Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

"You've probably forgotten our speculation about the identity of that independent knight." The young spokesperson, with a thick beard and a mature appearance, adjusted his glasses, turned away, and stopped looking at his former colleague's dejected look.

It's truly shameful. Those in high positions should be even more cautious, yet there are still these arrogant and self-important individuals.

However, that independent knight, whose name was Roy, wasn't it? He was indeed quite interesting. (Nine)

Recalling the message he received from Charné before attending the meeting, McKee stroked his beard, deep in thought. 4

Having consecutively defeated the Rusty Bronze Knight and the Candle Knight, Roy's strength is beyond doubt, and his presence has become one of the biggest variables in this Major.

The Rose Newspaper chose to support [Blood Knight] Dicaibolis in this Major, but to be honest, it was a reluctant move. If the other knights of Kazimierz had shown any spirit, his father wouldn't have agreed to Charne supporting an infected wanderer from Minos to become a Grand Knight.

After all, the last foreigner to win three consecutive Major titles, the "Black Knight," nearly severely damaged the Business Federation's interests. Letting an infected person win the championship is a riskier gamble than a foreigner successfully defending their title three times.

If a better option were available, Mackey would not hesitate to agree to replace the investment target. IV

But that's precisely the problem: Roy's identity is unclear, and analysis suggests a very high probability that he has a background with the War Knights. The War Knights' power in the Grand Knight Territory—the Supervisory Council—is the largest organization that has consistently opposed the Commercial Federation, both openly and covertly.

While it's possible there are skilled amateurs among the general public, McGee isn't sure. 9

After much deliberation, he decided to temporarily shelve his plan to win over Roy. He needed to consult his father about this matter.

However, before that, just as Charnet had said, it would be good to make some contact and show goodwill with Roy. This matter will be left to Charnet to handle.

"Logan, you're fired."

A cold announcement came from not far away. McKee came back to his senses and found that two people dressed in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals uniforms had entered the conference room and were informing the spokesperson who was slumped in his chair.

"How embarrassing! Do you know how much damage you've caused the company?"

No matter how much the spokesperson, Logan, pleaded, the two remained unmoved, their eyes filled with contempt. They simply lifted their feet, shook off Logan's hand gripping their trousers, and turned to leave.

"security guard."

They said.

Two tall Kurantas rushed into the conference room, one on each side, grabbing the spokesperson's hands and trying to drag him out. But then, the two men, who had already reached the door, suddenly turned back, their brows furrowed, and gave an order:

"He served the Business Federation and Regenerative Medicines for many years, and was once a spokesperson whose honor surpassed that of nobles. How can he be dragged along?"

A glimmer of hope seemed to ignite in Logan's eyes, but the next second, their words shattered that hope completely.

The person who gave the notification said with a mocking expression, "Take him out."

"A new spokesperson will be in place in three days."

The two looked into the room and said,

"Furthermore, although it is not our responsibility to remind you, I still hope that you can think clearly about how much impact the Blood Knight's successful participation and the Independent Knight Roy's victory over the Candle Knight will have on this Major."

"If these two dark horses aren't controlled beforehand, once they start running, they won't be able to be stopped by ordinary reins!"

P.S.: I recommend this very popular cyberpunk novel. The Edgewalker is so good, it makes me want to touch it! Do cyberpunk immortals dream of electronic ascension?

Seriously, everyone should check out this book; it's quite good.

"You're thinking of using mechanical prosthetics to replace your own arm and gain greater strength. But is it possible to achieve the same effect without chopping off your hand, using an external mechanical device?"

"20 potential points have been consumed, and the improved blueprint - Power Armor has been obtained."

……

"You think the powered arm armor has even more room for expansion. You need to collect Tyranitar spine, ankle reinforcement components, smart chips, and any weapon modules... You think that by combining them, you can definitely create even stronger equipment."

"100 potential points consumed, advanced blueprint obtained - exoskeleton armor"

……

「检测到你已拥有刀剑精通LV10、强壮LV10、闪避LV10、格挡LV10、冥想LV10」

"In this era of rampant prosthetics, you have never lost yourself in the frenzy of modification. Instead, you have persisted in forging your body and tempering your mind until you achieve unity of body and soul."

"No matter how powerful the weapons or cybernetic devices are, they cannot match the peace of mind within."

"You've come up with the Wuji Sword Dao?"

……

Adam Hammer stared at Su Xiao in disbelief: "What the hell kind of monster are you?!"

Starting from Night City

Volume 1: Chapter 30 [Fuse] Ready

Hinterlea felt very tired.

Why is this? He was promoted to Platinum rank within a month of joining the Unarmored Alliance, and he had a considerate and handsome mentor like Roy. He had a double harvest in his career and life, and the two kinds of happiness should have become even more joyful. Why did it turn out like this?

What's causing this fatigue? What's this feeling of heartache? And what's this urge to just lie down in bed, put my phone on silent, and sleep all day?

Hinterlea, how could you fall so low? You swore you would become Master Roy's best disciple!

In terms of looks, you're about the same as that wretched little pony from the Nearl family; in terms of lineage, you're inferior to her; and in terms of family background, you're incomparable to her. If you don't work hard, how will you compete with Maria?

Cheer up, Hintelia!

