NEC Chapter 60: On the Road

The earbuds were originally Chen Mo’s personal gear. In a world brimming with superhuman strength, the wireless earbuds provided by East Xia

The earbuds were originally Chen Mo’s personal gear.

In a world brimming with superhuman strength, the wireless earbuds provided by East Xia were no ordinary devices. To avoid detection by those with heightened senses, the lab spared no expense, opting for pure bone conduction and directional sound beam technology, achieving near-perfect noise cancellation and suppression.

Many of East Xia’s technologies couldn’t be commercialized due to cost, but producing a few top-tier prototypes in the lab was well within reach. The result was earbuds that delivered crystal-clear sound to the user alone, with no sound leakage whatsoever.

Considering the potential supply of Everchant Essence from the young countess, these earbuds, no matter how precious, belonged to Lady Frost.

Due to her bloodline, Frost’s ears were slightly pointed, usually hidden beneath her tassel-like hair, making it easy to conceal the earbuds.

From then on, the countess’s memorization woes transformed dramatically.

Each day, she only needed to read the assigned text at a steady pace, then stare blankly at the book, feigning “deep recall.” With that, her daily memorization chore was effortlessly “completed.”

Having solved a major problem for her, the delighted Lady Frost showered Chen Mo with rewards and promises. He just smiled and pulled out a contract: Fifty-Year Transfer Agreement for Everchant Essence. With some coaxing, the countess signed it.

The fifty-year term was chosen because Chen Mo felt anything longer would be taking advantage. But the agreement included a priority renewal clause, ensuring that with enough influence later, it would automatically take effect.

Of course, having helped and secured his gains, Chen Mo now faced the inevitable trouble.

“Chen Mo, Chen Mo, Aunt Linda says I can’t just recite whole passages, she’s going to quiz me randomly! What do I do?”

This was indeed a big problem.

The countess’s current lessons focused on memorizing texts. If she’d genuinely memorized them, she could answer Linda’s questions flawlessly. But with the earbuds playing the text for her to parrot, a random question would crash her brain, sending her running to Chen Mo for help.

Chen Mo quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry, milady, I’ll handle it.”

The Cyber Lord was omnipotent, but this would take time!

“For now, tell Lady Linda that the quick-memorization method I taught you only works for reciting from start to finish. It’s a bit rigid, but it’s better than not memorizing, right?”

“Once you’ve memorized the whole book, I’ll review it with you a few times, and you’ll be able to recite it backward and forward. Trust me, I’ll make it happen!”

The countess blinked. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Chen Mo thumped his chest. “I swear I’m not. If I lie, you can stop giving me Everchant Essence!”

Frost believed him.

Though naive about the ways of the world, she could see how much Chen Mo valued the pills.

Everchant Essence was indeed effective, but for professionals, it was merely a specialized healing drug. Useful in solo operations, it was outclassed in team settings by healing spells, which were faster and more efficient.

For Cloudmist, the drug was valuable but measurable in equivalent terms.

For Chen Mo, it was entirely different.

On Blue Star, the drug was used by ordinary people—often frail, elderly ones. The gap between them and professionals was like minnows to blue whales. The difference in vitality meant the drug’s dosage and effects were miraculous on Blue Star.

Even split into portions, Everchant Essence worked wonders akin to miracles.

To Chen Mo, saving even one irreplaceable national hero was worth more than money could measure.

The two sides’ priorities existed in entirely different dimensions.

In Chen Mo’s mind, even if he acquired nothing else, sending back a steady supply of Everchant Essence would make his time on the Starry Continent worthwhile.

The countess was a thigh he had to hold tight.

With this in mind, Chen Mo treated her request as his top priority, ready to relay her needs back home the moment the Sacrificial Altar was available.

The entire nation would rally to help Lady Frost cheat.

Her excuse of “early-stage associative memory” left the stern Linda skeptical and frowning. But Chen Mo threw out jargon like “neuronal synapse directed activation” and “information flow temporal fixation,” dazzling her enough to barely pass muster.

Linda, half-convinced, awaited the “next stage” of “advanced learning.”

The team pressed on. Chen Mo diligently practiced, while the countess halfheartedly memorized. Barring surprises, they’d pass through Whitestone, cross the Gloomy Forest, traverse Greenspine, and enter the Emerald Duchy, where the little apprentice would offer wonders, and the countess, now a star student, would return home triumphantly…

But on this return journey, surprises were inevitable.

While camping dozens of kilometers from Whitestone City, Tikebot, the Zircon Family’s captain, and his team of knights caught up.

The thundering hooves were impossible to miss for seasoned professionals, akin to chasing with blaring sirens. By the time Tikebot neared the Cloudmist camp, they had already formed a battle formation.

A quick glance told the experienced Zircon captain they couldn’t win. The opposition outnumbered them and was fully equipped with heavy infantry and cavalry.

Tikebot was speechless. What’s wrong with these people, traveling through a friendly nation with this kind of firepower?

His small cavalry team had struggled with border procedures and fees. Cloudmist’s fully armed contingent, with personnel and equipment approvals, must have cost an astronomical sum.

Heavy cavalry wasn’t just a knight and a horse. Typically, one heavy knight required at least two warhorses, a pack beast, and two auxiliaries.

On the road, the heavy armor and weapons were carried by the pack beast, with auxiliaries tending to the horses and supplies. The knight traveled unburdened, switching horses periodically to keep one rested.

Before battle, the auxiliaries helped the knight don full armor and equip a rested horse, ensuring both were at peak condition.

Cloudmist’s camp was exactly that. They had ample pack beasts and auxiliaries, so when Tikebot’s team arrived, a third of the Emerald Duchy’s warriors were already in heavy armor, gripping reins, their horses’ heads armored, hooves pawing restlessly.

Ready for a charge at any moment.

Tikebot’s team, elite heavy cavalry at home, had traveled light for speed through mountains and rivers.

They’d hoped to intimidate with a show of force, but this was utterly humiliating.

If that was the case, courtesy first… well, just courtesy for now.

From a bowshot’s distance, Tikebot dismounted, ordering a warrior to remove armor and weapons and deliver the Zircon Family’s card while loudly announcing their presence.

“Witness of the Radiant River, Heir of Crystal Brilliance, Southern Honor’s Bastion, Foundation of Human Guardianship!”

“From the Marquess’s Domain of the Greenspine Kingdom, under the Zircon Family, Radiance City, Black Armor Rider Tikebot, seeks audience with Her Highness of Cloudmist, Emerald Duchy!”

At the front of the formation, Guard Commander Paven’s hand twitched on his sword hilt, the half-drawn blade snapping back into its sheath with a sharp clang.

Expressionless, he jerked his chin, signaling a warrior to retrieve the card and deliver it swiftly to the camp’s core.

Ten minutes later, Tikebot was permitted to approach Cloudmist’s formation.

“Speak. What’s your business?”

>>> NEXT CHAPTER