the panicked or solemn faces. “I will chat with this young hero.”
Instantly, the crowd scattered.
The last few people dragged Sun Ci away by the leg, leaving no remnants or trash behind.
Seeing this, Ji Jue couldn’t help but marvel.
After all, as a craftsman, their quality was truly high!
At this point, he could only dwell on some futile talk, with no strength left for anything more.
As he glanced around, he noticed the president in the corner, then calmly swept his gaze past, merely signaling not to step forward.
“What’s wrong?”
Jian Yuan walked ahead and suddenly asked: “Not speaking like you were just now, why the silence?”
“Indeed, you are a craftsman; even when the toilet has exploded, you remain so composed. I truly admire that.”
Ji Jue followed closely behind, scanning the surroundings, unable to find any exploitable flaw, and it seemed there was no path left for him to escape.
He could only sigh: “To be honest, I don’t know how I was exposed. I wonder if you might show a bit of compassion and enlighten me? So I can be clearer about it.”
Without turning his head, Jian Yuan asked: “Do you think a craftsman would confuse the materials at hand?”
Well, so it’s true, the colleagues are just waiting for their rival to starve to death, aren’t they?
So on the very first day in the workshop, he was seen merely as material…
Ji Jue sighed in lament.
In this day and age, the average quality of craftsmen was still too low.
“There are a total of over three hundred people in the workshop, more than two hundred being apprentices. I know clearly who is usable and who cannot be relied upon.”
Jian Yuan said slowly: “Even if I were to be blind, I wouldn't confuse the fine materials and rare gems right beneath my eyes with debris. Only foolish beings like Sun Ling would fail to see ‘the present’ and speak of a ‘promising future.’”
Ji Jue shot him a glance: “So you were referring to me back then?”
“Also him.”
Jian Yuan pushed open the door to his personal workshop, sighing: “What a pity, neither he nor you understood.”
Ji Jue followed behind, holding his head high, stepping in confidently.
Since death was inevitable, one should die with a lofty arrogance.
Without restraint, he looked here and there, fiddling with this and that, bearing the countenance of a countryside bumpkin.
Too bad, no matter what item it was, none responded to him.
Instead, Jian Yuan, standing beside him, watched with hands behind his back.
With a smile that seemed half a smile.
“Go ahead and grope; if you manage to find something that reacts, I will take your surname.”
Even the mechanical descent had been seen through.
Ji Jue regretfully released his hand: “Master craftsman seems to be quite appreciative of me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Jian Yuan chuckled: “Daring to play tricks under my eyes, daring to infiltrate my workshop for a stranger, you are neither overestimating yourself nor blinded by profit. Everything is systematic, every strand is clear, and you even dare to return beneath my eyes afterward for preparation in the future… With talent, ingenuity, and courage, you lack nothing.”
Jian Yuan countered: “Why wouldn’t I appreciate it?”
“You’re making me admire myself.”
Ji Jue laughed heartily.
Then, laughter faded into silence.
An invisible force abruptly froze him, lifting him into the air, and then, scanning and searching layer upon layer, from his hair to the soles of his feet, leaving no gap untouched.
From the outside to the inside, delving deep into his soul.
“What merit is this praise? Compared to your unique qualities, those are utterly insignificant.”
In Jian Yuan's hand appeared a pair of monocles, a spectral glow surfacing and intertwining, thoroughly uncovering all of Ji Jue's secrets:
“Stagnation, White Pavilion, Frenzied Butchery, Absolute Abyss, you appear to be a cursed being from the wasteland… Oh, even carrying the tower of the unborn and the wolf of the yet-to-be-born? There are already four visible sins marking you; three of the unseen sins are all entwined with your aura. Not to mention the nine delicate imprints left on your body by the supreme goodness… And the blackness, non-offensive?”
He exclaimed: “To gather such a chaotic medley of things, you’re truly… Heh, a convergence of many heroes, your future is vast.”
What the hell?
In Ji Jue’s heart, a shock seized him, the world before him darkened.
It felt as if he had lived a lifetime only to suddenly discover that all these years, he had been parading around in the streets bare-bottomed, with certification marks plastered all over his rear…
Is this some kind of collection album?
What kind of superior selections and crafted calamities are these?
Stagnation and White Pavilion can let it go, but Frenzied Butchery when did you… Oh, when you were the one using a bunch of corpses to cultivate devilish poison, right?
What about Absolute Abyss?
Ah, the big rocket rewarded by the cult!
Ji Jue struggled to maintain a composed expression, only managing to respond: “Master craftsman overpraises.”
After Jian Yuan finished perusing, he waved his hand, causing Ji Jue to collapse to the ground, wincing in pain, unable to get back up for a long while.
His mercury exoskeleton had been stripped away; now his leg was still broken.
Watching him in a state of anguish, Jian Yuan grinned silently, seemingly pleased: “Who is your teacher?”
Ji Jue sneered, “Since you know so much, why not take a guess at it?”
“Is there any need to guess?”
Jian Yuan stated: “So many people have come from the associations outside; there are only a few capable of teaching you. That self-destructive blockhead, Duan Mu, couldn’t have taught such a slippery successor like you; Zhou Chong, that fellow who only knows how to exploit apprentices, wouldn't allow such a useful tool like you to roam freely; Kong Qingyan, while having some aspirations, lacks the control to suppress your rebellious spirit… The rest are mediocre, not a single one worthy of this quality, nor could they teach you. What remains is only one. Furthermore, your infamous skill in disrupting alarm sequences belongs to none other than that one.”
He declared resolutely:
“Your teacher is Ye Xian, correct?”
(End of Chapter)