Chapter Sixty-Six: Coercion

Kobayashi was not tall, nor was he particularly robust. Yet the commanding presence he had cultivated over the years, combined with the lethal aura of a warlord, gave him a distinctive and unique air.

Smiling, he approached the three forbidden figures and said cheerfully, “Mr. Bell, my apologies for trespassing into your base without your permission. But this peculiar mutant is far too dangerous. Since I discovered it, it's only right that I help you eliminate it!”

Bell responded with a faint word of thanks. Uncertain of Kobayashi’s intentions, the group fell into silence. Unlike Teach and Nangong, who had gone directly after the Corpse Hunters, Kobayashi had instead sought them out in a most roundabout way, leaving the three utterly perplexed.

They held some status in the black market, but compared to these star-roving warlords, they could not fathom what might interest such a person in them.

It was Rakan who broke the silence first: “General Kobayashi, may I ask what brings you to Zombie Star this time? From what I understand, your main trade routes are all in the southern hemisphere. You have no caravans in the north. What business do you have with the three of us?”

Kobayashi smiled slightly. At once, someone behind him handed him a chair. He sat down steadily and said calmly, “Naturally, I’m here to bring you wealth beyond measure.”

Rakan fell silent immediately. The forbidden figures all knew well that these warlords of the Chaotic Stars were ruthless and cunning. The five great warlords who had risen above the seventy-two were each steeped in blood and corpses. Their kind of fortune came only at the cost of one’s life.

They glanced up at the terrifying mechs subtly blocking every exit. It was clear: whatever “wealth” Kobayashi promised, they had no choice but to accept.

With a glance among themselves, Bell was the one to ask, “What is it you want us to do, General, and what do we gain in return?”

Seeing their tact, Kobayashi nodded in satisfaction and gestured with his right hand. Immediately, one of the mechs brought forth a large chest and dropped it at their feet. With a single slap, the wood splintered apart. The group shielded their eyes from flying debris, and when they looked again, the chest was filled to the brim with high-energy weapons that left them wide-eyed.

In that one chest alone were more than fifty high-powered rifles. Behind the mech stood more than twenty such crates, and even larger ones, hinting at greater treasures.

Kobayashi smiled and announced, “Here are one thousand high-energy rifles, one hundred portable high-energy cannons, and enough energy cells to power them all!”

“I’ve checked your food stores—enough to supply over a thousand people for several weeks. All these weapons are yours. In the shortest time, each of you must expand your teams to a thousand strong. Rakan will cover any shortfall. But you must keep this strictly hidden—I don’t want anyone on the mountaintop catching wind of this before I make my move!”

At Kobayashi’s words, the always-silent Hukong’s eyes flashed with sudden sharpness. “General, these weapons are more than enough to deal with the Corpse Hunters. But you must know that Titch of Giant Tree Star and Chief of Staff Nangong of the Taran Army have already brought their teams to the Plati Black Market. They’re meeting with the Corpse Hunters at the mountaintop right now. If we attack, we’ll be making enemies of two forces we cannot possibly afford to cross. Moreover, using such firepower in the Plati Black Market will attract disastrous consequences. A riot of high-stage mutants could destroy the entire market!”

Kobayashi snorted. “You really are living in a dream. Huddling on this little hill with the Corpse Hunters, you know nothing about them. You think a thousand rifles are enough to take down the Corpse Hunters? How naïve. Is your infamous reputation really built on slaughtering nothing but ant-like survivors?”

“The Corpse Hunters are not your concern. That’s a job for my iron cavalry. As for you… you’re going after Titch and Nangong. They have fewer than five hundred men each. Though your fighters aren’t as seasoned as their veterans, six to one odds, attacking a completely exposed hill—I believe you can manage it.”

“I have only one demand: not a single one of Titch or Nangong’s men is to escape. Once I’m ready, I’ll cut off their communications with their flagship. The jamming field will cover the entire black market. If even one of them escapes and gets a message out… well, you know the consequences.”

“As for mutant riots, you needn’t worry. I have already made arrangements.”

The group was stunned. No one had imagined Kobayashi’s ambition would be so vast—he intended to eliminate two of the stars’ legendary commanders in one stroke. If Titch and Nangong died on Zombie Star, a terrible storm would sweep across the entire Leviathan System. And caught at the center, they themselves would be lucky to escape with their lives.

Understanding now what Kobayashi truly wanted of them, each felt a chill run down their spine. Should this scheme be exposed, the punishment would be orbital strikes, nuclear bombardment—utter annihilation. The “Leviathan System Arms Convention” and its weapons restrictions had never once applied on Zombie Star.

Seeing them silent and tormented by indecision, Kobayashi rose and patted each of them on the shoulder. He said with a smile, “I’ve already created new identities for you. Once my fleet returns to Zombie Star, you’ll all become official citizens of the Chaotic Stars… and not just any citizens, but those of the Neutral Peace Zone. I’ve also prepared enough wealth for you to spend a lifetime. As for the deaths of Titch and Nangong… on Zombie Star, a few deaths are hardly unusual. The mutants don’t care who you are, do they? And that human-faced spider we just saw—was it not particularly vicious?”

At this, the three’s eyes widened, their breath growing heavy. To leave this hellish place, to become citizens of the Neutral Zone in the Chaotic Stars, to have wealth beyond measure… When they had calmed themselves, their eyes glinted with a new savagery. “We’ll do it.”

Kobayashi nodded with satisfaction and extended his hand. The tall officer beside him instantly understood and produced three small vials.

At the sight of these, the three turned pale. Within each vial was a long, black worm, utterly still.

Kobayashi smiled and said, “To keep our little secret safe from outsiders, please hold the vials to your noses.”

As he spoke, the cold barrels of guns swung toward them. With no other choice, they complied. Kobayashi then took out a remote control and pressed it lightly.

The three worms sprang to life, burrowing up each man’s nostril in an instant. The agony made them convulse and twitch, feeling the worm crawl along the inside of their skulls to the base of their brain, where it stopped and lay still.

When all was done, Kobayashi nodded in satisfaction. “This is a little semi-organic, semi-mechanical device from the Four Stars. It has two functions. The first is mechanical—a single ‘bang’ and your brains are blown out. Rather merciful, really. The second, though, is biological and far more unpleasant. It will eat your brains, bite by bite. That, I assure you, is a sensation none of you would ever wish to experience.”