Desperately trying to cheer herself up, Xintela forced herself to open her phone's calendar, looked at her tasks for the day which were mostly finished, breathed a sigh of relief, and comforted herself:

"It's alright, at least tonight was pretty easy."

If Roy were here, he would definitely cover her mouth. These kinds of things are forbidden to say; if you do, you probably won't be sleeping tonight.

Sure enough, before Cintraya's phone screen could even turn off, a call came in.

"KGCC?"

Looking at the caller ID displayed on the screen, Hinterlea tilted her head in confusion.

Why would KGCC, short for Kazimierz Business Federation, the financial backer of the Unarmored Alliance, suddenly contact me?

Master Roy had once taught her that although the Unarmored Alliance and the Commercial Federation were vassals, the Unarmored Alliance was not subordinate to any representative of the Commercial Federation. To prevent this powerful tool from being misused by different factions within the Commercial Federation, or even used as a means of eliminating dissidents, the initial board of directors of the Unarmored Alliance and the Commercial Federation established an agreement: the Kazimir Commercial Federation had the right to issue missions to the Unarmored Alliance, but the issuance of missions must be relayed through a designated intermediary, not directly by the Federation's board of directors. Otherwise, the Unarmored Alliance had the right to refuse to accept the mission.

This approach effectively prevented the Unarmored Alliance from being abused and dragged Kazimir into a vortex of terror like that of Ursus. However, it also left some loopholes and hidden dangers.

As for what these loopholes and hidden dangers were, Master Roy never told her.

Now, as the Platinum-ranked member of the Unarmored Alliance, she suddenly received a call from someone identified as KGCC. After hesitating for a long time, she frowned and, following her principles, hung up the phone. However, she did not put the phone back in her pocket but held it in her hand, waiting for it to ring again.

Sure enough, just five minutes later, Hintelia's phone vibrated again. This time, the caller ID showed "Unknown Number".

The unknown number, whose identity cannot be directly known even by those with Platinum-level access, represents five individuals: two Azure Gold-level Grandmasters and three Profound Iron-level Grandmasters. Master Roy is currently on a mission to manipulate the Candle Knight and extract information from him, while Ms. Monique is on vacation. Therefore, this call could only have come from one of those three.

Platinum pressed the answer button, put the phone to her ear, took a deep breath, and reported fluently:

"The Platinum-ranked member of the Unarmored Alliance awaits your command."

"Well done, Platinum." A voice, clearly altered by a voice changer, came from the other end of the microphone, Xuan Tie's tone carrying a hint of approval and appreciation.

Hinterlea nodded, remaining calm and composed, "Master Roy reminded me that I now bear the responsibility of Azure Gold and might receive communications from Black Iron, but I was prepared for it in advance."

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Xuan Tie said with a smile. “It was right that you didn’t connect to the direct communication with the Business Federation. In Kazimir, everything is done by the rules, including the unspoken ones.”

Hinterlea remained silent.

Xuan Tie continued, "Roy didn't recommend the wrong person to me. There aren't many young people like you in the Unarmored Alliance these days. I want to give you a right, a right that only Azure Gold members have. What do you think?"

"I am unworthy of such praise."

"Excessive humility is arrogance."

"You will definitely live up to your destiny."

Xuan Tie laughed.

Hinterlea's response really reminded him of that kid Roy. Back then, he was attracted to Roy not only because of his skills, but also because he admired him as a person. Although glib-tongued, Roy always got things done, knowing when to take credit and when to yield, always maintaining a good sense of propriety and never causing him any trouble. Now it seemed that this young platinum girl had been well-disciplined by Roy.

However, Xuan Tie could still tell: "That passage you just spoke was taught to you by Roy, right?"

Hinterlea's expression tightened, and after a moment of silence, she nodded and said, "It was Master Roy who taught me."

"I knew it. Only he likes to use this kind of tone, like the way the Yan Kingdom... the court reports." Xuan Tie smiled helplessly.

It seems that Platinum is still not quite ready, but that doesn't matter, she's still young.

At least tonight's goal can be achieved.

He coughed lightly, then adopted a serious, official tone: "Platinum, listen carefully. Starting today, I authorize you to recruit members within the Unarmored Alliance and form your own direct force, codenamed 'Fuse,' with a maximum of thirty members. Understand?"

Hinterlea was taken aback, seemingly still somewhat stunned, until Xuan Tie coughed lightly before she answered:

"I understand. But..."

“I know what you’re worried about. Roy’s direct subordinate units won’t be disbanded. They’ll be under your command for now. Your ‘Fuse’ squad is a secret unit. Notify me once it’s formed. It doesn’t need to be used on a regular basis, understand?”

Seeing that Bai Jin was still hesitant to speak, Xuan Tie sighed deeply and said, "Alright, alright, I understand. You can tell Roy about this. But remember, the fewer people who know, the better, understand?"

This time, Platinum answered quickly: "Understood!"

The call ended. Xuan Tie put down his phone and looked at the roaring flames in the fireplace. The darkness in the forest was deep and quiet, except for this fire, which crackled and burned endlessly.

"The 23rd Major Championship is about to begin. Looking back, we've worked together towards this goal for so many years."

"Initially, we established the Unarmored Alliance in order to free the poor from the nobility."

"Now, we must free ourselves from our constraints in order to truly change this Kazimir."

"The fuse is ready. Let's prepare for the fuse to trip."

PS: py