[Bone-Dry Desert, Temporary Landing Pad]
The hatch of the "Seeker No. 7" Star-vessel slowly opened, and a scorching gale laden with grit instantly rushed in, whipping the clothes of the group with a fierce rustle.
The piercing sunlight cut through the clouds, spilling over the rolling yellow dunes and reflecting a blinding luster. In the distance, the abandoned energy ruins loomed indistinctly through the wind and sand; the silhouettes of the dilapidated buildings resembled crouching behemoths, exuding a desolate and eerie atmosphere.
Chen Kong was the first to step out of the hatch. The alloy landing pad beneath his feet was baked hot by the relentless sun. He instinctively channeled his Star Energy, and faint blue, intricate patterns surfaced around his body. This was his refinement of the "Void Weaver," a technique he had modified after observing Tendo's "Universal Repulsion." Although he hadn't actively triggered its negation effect, the flow of Star Power created a thin barrier that insulated him from a portion of the heat and grit.
Liu Ma followed closely behind, unable to stop himself from complaining the moment he landed.
"Good grief, this place is hot enough to kill!"
He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his face. Reinforcement-type Star Energy spread along his skin, forming a faint red protective layer on his body's surface that repelled the encroaching sand.
Isabelle adjusted the goggles on the bridge of her nose, the lenses automatically shifting to anti-glare mode. She scanned the surroundings, and on the screen of the tactical glasses Vivian had given her, environmental data jumped in real-time.
Temperature: 52°C. Wind Speed: 18m/s. Grit Hardness: Medium. No high-level Star Beast fluctuations detected. Currently safe.
Meanwhile, An Qin descended along with Lin Feng, Zhao Yu, and Vivian. She pulled five silver communicators from her tactical backpack and distributed them to the group.
"These are special anti-interference communicators I secured from the Field Operations Department. They maintain clear communication even in extreme environments. Now, let's gather at the safety zone to confirm our surroundings before we begin our split-group operations."
The safety zone was located at an abandoned outpost on the west side of the landing pad. The outpost's metal walls were pitted with signs of erosion from the wind and sand, yet one could still see the marks of reinforcement from years past.
After the group entered the outpost, Isabelle first checked the condition of the facility. She then immediately activated her Star Source, Absolute Zero, condensing the moisture in the air into threads of ice crystals hidden within the sand. If any creature approached, an alarm would be triggered. This wealth of field experience and Star Source application was clearly a far cry from her former self.
Once they confirmed that the surroundings were free of immediate danger, the group entered the abandoned outpost.
"Lin Feng, Zhao Yu, Vivian, and I will scout the right-side sector. You three take the left. Remember, do not go deep into unexplored territory. Report any anomalies immediately."
Upon entering the outpost, An Qin opened a virtual map on her optical computer and re-confirmed the split-route plan. Her finger paused slightly on the marker for the "Core Transformation Sector," and her tone unintentionally grew heavier. "Most importantly, do not approach the central building of the energy ruins without authorization. The structure there is unstable, and there is a high risk of collapse."
She paused, her gaze landing on Chen Kong as she added, "Chen Kong, your Void Weaver can counter most Star Energy attacks. Remember to prioritize protecting your teammates if you encounter danger."
Hearing this, Chen Kong frowned. "The central building is a key area marked by the vanguard team, right? Isn't our mission to complete the exploration of the unexplored sectors? If we avoid the central building, can the mission be completed?"
An Qin's body stiffened slightly, and she hurried to offer an explanation. "The vanguard's report shows that the central building is more than half-buried by sand. Its internal structure is extremely complex, and there may be residual energy leaks from the old era. It is extremely dangerous. As long as we complete the survey of the outer perimeter, we will earn the base exploration points. There's no need to take this risk."
Surprisingly, regarding An Qin's suggestion, Lin Feng—who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed—spoke up. "I don't think we need to be so cautious. It's better to set out as soon as possible. Ideally, we should finish the survey before dark; otherwise, night temperatures in the desert will plummet, and nocturnal Star Beasts will emerge, making exploration even more dangerous."
Hearing this, Chen Kong thought for a moment and felt his reasoning was sound. "Fine, let's move out quickly then."
Despite saying this, Chen Kong subtly shot a look at Liu Ma and Isabelle, signaling them to remain vigilant. He then turned and walked out of the outpost, heading toward the left sector. Liu Ma and Isabelle gave a silent nod and immediately followed.
