Chapter 288: A Little Intense

“Frenzy Energy?” While pondering this ability, Yang Bo took a short bath to calm his slightly disgusted feelings, then hurried to the Underground Bunker.

“You know, training in this narrow Underground Bunker really helps improve combat effectiveness.” Yang Bo was quite satisfied with the fortress space, which was less than 800 meters.

Today’s battle lasted just over a second from start to finish. Afterward, Yang Bo summed it up and was very pleased with his performance.

Although it was a bit dishonorable to launch a surprise attack, that’s how it goes. Dead men have no right to complain.

“Frenzy Energy?” Yang Bo muttered the skill’s name again. The previous skills were easier to understand.

Yang Bo silently thought of ‘Frenzy Energy.’ In the next second, his whole body swelled, even his training clothes burst at the seams.

“Hulk?” Yang Bo felt the immense energy consumption and noted his growing body, which finally reached over eight meters tall. While puzzled, the first thing Yang Bo looked at was down below.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see anything. That area didn’t seem to change much? “At this rate of energy consumption, I can only sustain this form for five minutes.” Looking in the mirror, Yang Bo saw himself standing at over eight meters tall, appearing like a bald giant with bulging muscles.

“Metal Superpower.” Suddenly, Yang Bo thought of an idea, and his skin rapidly began to metalize.

“The energy consumption is too high!” Yang Bo glanced at himself—his body now pitch black. Standing still, one might mistake him for a metal statue.

Yang Bo quickly returned to his original form. In just under half a minute, most of his energy had been consumed.

A crazier idea popped into Yang Bo’s head. He promptly took out the Antimatter Battery.

After replenishing his energy, Yang Bo cast the Frenzy Energy skill again while facing the mirror.

Once more, he transformed into an eight-meter-tall giant. While charging, he modified his muscles’ appearance using his Camouflage ability.

After altering his appearance, he used Metal Superpower again.

A pitch-black, eight-meter-tall Mecha appeared in the mirror.

“The best thing about Frenzy Energy is that it can stack with other abilities.” Yang Bo moved around, looking at the metal giant in the mirror, so thrilled he almost jumped. Now he felt strong enough to flip the fortress.

His mind stirred, and suddenly a massive Bone Hammer appeared in his hand.

He glanced at the Antimatter Battery on the ground. “Should I make a backpack and carry this battery on me?”

“That way, I’d really be a walking Mecha!”

“But no, the Antimatter Battery is far too dangerous.”

“In this form, I can only last thirty seconds in full combat power, maybe just fifteen seconds to be safe.” No superhuman would use up all their energy—after all, they must always keep some in reserve.

“Another identity unlocked. Too bad this Bone Hammer is the symbol of the Green Demon Planet Lord.” Yang Bo glanced at the Bone Hammer in his hand, which had Anti-Gravity properties and was immensely powerful.

Looking again at the suitcase-sized Antimatter Battery, Yang Bo had an idea. He activated Metal Superpower and Camouflage simultaneously.

A depression appeared on his abdomen, just the size of the Antimatter Battery.

He lifted the battery and embedded it into his belly with a smooth motion.

“Hahaha!” Staring at his mirror reflection, Yang Bo couldn’t help but laugh.

The pitch-black metal giant then began striking various ridiculous poses in the cramped 800-meter space as Yang Bo familiarized himself with the new body.

After five minutes, Yang Bo realized something was wrong and quickly returned to his normal size.

His whole body ached!

He felt weak!

Yang Bo felt like he’d just been hit by a truck. Even charging didn’t help.

“So, this is the aftereffect of Frenzy Energy, meaning my physique can only handle it for so long.” Yang Bo figured out what was happening to his body.

So, clutching several buckets of milk, he sat in a hot bath while chugging milk like crazy.

In the warm water, Yang Bo finally felt some relief in his body.

“I got too careless today. From now on, I need to pace myself when testing new skills.” Despite the physical exhaustion, pain, and weakness…

…his mind was buzzing with excitement. It meant his future potential was even greater.

“Doesn’t seem too useful on civilized planets?”

“The bigger the size, the easier it is for the Planetary Defense System to lock onto me?”

