Riding a stolen, damaged space-train is a unique experience. Every time the maglev track curved, the train would groan in protest, the sound of stressed metal echoing through the car from the Pham-Tuan-sized hole in its side.
"See?" Quynh Nhu said between bites of a crunchy seaweed snack. "This is what I call an adventure. Element of danger, imminent discovery, and a high probability of things exploding. It's perfect."
Pham Tuan, however, was in a state of deep shame.
He sat in a corner, staring at the offending hole as if hoping his regret alone could patch it. "I'm sorry, Leader. I misjudged my strength in the low gravity."
"Don't worry about it, Tuan," Lin Ming said reassuringly. "Look on the bright side. We now have excellent ventilation. And a convenient emergency exit, should we need one."
Minerva: The maintenance drone has been dispatched. It is currently four minutes behind our position and closing. I would advise against utilizing the 'spontaneous ventilation event' as an exit unless you wish to be identified, captured, and dissected.
Quynh Nhu's head perked up. "A drone? What kind of drone? Is it shiny? Does it have cool guns I can... acquire?"
Minerva: It is a 'Series 7 Repair and Retrieval' drone. Essentially, a large, flying toolbox with powerful grasping claws and a plasma welder for repairs. It is not designed for combat. However, its plasma welder can, in theory, be used to cut through the hull of this train and its occupants with equal efficiency.
Just then, a new icon popped up on Lin Ming's mental HUD.
[RANDOM ENCOUNTER IMMINENT!]
[The System has detected a high concentration of incoming 'Arrogant Young Master' energy.]
[Prepare for a face-slapping opportunity.]
"What?" Lin Ming muttered. Arrogant young masters? Here?
The train suddenly decelerated, smoothly coming to a stop at a small, intermediary station carved into a Martian cliffside.
"Minerva, what's happening?" Lin Ming asked. "I thought this was an express line."
Minerva: It is. This is an unscheduled stop. It seems we are being boarded. The override command is coming from a high-priority personal transponder.
The doors to their car slid open. In stepped a young Madakaros who was practically dripping with arrogance. He was dressed not in armor, but in ostentatious, flowing silk robes embroidered with the sigil of the Iron Skull clan. He was flanked by two enormous bodyguards whose muscles had muscles. His cultivation wasn't particularly high—maybe early-stage Foundation Establishment—but he carried himself like he owned the entire planet.
This was Maka-Zev, the famously spoiled nephew of a high-ranking clan elder. He was known for commandeering public transport for his own personal whims.
He wrinkled his nose as he entered, his three eyes scanning the car's sole occupants: a boy in a simple jumpsuit, a pretty girl with ridiculous pink hair, and a large, sulking man who looked like he'd lost a fight with a wall.
"What is this?" Maka-Zev sneered in his native tongue. "Low-level functionaries? This is my private carriage now. Get out."
Lin Ming, Quynh Nhu, and Pham Tuan exchanged a look. Their "very polite, without anyone noticing" plan had just hit a significant snag.
Lin Ming stepped forward with a polite, deferential bow. "Apologies, young master. We were not aware. We will leave at once." He was planning to simply walk past them and get into the next car.
But Maka-Zev's eyes fell on Quynh Nhu. He looked her up and down with a lecherous gleam. In the Madakaros culture, brightly colored hair like Quynh Nhu's was extremely rare and considered exotic.
"Wait," he commanded, holding up a hand. "The two males can leave. The female... stays. She will be my... companion... for the remainder of my journey. I find her amusing."
Quynh Nhu stopped munching on her snack. An icy-cold, murderous aura began to radiate from her. Her smile was gone, replaced by an expression so deadly it could freeze plasma.
Lin Ming sighed internally. So much for diplomacy. He had tried. He really had.
He put a reassuring hand on Quynh Nhu's shoulder before she could commit an interplanetary incident. "I'm so terribly sorry, young master," he said, his voice full of mock terror. "But she is not a companion. She is... uh... a mentally unstable, high-priority patient being transported to the sanitorium. Highly contagious. Her condition causes... spontaneous explosions."
Maka-Zev faltered. He looked at Quynh Nhu's death-glare, then at Lin Ming's 'scared' face. "Explosions?"
"Violent ones," Lin Ming confirmed gravely. "The doctors say it's triggered by... handsome, powerful, and important-looking men. It's a very rare, very tragic disease. You are in terrible danger just by being near her, my Lord."
[Face-Slapping has been initiated via Blatant Lying.]
[System is awarding style points for creativity.]
The two massive bodyguards took an involuntary step back. Maka-Zev, however, was more arrogant than cautious.
"Nonsense!" he scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool? Seize her! And throw these two off the train!"
The bodyguards advanced. They were big, but their cultivation was sloppy. Brute force without technique.
This was what Lin Ming was waiting for. "Tuan, would you mind?"
Pham Tuan had been simmering with shame over the hole he'd made. Now, he saw a chance for redemption. He stood up, and for the first time, channeled his anger not into brute force, but into focused power, just as Lin Ming had taught him. A thin, shimmering layer of crystalline, diamond-like armor coated his fists.
The first bodyguard threw a punch. Pham Tuan met it with his own.
It was not a loud clash. It was a dull THUD, followed by the sickening crunch of breaking bones. The bodyguard shrieked, cradling his shattered hand. The second bodyguard stared in shock.
In that moment of hesitation, Lin Ming moved. He was a shadow. A tap behind the first guard's knee, making him buckle. A precise chop to the second guard's neck. Both giants crumpled to the floor. It took less than three seconds.
Maka-Zev was left standing alone, his jaw hanging open, his arrogance evaporating like mist.
Lin Ming walked up to him, a friendly, terrifying smile on his face. "Now, about your ticket, young master," he said, patting him on the cheek. "It seems it has just expired."
With a flick of his wrist, he tapped a pressure point on Maka-Zev's neck. The spoiled young master's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed in a neat pile next to his bodyguards.
[Arrogant Young Master face-slapped. Flawlessly.]
[+1200 Battle Will Points for defending a teammate's honor and being awesome in general.]
The train doors slid shut, and the shuttle resumed its journey, leaving the station behind.
Quynh Nhu finally let out the breath she was holding, her killer aura receding. She looked at Lin Ming, a new, complicated light in her eyes. "A 'mentally unstable, high-priority patient with a spontaneous explosion disease'?"
Lin Ming shrugged. "It seemed more plausible than 'super-sniper who will turn you into noodle soup if you look at her funny'."
Just then, Minerva's voice chimed in, laced with digital urgency.
Minerva: Commendable performance, team. However, the maintenance drone has just rounded the last bend. It will be upon us in thirty seconds. And it appears that knocking out a high-priority noble has triggered a 'level-one security alert' at our destination.
The good news was that they had dealt with their random encounter. The bad news was that they were now riding a stolen, damaged train towards an enemy fortress that knew they were coming, with a very angry toolbox hot on their tail.