Xiling Empire Chapter 15

(Ch.15) Mysterious Attack

I don't even know how today went by……
Commanders fit into my surroundings with surprising speed. You can see unfamiliar face in every cla.s.sroom, every hallway, including teacher, custodian, worker at the café, electrician and any other occupation that could be in school. My only feeling is that an alien invasion movie in on air without anyone noticing……

At the beginning you can still see people discussion new faces, but related topic soon decrease. I wonder if it's the mental interference of the commander that started working or did my cla.s.smates just got used to new faces.
Walking home with Pandora, beckoning at commanders I know or not know, I feel more and more surprised by their ability to secretly infiltrate a civilization. Gladly, they are not here to invade.
I turn around to look at Pandora, who is walking silently beside me.
……With her around, I can only say they are temporary not here for invasion.
"Brother, " she suddenly whispers, "are you very popular?"
I am confused, "not bad, why?"
"There are a few organisms discussing you, saying that you are popular."
……anyone that sees a high school student talking kindly with patrolling police to street vendor should feel the same way. If I'm older, they would suspect that I'm some governor that's out for a walk.
There's a bit of distance between my house and the school, I need to walk through a busy market street. This street is well known for vendors and pirated DVD-sellers that has been playing guerrilla with patrols. Especially pirated DVD sellers, they are called the last holy land of piracy.

Although both Jing and Qian Qian warns me not to walk through here with Pandora, she insists to go home this way.
I soon realize the reason she insists.
Near the exit of the street, a guy wearing black clothes dressing like the matrix comes up to me, says mysteriously,

"bro, want a disc?"
I look at him, tears fall down my face……
He's the knight-faced guy that's faking IDs……
Ancient people are right, never judge people by their appearance. He had the most trust-worthy face, but everything he did surprises me……
Pandora explains, "Our initial plan was to monopolize all the business in this city, and create a detailed information system based on this to make a safe route for you. But we realized that the same goal can be reached by Carl being here……"
Knight-faced man also says seriously, "human in this street seem to own a primitive but very interesting way of conveying information. It's not good enough to be called an information system, but it's enough to collect movement of people nearby. And because of the bad management of this area, it's relatively easy for us to hide here."
I have cold sweat all over my head. I just realized that there are a few familiar faces in the vendors around me. Looks like I underestimated their tendency toward wars. They are not trying to find jobs here, they are doing this like it's an espionage war……
"Brother, we found an abnormal target." Pandora suddenly tells me.
"Abnormal target?" I'm confused.
Our knight-face runs away after leaving, "I'll go set up the sniping point."
What the heck? Are you planning to play the matrix in the middle of the street?
"There's one……no, there's two high-energy carbon based organism that focused on our position. They do not have hostility, but have the intention to attack."
No hostility but have the intention to attack? Why am I confused?
Before I can think it through, I hear Pandora's exclamation, "They attacked!"
A felt a breeze, and everything is peaceful again.
As I was thinking that nothing happened, Pandora hint me to look behind me.
I turn around. On the wall behind me is a cut about a meter long, half a centimeter wide, with a trace of smoke coming out.
My cold sweat comes down again.
"Highly compressed air blades, " there's a shade of blue in Pandora's eyes, which is the sign that she is in information processing mode, "has high speed and not bad power, and not easily noticed by organs of carbon-based organisms. It is fatal to normal carbon-based organisms."
"……I don't think it's the time to talk about this……" my face is twitching, "I was nearly killed by this s.h.i.+t. Can't you block it!?"
Although I don't understand the technology of the Empire very well yet, according to what I saw, it should be very easy for Pandora to block this kind of attack. So the situation now is: our enemy attacked and nearly killed me, Pandora is standing aside a.n.a.lyzing pros and cons of this attack……
Pandora looks up at the sky, "There are advantages of this attack, but cannot threaten us at all. And this is more like testing than attacking, they meant to hit the attack beside you."
"So you already know that it won't hit me, that's why you didn't block it?" I ask surprisingly.

I come to a new realization about her calculating ability.
"Yes," Pandora is still looking at the sky, "we can know that they have no hostility. They are just testing us based on some unknown reason - requesting satellite cannon connection……"
"Testing……" I nodded, but still confused, "testing what? What could they test from me? Everything about you guys are kept secret, I don't think it's possible for the skeleton to come out of the closet this fast. Compressed air attack - did human invented this yet?"
"Still unclear whether this attack is created by life of this world, but we can know for sure this attack is from carbon-based organism - satellite cannon ready……"
"Oh - what? What did you say? Satellite cannon!?" I finally realized what was the term Pandora said twice. It's terrifying just to listen to the name…… What does this mini war-maniac want to do?
"Although they do not have hostility, and did not harm you, attacking Xiling Emperor is still a big crime. Anyone that wants to harm you needs to pay for their action - target confirmed, free fire!"
"Hey!" I couldn't care if it will grab people's attention, I shout to Pandora, "Stop! This is residential area!"
There's now red dots in her eyes, she replies without even turning around to look at me,

"We summoned this satellite cannon through void projection. Its attack is nearly invisible, normal people would not notice it. And we limited the energy output, minimum energy output would not create catastrophic results."
"That's not what I mean!"

I said in a rush. I can already see the abnormal bending of the air far away, the attack is about to start.
How strong are these cannons? According to data I got from the database, on maximum energy output is can penetrate a planet in one hit! Although Pandora said that they limited the energy output, it's still too strong for human.
Yes I have to admit it's really annoying to be attacked without knowing the reason, but if thousands of people are going to die for this……then I'm worse than devils.
"Pandora, I don't want to force you by giving commands, " I stare at her now purple eyes, "just do me a favour, don't harm the innocent people!"
"Although two stupid individuals attacked you?" Pandora calmly replies.
"As you said, they have to hostility - forget about it."
Eventually, she compromises, "Fine, if this is your command."
Following her words, the satellite cannon stopped its attack.
Although it hasn't actually attacked, I saw chaos at the area under the bent air. Seems like there's a minor fire going on.
This is done only by the focusing radiation of the satellite cannon, I really can't imagine what would happen if I didn't stop Pandora in time.
"We can pardon their death penalty, but appropriate punishment is necessary - Brother, this is the most I can tolerate, I have the glory of the empire to defend!"
"You're being too serious……" She's giving me a headache. This loli is good in every aspect, but turns very stubborn when related to the empire. And she don't know the meaning of solving things peacefully. She could cause big trouble any time.
"Don't make too big of a mess, " Looking at her firm eyes, I give up on trying to turn her into a pacifist, "and the most important part is not to harm innocent people."
Now, the only thing I can do is to pray for the two mysterious attackers - I hope they can successfully run away from Xiling Weapons……