“Once I’ve recovered, I should test how Energy Interference works in giant form.” To be honest, Yang Bo wasn’t too happy with today’s experiment because he hadn’t tested other Superpowers, like Electro-Optic and Fire abilities.

He had only tested Anti-Gravity and Metal Superpower in giant form.

“I wonder what will happen if I use other Superpowers in metal giant form. Would the light orbs be the size of washbasins?”

“The best thing about Frenzy Energy is its ability to stack with other skills. Invisibility can’t do that.” Chugging more milk, Yang Bo thought over everything that had happened in under thirty minutes.

The potential of giant form still needed more development, perhaps with some high-tech weaponry.

“Careless! If I’d known I had this ability, I would’ve taken the enemy’s cannon. Imagine a giant wielding a cannon…the thought excites me!”

“And about that guy’s Energy Suit—is it related to Frenzy Energy too? For now, I can’t show my face as the Third Master. I’ll wait until I’ve fully regained my strength!”

“Tomorrow, I’ll grind my Charging Skill in the game. Never thought my physique could still fall short. I used to worry it developed too fast.” Yang Bo rapidly formulated a plan for the following steps.

After soaking for a while, Yang Bo finished off the buckets of milk and immediately collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.

While Yang Bo rested at home, Zhou Rui was having tea with this planet’s administrative leader, the Security Bureau chief, and the local head of the family behind the planet.

As they drank tea, they watched media reporters interview a passionate police station director at the incident site.

The media showed the wreckage of a basement for the public to see. Mechas, energy suits, and corpses were scattered around, as well as injured police officers and numerous broken drones.

Of course, the police had cleaned up the scene again, erasing the involvement of the Bounty Hunter Guild and taking all the credit.

Not to mention, the cost of the destroyed drones could be reimbursed by Parliament, and the public wouldn’t oppose increased police funding and equipment. After all, the bandits were evidently quite fierce—they even brought mechas.

“Thank you again, Mr. Zhou.” The planet’s administrator sincerely thanked Zhou Rui.

Still sporting a bald look, Zhou Rui was quite pleased that the news reports didn’t mention a single word about the Bounty Hunter Guild. He approved of this approach because the energy of the unknown force was vast; better not to offend them.

The officials also gladly took the credit. As for the evidence found on-site, they planned to destroy it all. After all, it belonged to an extremist terrorist organization. A radiation report would suffice to suggest its disposal.

They could privately hand it off to the Bounty Hunter Guild later. Official corruption was always fatal.

Hearing this, Zhou Rui modestly said, “I hope you’ll continue to look out for me, sirs!”

“Of course!” The planet’s administrator still felt a lingering fear. If a future admiral had died on his planet, resignation would be the least of his problems.

Far more likely, he’d face full-scale suppression, and even the family backing the planet would be implicated.

If an admiral dies on your world, the military’s attitude, Parliament’s stance, and the ignorant public’s guided opinions could bring unimaginable consequences.

It’s possible someone tried to hit two birds with one stone.

“Mr. Zhou, in the future, please consult with us first if anything arises,” the Security Bureau chief added.

With a smile, Zhou Rui raised his cup and said, “My family has been on March Planet for over thirty years. This planet is my home. I’m honored to contribute.”

“I look forward to your continued support.”

The old man who managed the family behind March Planet joined in with a cup raised, saying, “Mr. Zhou, we’re reassured by those words. Over these thirty years, we’ve seen your contributions. Let us all strive together for our homeland’s growth.”

The family behind March Planet is one of the top powers in the Alliance. They don’t just own this planet, but developing a planet demands immense resources and time.

If the future admiral had died here, they’d inevitably lose much of their stake.

Capital and families are like piranhas. One moment they’re friendly, but the second you show weakness, they rush in to devour.

Capital and family growth have slowed to the point that without absorbing rivals, further development is impossible.

To these major families, Zhou Rui’s family was nothing. However, this time, they recognized Zhou Rui’s family’s capabilities.

After all, the family behind the planet hadn’t detected anything, but Zhou Rui’s family did.

It proved they had earned a share of the planet’s interests.

The international Bounty Hunter Guild could also provide some support to the family.

