Chapter 55: Dark Matter Alloy

Everyone in the hall erupted in curses when they heard Lu Ming’s audacious words, especially given the current situation. Such arrogance could only further provoke these pirates—what else could it accomplish? It was the height of foolishness.

“This idiot is trying to get us all killed,” someone muttered.

Hearing the crowd’s condemnation, Feng Xifan, who had been feigning death on the side, scrambled to his feet and hid behind the others, shouting at Lu Ming. Moments earlier, Lu Ming had grabbed and flung him so hard he was nearly half-dead, tossing him right in front of the two pirate chiefs. Not only had Lu Ming repeatedly ruined his plans, he’d also gotten the better of him verbally. By now, Feng Xifan hated Lu Ming with every fiber of his being, wishing these men would rush over and hack him to pieces.

Everyone looked at Lu Ming, shaking their heads at his seemingly deranged speech. During the previous battle, he’d cowered in the back; now that they were all captives, he suddenly leapt forward to shout defiance. What else could he be but a fool? No one could fathom his behavior.

At this moment, however, Adolf turned to Lu Ming and said, “Tonight, it’s time for us to settle our scores.”

As he spoke, his right hand, which had been hidden behind his back, clenched into a tight fist.

Before his words had even faded, a deafening bang erupted, followed by a shrill whistle—a projectile shooting straight for Lu Ming.

Lu Ming smiled. Suddenly, a golden light burst from his right hand as he reached out to snatch the missile from the air.

A metallic clang rang out.

He slowly opened his hand to reveal a lump of twisted metal. With a gentle rub of his palms, the scrap was reshaped into a bullet—though calling it a bullet was an understatement; it was more akin to a miniature artillery shell.

With a flick of his wrist, Lu Ming hurled the massive bullet back at an even greater speed than it had arrived.

A scream pierced the air. In one corner, a burly man wielding a giant sniper rifle collapsed, the weapon—taller than a man—clattering to the floor.

“Did you really think you could deal with me using that?” Lu Ming asked calmly.

Adolf and Achilles both felt their hearts sink. That modified sniper rifle was practically a portable cannon, designed specifically to deal with martial arts masters. Its high-velocity, spiraled armor-piercing rounds could punch through tanks and, more importantly, pierce the protective energy martial artists used to shield themselves. Yet Lu Ming had intercepted it with ease—and turned it back on one of their top men.

John, the other bosses, and their bodyguards stared in disbelief. They had witnessed the sniper cannon’s power firsthand—a Westerner of the Innate Realm had been slain by it in full form, its might truly terrifying. Yet this unassuming young man had withstood it so effortlessly?

But if he was this powerful, why hadn’t he acted before? If he had, perhaps defeat could have been turned into victory. The crowd looked at Lu Ming in puzzlement, and some even began to resent him.

Lu Ming ignored their expressions, instead addressing Adolf and Achilles. “Do you know why I haven’t made a move until now?”

The two men remained stone-faced, refusing to answer.

Lu Ming’s expression darkened suddenly. “I was worried you’d try to escape. You want revenge? So do I. In that battle, I lost nearly half my brothers. That debt is on your heads.”

Adolf frowned. “Hidden Dragon, that’s not right. Unclaimed spoils belong to whoever claims them first. For us mercenaries, dying in battle is our daily bread. You can’t pin that on us.”

As Adolf spoke, John suddenly exclaimed, “You’re Lu Tianxing, commander of the Hidden Dragon Mercenary Group?”

John’s words sent a ripple of shock through the room. These were all powerful figures who knew the world’s top three mercenary groups: Hidden Dragon, Shadow, and Reversed Whale. Rumor had it that, over a legendary fortune, these three groups had clashed in a titanic battle. Hidden Dragon, by its own strength, crushed Shadow and Reversed Whale, instantly becoming the world’s foremost mercenary group and solidifying its supremacy.

Yet after that battle, Hidden Dragon had mysteriously disbanded, and Shadow and Reversed Whale had vanished from sight.

Who could have imagined these three titans would meet here again?

Lu Ming paid no heed to the stunned gazes, his face grim as he addressed Adolf and Achilles. “You’re right—unclaimed spoils can belong to anyone. But don’t forget, there’s another rule in our world: whoever finds the treasure first, owns it. At that time, Hidden Dragon arrived first and had already landed. That fortune was ours. Yet you broke the code, joined forces, and ambushed us, costing me so many brothers. Who else should I hold accountable if not you?”

“I waited until now because I wanted you all here, together. Tonight, I’ll erase the names Shadow and Reversed Whale from existence.”

His bold declaration left everyone dumbstruck. In the face of overwhelming odds, this former commander of Hidden Dragon dared claim he’d wipe out two superpowers in one fell swoop—such arrogance and confidence exceeded imagination.

Yet, none of them believed Lu Ming could avenge his brothers under these circumstances. Nearly a thousand pirates, armed to the teeth, stood ready—no matter how skilled he was, sheer numbers could bury him. Besides, Adolf and Achilles, as leaders of world-class mercenary groups, surely possessed formidable strength of their own. And outside, a warship waited—anger them, and all within its firepower would perish.

At this point, they could only hope Lu Ming would not act rashly; there was no chance of turning the tables now. Any move he made could bring disaster upon them all.

Just then, Adolf made a subtle gesture before saying, “Hidden Dragon, I admit—when it comes to military strategy, you surpass me. But now, you stand alone. Do you really think you can take on both Achilles and me?”

As he spoke, Adolf drew a high-tech alloy dagger from his belt, letting it dance nimbly between his fingers. The blade gleamed coldly, flipping and spinning with practiced ease.

Achilles, meanwhile, pulled out a pair of alloy gauntlets of the same material, slipping them onto his fists.

“Dark matter alloy!” exclaimed a bespectacled Westerner, recognizing the weapons.

Adolf and Achilles exchanged smiles with the man. “It seems there are those with discerning eyes here,” they said.

This dark matter alloy was America’s latest discovery. Strictly speaking, dark matter was not a metal, but a mysterious substance found in meteorites. Years of research had revealed that blending it with superalloys produced a metal capable of cutting through nearly anything. Classified as top secret, the fact that these two possessed it was astonishing.

Achilles sneered at Lu Ming, “Hidden Dragon, tonight I cleanse my shame. Prepare to die.”

With that, blood-red energy blazed from his fists as he lunged at Lu Ming.

Adolf, after signaling his men, followed closely, dagger reversed in his grip, stalking forward like a hungry wolf.

Meanwhile, nearly a thousand pirates split into squads—one hundred men herded the captives into a corner at gunpoint, while the rest surrounded Lu Ming, Adolf, and Achilles, weapons trained on them.

Seeing the situation escalate, the bosses grew even more anxious, blaming Lu Ming for his lack of judgment in seeking vengeance at such a time.

By now, Achilles had reached Lu Ming, towering over him by more than a head. With a roar, his blood-red energy-clad fists swung at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming’s expression didn’t change. His right fist glimmered with gold as he met Achilles blow for blow—within moments, they’d exchanged several thunderous punches, the hall echoing with the impact.

After the tumult subsided, both men leapt backward.

Lu Ming glanced at his right fist, now cut and bleeding, and frowned.