Before long, their three silhouettes vanished into the blowing sand.
Watching Chen Kong's retreating back, An Qin gripped the Star Energy jammer in her pocket. Vivian stood beside her, the scanning function of her mechanical electronic eye never turning off. She took in every minute movement An Qin made, and the suspicion in her heart grew stronger.
"An Qin, let's head out too. The sooner we finish the survey, the sooner we can rest."
An Qin took a deep breath, suppressing the struggle in her heart, and nodded toward Lin Feng and Zhao Yu. "Let's go."
[Bone-Dry Desert, Left Scouting Sector]
The left sector was littered with the remains of low, abandoned buildings. Most of the walls had collapsed, leaving only half-buried earthen walls and exposed rebar swaying precariously in the wind.
Chen Kong walked at the front, the faint blue Void Weaver flickering around him, ready to trigger its negation effect at a moment's notice to deal with any emergencies.
As he scouted, he spoke into his communicator. "Vivian, how are things on your end? Have you found anything unusual?"
Very quickly, Vivian's calm voice came through the device. "No anomalies for now. we've just entered the edge of the right sector and only found traces of a few Level 1 Sand Wolves, which Zhao Yu has already cleared." She paused, then lowered her voice. "But An Qin's state is a bit strange. She seems to be deliberately avoiding certain routes, as if she is guiding us in a specific direction."
"Understood," Chen Kong replied, his gaze sweeping over a collapsed building ahead. "We've found some Star Beast tracks here too, but they're all low-level. No threat. Isabelle, has your tactical radar picked up the location of the central building?"
Isabelle stopped in her tracks. The radar device on her tactical suit was running at full capacity, and a blurred red area appeared on the screen. "I can detect it, but the signal is very weak. The Star Energy fluctuations around the central building are very chaotic, as if something is interfering with them. Furthermore, based on the scan results, the structure there isn't as unstable as An Qin said. On the contrary, it looks very intact."
Hearing this, Liu Ma frowned. "Should we head to the central building now? Maybe those guys really are up to something like Vivian suggested. I'm a bit worried about her being alone with them."
To Liu Ma's surprise, Chen Kong immediately stopped him. "No. If we act rashly now, we might alert them. Since Vivian chose to stay by their side, she surely has her own plan. We'll stick to the original survey plan first. Once we find the right opportunity, we'll find a way to get close to the central building."
Just then, Isabelle's radar device emitted a rapid alarm, and a fast-moving red dot appeared on the screen. "A Star Beast is approaching. Energy fluctuation is high-tier Level 2... It's here!"
As soon as Isabelle finished speaking, a yellow blur lunged from behind the building ruins. It was a massive Sand Wolf, its body covered in a hardened armor of grit. Its sharp fangs flashed with a cold light as it pounced toward Liu Ma.
In response, Liu Ma did not retreat; instead, he surged forward. His reinforcement Star Energy flared up as he clenched his fists and swung at the wolf.
"Perfect timing!"
With a loud bang, Liu Ma's fist slammed hard into the Sand Wolf's armor. Grit sprayed everywhere, and the Sand Wolf let out a pained roar, forced back several steps. It shook its head, a murderous glint flashing in its eyes, and pounced again. Simultaneously, it opened its jaws and exhaled a storm of sand-laden wind.
"Careful!"
Chen Kong instantly activated the Void Weaver. Silver-white patterns surged, weaving into a thin net in front of Liu Ma. The moment the sandstorm hit the net, the Star Beast energy within it was completely negated. Losing its momentum, the sand fell harmlessly to the ground.
Isabelle seized the opportunity. Channelling Absolute Zero, she condensed an ice-blue energy beam at her fingertip and fired it precisely into the Sand Wolf's eye. The Sand Wolf let out a shrill howl as its eye was instantly frozen, blinding it.
Liu Ma grasped this opening and leaped, delivering a heavy punch to the wolf's head. His reinforcement Star Energy erupted instantly; the Sand Wolf's head was smashed, and its massive body collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before falling still.
"Done!" Liu Ma wiped the dust from his hands and smiled triumphantly.
To them at their current level, an ordinary Level 2 Star Beast was truly no different from a stray dog on the street. Of course, if the number of "stray dogs" grew too large, it would still be a bit troublesome.
