Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Warfarin still owes Tommat his medical report and keeps replying with "he's very healthy and physically strong" when asked. However, it's certain that he's not infected and has a large amount of Originium in his body.

Looking at the detector reflecting his own face on Frostnova's, Tomatt casually asked, "How's it? Is it the highest reaction rate in the vicinity?"

Thomas had previously limited the detector's detection range to a relatively small area so that it wouldn't make random noises if it detected explosions or high-energy reactions in other areas.

The reason the detector was able to detect Tomat is that even though he is suppressing his combat power, he is still the strongest energy source in the vicinity.

"I don't understand how I know if it's high or low..."

Tomat clearly ignored what Frostnova had said earlier.

"Drip drip..."

"Ok?"

When this sound is heard, Tomat usually tenses up instinctively.

This is because it implies a high-energy reaction outside the current target.

Moreover, a special prompt is usually given only when the new reaction is greater than the current target.

Has a fighting force stronger than your current self appeared?

Is it in this cafeteria?

[Main Text] Rhodes Island Stroll Guide: Chapter Seventeen - The Spicy Food Lovers Group

Froststar understood that this instrument was a detection device used to search for high-energy targets, but the difference in language prevented her from understanding the specific differences.

However, this sudden appearance of a three-digit energy response that made the detector beep was no less powerful than the two-digit energy response of Tomat.

"What's going on? Whether it's Lungmen or Rhodes Island, there's not a single festive atmosphere."

A loud, cursing female voice entered the cafeteria before its owner even arrived.

Her white hair was streaked with red, tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. Her horns, curved like withered branches yet powerfully winding, were different from those of the Sarkaz or Drak, and as rare as her thick, mane-covered long tail. The bright red tassel-like pendants on her ears swayed with her displeased, shifting gaze.

Despite it being the end of December, this person, whose race was not immediately apparent, was still wearing a thin, dark red cropped top and white hot pants, with only a coat that seemed to offer no warmth whatsoever.

Wearing a bright red glove, she gripped a short, obviously modified iron rod in her hand and tapped it once in her other hand, which was adorned with prayer beads. She stood in front of the cafeteria, hesitant to enter, only making continuous clicking sounds of dissatisfaction.

"Three digits? That's higher than yours! Who is she? Is she also from Rhodes Island? Her clothes don't seem like it..."

Frostnova didn't understand the concept of these numbers; she only knew that the woman who appeared in the cafeteria was stronger than Tomat was now—if Tomat hadn't said before that he was maintaining his strongest state, Frostnova would probably have thought of this person as something even more terrifying.

“There are plenty of operators who don’t wear uniforms. They say personalization is allowed, but sometimes I really can’t tell whether someone is an operator or just passing by.” Tomat commented on the woman, whose clothes were peculiar but who wouldn’t be surprising even if she were a Rhodes Island operator, and continued, “Her aura is definitely stronger than the others, and she doesn’t look like she’s at full strength. How about this device? Isn’t it convenient? It reacts immediately when any powerful guy gets close.”

She wondered why Tomat was so unconcerned about the appearance of someone stronger than herself in her normal state, but with Tomat, he just wanted to introduce the convenience of the probe to Froststar as if he were promoting it.

Sensing aura is very useful, but a detector that is always on is often more practical in daily life and is more accurate in most cases. After all, if you only use aura sensing, the result is usually high or low based on yourself or the surrounding environment, while a detector can help quantify and make a precise judgment.

"Don't you care about that person at all?"

Froststar watched as the woman walked to the order counter, leaned against the windowsill with one arm, and stared at the head chef of the day with an imposing aura before even starting to order. She then asked Tomat.

"We're both suppressing power, but I'm confident I can suppress it more than she can. Otherwise, if that person were a Rhodes Island operator and willing to directly confront the enemy, Rhodes Island would have already dominated Terra. Or this person is so powerful that even you've heard of them, not that we don't know them."

While that person was ordering, Thomas watched her from a distance, making his own assessment and inferences.

The opponent's strength is much greater than that of the people around them, but it is still a level that can be achieved in this environment.

