The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2177

Chapter 2177 Chalice Crown

Task Force Predator eventually moved on after collecting the spoils. The Larkinsons didn't bother to bring any of the bulk goods, but everyone was already satisfied with the detailed intelligence and portable valuables they gained.

Ves made sure that the Larkinson Clan allocated a generous bonus to the Avatars of Myth. Everyone who took to the field and fought deserved to be compensated for their efforts.

The battle against the Rust Grinders wouldn't be the last time the task force fought against pirates. The fleet hadn't even left Wreckage Paradise yet. There were much more powerful pirate groups calling the shots at Maynard Fields!

So far, the casualties his forces suffered only consisted of a handful of broken and damaged mechs. The mech technicians assisted by low-ranking mech designers were already at work trying to restore them to working condition.

However, Ves knew that in the future that real casualties were unavoidable. Once their opponents grew strong enough, the Larkinson Clan had to take into account that they might start losing mech pilots!

Regardless if they were adopted or trueblood, every Larkinson mech pilot was precious. Ves did not wish to lose any of them, but it was unrealistic to think he could conclude his adventure in the Nyxian Gap without suffering some serious losses.

From a transactional perspective, Ves already accepted the fact that he might have to trade the lives of hundreds of Larkinsons in order to chase after opportunities and allow his clan to accumulate some battle experience.

Was this trade off worth it? That was difficult to say. How many losses would the Larkinsons have to suffer before it wasn't worth it anymore? How many lives was Ves willing to sacrifice to obtain 1,000,000 MTA merits?

The entire premise of setting a market price in blood for merits was distasteful in the extreme. Ves momentarily struggled with his conscience before he simply shrugged his shoulders and threw the problem outside of his mind.

"Ah, hell. Whatever. I'll just meander along and see how I'll fare!"

Perhaps his clan might be able to avoid serious losses in the next couple of months. Ves had to remind himself that he was fully in charge of this excursion. He was responsible for every aspect of the task force, and he was also its ultimate decision maker.

This meant that Ves was fully capable of managing his own risk exposure!

The importance of this luxury couldn't be understated. Unlike before when Ves had to abide by the will of other people, this time he could decide to pull back whenever he felt he was in danger.

Once Ves carefully stashed his newly-obtained B-stone in the Scarlet Rose's vault, he paid a visit of Calabast's office.

The spymaster currently poured over the valuable intelligence her subordinates obtained from the Rust Grinders.

"Hey, kid. We are still analyzing and verifying all of the information we have gathered."

"I won't be here for long." Ves replied. "I'd like to know if you have obtained a greater understanding of the distribution of pirate forces in Wreckage Paradise."

"Ah, we have already obtained a lot of up-to-date clues as well as a number of interesting navigational charts. I believe they are all reliable enough to allow us to chart a course that will minimize the frequency of pirate encounters. If we are lucky enough, we might be able to reach Maynard Fields without engaging in any hostilities."

"No."

"Pardon, kid?"

"I don't want to avoid the pirates along the way. I want to confront as many of them as possible as long as they aren't too strong!"

Calabast frowned and stopped her work. "Are you crazy?"

"Look, we already obtained some valuables and gathered a lot of valuable intelligence from the Rust Grinders. I bet they're not the outfit who has managed to obtain a B-stone. Do you remember my request to look out for more B-stones and F-stones? I think this is the best opportunity to obtain these rare exotics! Bsides, don't you want to corroborate all of the intel you have gathered so far?"

"I do, but that does not mean I am in favor of engaging in needless battles. The pirates that are more likely to possess what we want are never easily taken down. The Rust Grinders already surprised us with a number of ship-mounted cannoneer mechs. Who can tell if the next batch of pirates won't resort to something worse? This isn't civilized space, Ves! Anything goes in these parts, and that includes employing nuclear weapons, bioweapons and so on! The Nyxian Gap is notorious for a good reason!"

The possible threats she mentioned sobered Ves up a little. He acknowledged her point, though the prevalence of weapons of mass destruction in the Nyxian Gap was not alarmingly high.

No matter what, the bounties issued by the Big Two formed a serious deterrent to anyone who crossed this line, even if they were technically beyond the jurisdiction of any authority!

The two argued a bit before Ves had his way. Calabast might hold one of his most sensitive secrets, but the task force abided by whims!

"Very well." The former Hexer sighed and ran her fingers through her luscious hair. "I will work with the navigators to chart a new course. I think we can pass through the territories of at least half-a-dozen established pirate groups along the way. Is that enough to satisfy your greed? Mind you, every battle will delay our progress by at least half a day, but often more. If we suffer too many delays, we might not be able to return to Cinach in time to attend your wedding!"

Ves dismissively waved away her concern. "It's okay. We'll just have to do our business at Maynard Fields faster, then. Regardless of how much progress we have made, we'll drop everything as long as our time is up. That, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Ves." She replied, though she looked very skeptical at him. "I don't need to tell you what Gloriana will do to you if you are late."

Ves shuddered. "I know. You don't need to remind me. I'll definitely return in time!"

"Good. There is one positive development that might help us shorten our stay in the inner periphery. After digging through some of Commander Upander's private files, I managed to find a reference to someone who might allow us to get in touch with Solok Veyra."

Ah. Ves almost forgot about the primary goal he wanted to achieve for this excursion. Though he could earn even more credits if he assassinated Pirate Lord Hivex and destroyed the Gravada Knarlax, there was no way that Task Force Predator could even come close of the heavy cruiser!

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