However, there was one thing that Chen Kong found very strange. Logically, Star Beasts were still animals. An animal's instinct should tell them to avoid dangerous enemies. But this Sand Wolf seemed crazed; not only had it separated from its pack, but it had actively sought out a group of targets that obviously looked dangerous. This was undoubtedly inconsistent with the laws of nature.
Thinking of this, Chen Kong walked to the Sand Wolf's corpse and knelt to observe it closely. He saw that around the wolf's wounds, there were faint black patterns, looking as if they had been eroded by a special energy.
Chen Kong instinctively reached out. A few threads of the Void Weaver surrounding him extended, lightly brushing against the corpse. The moment the black patterns touched the Void Weaver, they instantly dissipated.
Clearly, these black patterns were also the energy of some kind of Star Source or Star Core.
"Be careful. The creatures here seem to have undergone some kind of change. I'm not sure if this change is only for the Star Beasts or for every person who enters this fallen zone."
[Bone-Dry Desert, Right Scouting Sector]
Vivian followed the three of them as they scouted, quietly recording the route. Her mechanical eye photographed every detail of the environment and transmitted it to her optical computer. She noticed that every time An Qin turned, she deliberately chose a route that edged closer to the central building. While she appeared to be avoiding dangerous areas, she was actually tightening the circle step by step.
"An Qin, those building ruins ahead look complicated. Should we take a detour?" Vivian intentionally pointed in a direction away from the central building.
An Qin's footsteps paused for a moment, her eyes showing hesitation. Beside her, Zhao Yu immediately spoke up. "Detouring will waste a lot of time. Let's just go straight through. With Lin Feng and me here, there won't be any danger."
As he spoke, he took the lead toward the ruins. An Qin bit her lip and didn't argue; she could only follow.
Watching their interaction, Vivian became even more certain of a certain theory. She quietly pressed the hidden recording button on her communicator while sending an encrypted message that only Chen Kong could decipher.
While passing through the ruins, several Rock Lizards suddenly burrowed out of the sand. Their bodies were covered in gray stone armor, and they lunged at the group, spitting high-temperature lava.
Lin Feng snorted coldly. Reinforcement Star Energy covered his entire body as he charged at the lizards. With every swing of his fists, the Rock Lizards' armor was smashed to pieces. Zhao Yu moved nimbly among the lizards, his short blades flashing with cold light as they precisely pierced their weak points.
Vivian stood by An Qin's side, seemingly assisting in the survey but actually observing An Qin's reaction. She noticed that although An Qin also released support-type abilities, she didn't specifically support Lin Feng or Zhao Yu. Instead, when a Rock Lizard got close, An Qin deliberately expanded her Star Energy shield to protect both herself and Vivian.
"Watch out!"
An Qin suddenly pulled Vivian, dragging her away from a falling rock. The rock slammed into the ground, splashing sand everywhere. Vivian was stunned for a moment and looked up at An Qin, finding a hint of genuine worry in her eyes.
"Thank you," Vivian said softly.
An Qin shook her head without a word, but her expression grew even more complex.
Soon, Lin Feng and Zhao Yu resolved all the Rock Lizards. Lin Feng shot a cold glance at An Qin, his tone carrying a warning. "Focus on the mission. Don't get distracted."
An Qin lowered her head and did not talk back.
The four continued forward, getting closer and closer to the central building of the ruins. Vivian could clearly feel the Star Energy fluctuations becoming more chaotic. Furthermore, a faint scent of blood began to permeate the air, mixed with a trace of eerie, sickly sweetness.
"The communicators are being jammed. The signal is getting weaker. If we go further, we might lose contact," Vivian said, holding up her communicator.
Hearing this, Zhao Yu smiled and smoothly pulled a "signal booster" from his pocket. "Don't worry, I came prepared." He turned on the booster, and the signal on Vivian's communicator instantly stabilized.
Vivian's heart sank. It seemed they had planned for everything.
At the same time, Chen Kong received Vivian's encrypted message. The content was simple:
Target is central building. Communications may be monitored. Act with caution.
Chen Kong's expression turned grim. He said to Liu Ma and Isabelle, "Vivian confirmed it. An Qin, Lin Feng, and the others are definitely a problem. Their goal is the central building. We're changing routes immediately. We'll approach quietly and support Vivian."
"Right," Liu Ma and Isabelle nodded immediately. The three adjusted their direction and moved rapidly toward the central building.
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