Frostnova said that her combat power seemed to have reached three digits—and a three-digit combat power, even if it is only a little over a hundred, is enough to destroy a small country or a large city if she uses her own energy to unleash a full-force attack. If she is skilled enough, she can even shatter celestial bodies such as small satellites.

—Of course, this is on the premise that one "knows how to use energy".

In reality, the advantage derived from a percentage difference in combat power is often based on the premise that both sides are technically similar.

Both sides will have energy attacks, so naturally the side with higher combat power will have the advantage, as will the physical attackers who do not know how to use energy.

Conversely, when a high-combat-power physical party meets someone with slightly lower combat power but skilled in using energy attacks, the difference in combat power becomes ambiguous.

Thomas recognized the importance of energy utilization, which is why he devoted himself to studying how to use Qi.

Clearly, the woman with triple-digit combat power mentioned by Froststar is not the latter. Otherwise, given Tomat's current understanding of the average combat power on this planet, she would have already wiped out this place.

"Oil-splashed noodles! Twenty... no, thirty times spicy! It's almost Chinese New Year! We should eat something festive. I don't care if other regions have this custom or not. Since we're in Longmen, this is Yan Kingdom territory. We'll celebrate Yan Kingdom's festival together." The man shouted at the canteen staff while banging his hand with an iron bar. "But look at you guys! It's one thing if the food you cook isn't flavorful enough, but now that it's almost Chinese New Year, you don't have any atmosphere at all. So what if there was a terrorist organization and monsters causing a ruckus? Let me tell you, there were plenty of big monsters on Terra before."

"Thirty times? Why doesn't she drink the lava?"

Although Tomat, who usually eats at least thirty times more than others, doesn't really have the right to criticize other people's eating habits, he still made a comment about the woman from afar.

But he was too lazy to complain about why this planet also had festivals that felt so familiar, since it was as pointless as asking them why they all spoke the common language.

"Thirty times spicier, I wonder which tastes better, this or my candy... Hey, she looks like she's looking at you."

Frostnova, who had become inexplicably interested in the "thirty times spicy" dish, suddenly noticed that the woman who brought out the dish with a visible spicy aroma from the window was looking at the table where the two of them were sitting. Frostnova naturally assumed that the woman had overheard Tomat's complaint.

"But I feel like she's looking at you."

Thomas responded.

To be precise, she was eyeing the detector on Frostnova's face.

"Hey, Miss Carter, would you mind sharing a table?"

The rather familiar remark came from the other person's mouth only after the other person had placed it on the table, and the pungent spiciness instantly filled the three of them.

This was especially stimulating for Tomat, whose sense of smell was particularly acute due to his Saiyan nature.

There were clearly many empty tables nearby.

"I do mind. Seriously, can you really eat a bowl of noodles with half a bowl of chili oil?"

Thomas pinched his nose and frowned, trying to keep the pungent smell from getting into his eyes.

"Why can't you eat it! It smells delicious, but the noodles themselves aren't that great, not as good as the ones my brother makes."

However, even though Tomat was very particular about his words and actions, the other party still sat down in the empty seat next to Frostnova.

Froststar sniffed the candy, then casually pulled out a few foil-wrapped candies from her pocket and said to the woman:

"It smells delicious, I'll order one too. Oh, and do you want some candy? Spicy, please."

[Main Text] Rhodes Island Stroll Guide: Chapter Eighteen - Celebrating the New Year!

This woman, with her rather cheerful and open personality, calls herself "Nian," leaving people unsure whether this is her real name or code name. She is both a "tourist" and an "operator" on Rhodes Island. While sightseeing, she offers advice or participates in the development of new materials and the forging of equipment. As an operator, she is active on the battlefield as a heavy-armored operator.

She was there because she had been working on logistical preparations for the operators' preparations for the upcoming battles, along with other operators responsible for equipment maintenance. After the battles, she continued to participate in repairs, which was quite different from her relaxed and carefree appearance; she was extremely dedicated to her duties.

