A few minutes earlier.
Zhou Tianming knew there was no escaping the barrage of missiles after leaping off the rooftop. His only chance lay underground.
Activating [Analyze 1], subconscious memories surfaced—locations of sewer grates he'd glimpsed earlier while traveling. Cross-referencing city maps and road layouts, he quickly deduced the sewer pipeline's position.
Boom!
Deafening explosions roared overhead as smoke-laden winds howled. Shrapnel rained down as metal structures began collapsing inward.
Li Chi raised his right arm to shield Zhou Tianming from falling debris, shouting: "Tian Ming!"
Light dimmed as crashing fragments created cacophonous impacts above, then came crashing down together.
Zhou Tianming's fingers flew across the keyboard. The spacesuit lunged forward, his right hand forming a blade that pierced deep into the ground with the momentum of his fall.
Mechanical whirring sounded as the pavement cracked and bulged.
"Raaaah!" Li Chi roared, his sole remaining arm straining as he tore open a fissure. The instant his arm emerged, he grabbed Zhou Tianming's collar and shoved him underground.
Crash! Debris sealed the opening as the spacesuit collapsed over the gap.
Boom—
Successive explosions shook the ground violently.
When the tremors subsided, Zhou Tianming found himself in the sewer, drenched in filth with crimson trails leaking from his mouth and ears.
He vomited blood, relieving some chest pressure though lingering pain remained. His ears rang deafeningly.
Surveying his surroundings, he noted his luck—this drainage tunnel stood over 2 meters tall with minimal odor or water flow.
Clutching his protected computer, Zhou Tianming retreated before operating the spacesuit. After strenuous effort, the opening above widened, sending down debris along with the damaged suit.
Inspection revealed multiple breaches exposing internal circuitry, with metal shards impaling the limbs. Though avoiding penetration wounds, Li Chi inside was unconscious, blood trickling from his nose and mouth.
Zhou Tianming urgently reactivated the spacesuit, carrying them both out toward the nearest medical facility.
The city echoed with explosions as missiles rained from orbiting warships, occasionally met by surface-to-air projectiles detonating midair or striking vessel undersides.
The spacesuit sprinted relentlessly, finally crashing straight into a pharmacy after ninety frantic seconds.
The shop was empty. Zhou Tianming jumped down from the spacesuit's embrace and searched among the scattered medicines for something to save Li Chi.
But with only basic knowledge from the Complete Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he had no idea what could possibly save a life now.
"No need," came Li Chi's weak voice. "Just help me find some of that."
Tian Ming froze mid-step without turning around. "Actually..."
"Tian Ming, I'm not afraid of death. I just want my death to mean something. It won't take long—just a little while longer."
Blinking away the tears threatening to spill, Zhou Tianming fetched some prohibited drugs for Li Chi.
The moment it was injected, a flush of color returned to Li Chi's darkened face. His unfocused pupils contracted sharply, and his previously dimming Mindpower instantly regained some vitality.
"Tian Ming, I have a favor to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Going back to Wei Jun's side is pointless now. If that old man's dead, he's long gone." Li Chi chuckled weakly. "Help me take down that warship."
Zhou Ming gaped, rubbing his ears where blood had already dried. "Warship? Take it down? You? Me?"
Even in this dire situation, Tian Ming couldn't help but wear a wry smile. "That's... really beyond me, Uncle Li. You're overestimating me."
Sure, the spacesuit was a Mobile Suit, but it wasn't one of those 18-meter-tall Gundams from over a decade later. This was asking too much.
"Fill me with explosives. Send me up there."
The smile vanished as Tian Ming shook his head. "That's suicide. Ordinary bombs won't even scratch a warship's external armor."
"What if I land directly on the bridge?"
Tian Ming instinctively considered the possibility.
The observation windows on the bridge were the weakest points. If they could breach them and take out the warship's command center, it might crash.
But then he thought of their current equipment and the firepower guarding the bridge.
Tian Ming shook his head again. "Still impossible. With what we have, there's no way."
"Please. That bastard Gregg—I want to kill him myself."
Tears welled in Li Chi's fierce eyes, filled with desperate hope.
Tian Ming swallowed hard, his words stuck in his throat.
How could they possibly take down a warship with their current gear?
Yet, faced with Li Chi's pleading gaze, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Explosions rumbled outside, but the pharmacy remained eerily silent.
"Let's go," Li Chi murmured, his eyes dimming as he forced an ugly smile. "To Wei Jun's place."
"Yeah."
They left.
The spacesuit carried Zhou Tianming swiftly forward, neither speaking a word.
As time passed, the city filled with thick smoke and raging fires. Explosives and chemicals from shops ignited, detonating or spewing toxic black fumes.
The city's resistance had been crushed by the Ohmus. One of its thrusters was damaged, slowing its movement, while the warship's bottom armaments were destroyed, smoke billowing from the wreckage.
Just one more spaceship could finish it off—but the Spaceport's vessels had already fled the Junk Guild like locusts.
The few remaining were swiftly defeated by the Hyenas Gregg had hired, too terrified to resist further.
...
Inside the Ohmus bridge, Gregg sat on the captain's chair with his legs crossed, a triumphant smile on his face: "Load the main gun, aim at the Black Tortoise and fire again. Keep bombing the city with missiles. Dare to resist? Then they can all die!"
"Sir, we've exhausted our missile inventory and need to resupply."
"How is it so low?"
"We didn't anticipate a large-scale battle, so we only restocked one unit's worth previously."
"Tch." Gregg clicked his tongue. "No time to return to the Spaceport for resupply. Have them deliver it directly here for immediate receipt."
"Wouldn't that leave us vulnerable to attack?"
"Maintain full alert! Not a single slip-up is allowed!"
...
Boom!
Another cannon shot roared from the sky, a bright streak of light streaking down to strike the distant ground.
Boom!
Thick smoke and flames erupted from the impact site.
That was the Black Tortoise's location. If Wei Jun hadn't found a way to escape the ship, there would be no chance of survival now.
The two men paused briefly, staring silently at the rising smoke in the distance before continuing forward.
"I'll think of something."
Zhou Tianming suddenly spoke up.
Li Chi's face broke into a smile: "Thank you."
Decision made, Tianming multitasked—controlling the spacesuit's movement while turning his gaze toward the warship in the sky.
With their current equipment, it was absolutely impossible. At minimum, the spacesuit needed heavy modifications.
They needed flight capability to reach the bridge.
Defensive measures to withstand automatic cannon fire and missiles.
And if necessary, armor-piercing weaponry to increase their margin for error.
I must be fucking insane, trying to take on a warship with just a spacesuit.
The corners of his mouth curled upward, but the expression that surfaced wasn't reluctance—it was exhilaration.
Zhou Tianming stared at the warship in the sky.
I still haven't settled the score for my destroyed home.
Lowering his head, he tapped at the computer keyboard. The city map opened, displaying nearby shops for mechanical modifications and weaponry.
The spacesuit, previously sprinting toward the Black Tortoise, abruptly changed course onto another path.
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