Hearing this, Zhou Rui was ecstatic inside. With the backing of the planet’s power, his family’s development on March Planet would accelerate.

After finishing their tea, neither the planet’s administrator, the Security Bureau chief, nor the family representative asked for details about the incident.

Zhou Rui had no intentions of revealing specifics either, but the profit distribution was already settled.

Zhou Rui’s side would earn benefits, the officials would gain fame.

And the family behind March Planet would show the galaxy their strength—anyone planning to stir trouble here should assess whether they’re stronger than the people who just died.

After tea with the bigwigs, Zhou Rui returned to the Guild.

The Guild’s higher-ups were now thoroughly impressed by the Third Master. They carefully analyzed the scene.

There were many questions. First, how did the Third Master get in? Numerous theories were proposed, and the consensus formed that the charred corpse was highly suspicious. It might be the Third Master’s mole.

Initially, they thought the body had suffered spontaneous combustion, but on closer inspection, someone set it on fire.

“At least three people were at the scene—the person with the charred body, someone with fire abilities who burned the corpse, and the Third Master.” The Guild’s higher-ups continued their analysis.

“I think it might’ve been two people—the charred body and the one with fire abilities could be the same person.” Someone held a different opinion.

“Moreover, this person wasn’t just the Third Master’s mole; they’re also the one who installed the ship’s cannon. There was only one person’s trace at the installation site. You all know my Tracking Ability; I don’t make mistakes.”

“The Third Master is incredibly strong, and he used to lead an entire pirate group. He must have hidden informants.”

“When working with someone like him, keep your distance. For those we can’t cooperate with, we must be cautious about them.” Just as they were talking, they saw Zhou Rui return.

“How did it go?” The higher-ups operating on March Planet naturally hoped for official support. That would minimize many nuisances.

“Everything’s taken care of. I just had tea with the planet’s administrative leader, the Security Bureau head, and representatives of the family backing the planet.” Zhou Rui appeared completely at ease now.

His family had established themselves well on this planet. They knew how to get things done, or they would’ve been at war with the officials long ago.

Officials, after all, had no effective means of dealing with the Bounty Hunter Guild because the Alliance followed the rule of law—it required solid evidence.

No matter what, the Alliance had to maintain the appearance of judicial fairness.

If you used illegal means against the Bounty Hunter Guild, they’d likely turn around and bite back. They had the money and connections.

The Guild members were all seasoned professionals. Even if they committed crimes, they took full responsibility. Regardless, the Alliance had no death penalty, and they’d live comfortably in prison. They could even stand up for prisoner rights afterwards: ‘Even criminals have human rights!’

In some Alliance prisons, prisoners even had access to companion robots. Both male and female ones were available, far better off than the lowest-welfare citizens.

At that moment, Zhou Rui’s wristwatch alerted him to an email.

It was an invitation from his proud cousin, asking to meet.

Zhou Rui wasn’t about to meet her now. Who knew if someone was still targeting her?

So, he politely declined in his reply.

“President, how much is the government planning to reward us?” What the Guild’s higher-ups cared about was the reward.

“No specific negotiations yet. They’re pretty busy after such a huge incident.” Zhou Rui responded.

Hearing this, one of the Guild’s higher-ups commented, “The government is notorious for this!”

“The credit came so unexpectedly. When the police commissioner arrived, that shocked face of his—priceless! Way better than his usually smug look on TV.”

“It’s probably for the best that we stayed out of the spotlight. The forces behind this group are no joke—one A-ranked, two B-ranked, plus all that equipment.” The Guild members were full of emotion.

“The Third Master really is too strong.”

“If the Third Master wanted to do something to any of us, there would be no way we could resist.”

“The Third Master has been famous for countless years. His network may be more powerful than ours, though he hasn’t been able to fully leverage it on this planet.”

“I wonder how the Third Master is doing now.” Hearing the Guild’s leaders discussing this made Zhou Rui frown slightly. The Third Master seemed to have seen through his Camouflage. What would he do if the Third Master made unreasonable demands? “Should I find someone else to take the fall?”

“But what if the Third Master has some weird tastes?” Zhou Rui felt a bit troubled. After all, some people’s preferences are just too bizarre to understand.