Having finally found some free time during the New Year, he planned to visit Longmen and experience the atmosphere of the upcoming Yan Kingdom festival. However, Longmen, which had just been swept away by the ravages of war, did not live up to his expectations.

That's why I returned to Rhodes Island in a fit of anger, and ate some of my favorite spicy food to calm myself down.

Clearly, she and Tomat had completely different tastes, because in Tomat's eyes, there were only two categories of food: "delicious" and "edible," while the "30x Extra Spicy" of that year had already entered the category of "inedible."

Of course, when they discovered that Tomat seemed to have some kind of horrible salad smell lingering on him, they also thought that Tomat was the one who was a taste idiot who didn't understand delicious food.

However, as long as everyone eats their own food, the Saiyan's trigger point of not yielding to food will not be easily triggered.

"Wow...this looks like interesting equipment..."

Thomas never saw Machinest's expression when he tried to study and analyze the detector after "borrowing" it.

I wonder what new discoveries Kal'tsit made when the engineer from Rhine Labs, Rhodes Island's partner, studied his armor, as Kal'tsit had mentioned.

But Tomat knew very well that they wouldn't show the expression they had at that moment—eyes wide as they carefully stroked the detector, but their eyes weren't filled with surprise at the technology itself; rather, they seemed to be simply excited, like children who had seen a new toy.

She would occasionally look up at Tomat, a smile on her face but no sound of laughter. She nodded, repeatedly muttering "I see," and finally handed the detector back to Tomat.

“I thought that for most people, my skills and equipment were things they had never seen before, but today I have become one of the ‘most people’.”

With the iron bar propped on the table, Nian rested his hands on the top, propped his chin on it, stared at Tomat across the table, and said something that sounded like an admission of his "limited knowledge" with a half-smile.

"I've heard of you. Kroos specifically mentioned that someone with rare equipment came to the island. It's quite unexpected and rare. This detector is just one of them, right?"

Like most people on the Rhodes Island, she didn't have time to remember everyone's gossip, so she only knew what interested her.

That is the equipment brought by many newcomers themselves. Of course, she is not the only one interested in this. Kroos, Machineset, Mayer, Vulcan, or other people with unique passion for equipment or technology will pay special attention to relevant information.

However, this year brought her more and more unexpected things than others.

Nian felt he understood the significance of this equipment better than anyone else.

If it were Kroos and the others, they would probably only focus on materials, technology, and manufacturing processes.

Even if someone like Kal'tsit were to judge, she would only realize that it probably came from some unknown place, perhaps in the distant past, or in some remote corner.

But for Nian, her experience could only tell her one real and unshakable truth—this equipment did not belong to Terra, or rather, it could not exist in Terra. It had never appeared and could never appear in any era or in any place.

The mysterious blacksmith has many secrets, and discovering this is just one of them.

Is this equipment yours?

Nian asked with great interest, still with the spicy candy that Froststar had given her in her mouth.

"Yes."

Thomas agreed without hesitation, but under Frostnova's gaze, he hesitated whether or not to eat the candy she offered.

"So you're not Terran either, and that monster I've never seen before is also related to you, right?"

—The original intention was to explain the other party's unusual identity directly in this way.

But she thought it was actually quite interesting, so she didn't say it out loud.

After all, in the course of its "long lifespan," it seems that the appearance of certain special beings accompanying the stars on Terra is not an isolated incident.

"Since your equipment is so unique, I assume your power has nothing to do with Originium, and so do mine."

What was originally left unsaid turned into polite greetings as they became acquainted.

"It's not really related, but it's probably different from yours."

Thomas's features were contorted in pain because of the candy in his mouth.

"Judging from this, you two seem quite similar? You don't use Originium Arts, and you're strong enough."

Frostnova saw something in common between the two, and also remembered what Tomat had said earlier about "things she wanted to do".

If you want to get stronger, equipment is usually essential, and Nian might be able to help Tomat in that regard.

But Thomas never talked about it, and only spoke about other things meaningfully.

"By the way, I have an idea, and I'm just short of people to lend a hand."