The cold darkness enveloped the "Ark" assault ship.
This spaceship, built with all the resources of the GDA, combining robotic technology, partially reversed Vitrum engines, and Earth materials, glides like a silent dart in the shadow of the debris belt outside Jupiter's orbit.
Inside the bridge, only the faint fluorescence of the instrument panel and the light of the holographic star map illuminated every tense face.
It has been more than three days since we started from Earth.
Mark stood in front of the bow observation window, his huge body like a rock.
He was wearing a specially made matte black combat uniform and no helmet. His golden-red pupils were like burning charcoal in the darkness, piercing through the void and locking onto the giant metal structure in front of him that was slowly rotating against the backdrop of the star map.
Vitrum "Outpost-7".
It is shaped like a ferocious steel sea urchin, with countless turrets and sensor arrays protruding like spikes, and its cold metal shell reflects the distant starlight.
"Entering silent submersible mode, engine power reduced to the minimum value to maintain inertia."
The cold synthesized voice of a robot echoed across the bridge.
Its massive engineering mecha body was fixed to the command seat, and countless data streams flashed in its optical sensors.
"Micro probes have been released and are infiltrating the outpost's outer defense network... Interference particle dispersal program activated..."
"Countdown 15 seconds."
The air seemed to freeze.
Eve stood behind Mark, her hands clenched subconsciously, her eyes fixed on the tiny light dot representing the detector on the holographic star map.
The black rhino leaned against the bulkhead, his thick fingers tapping unconsciously on his arm armor, making a dull sound.
Rudy was unusually quiet, checking his tactical backpack filled with dangerous artworks, but his eyes would occasionally glance at Mark's back with a barely perceptible nervousness.
The clone closed his eyes, as if adjusting the synchronization rate of his clone.
"Dispersion of interference particles complete! Energy scan of target area shows expected blind spot, duration... 27 seconds!"
Robot Report.
"Eve, the location coordinates have been transmitted to you, now!"
Mark's voice was low and clear, like a saber drawn from its sheath.
"receive!"
Eve's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly pushed her hands forward!
The invisible matter reorganization force field penetrated the spacecraft's armor, ignored the vacuum, and instantly acted on a seemingly seamless joint on the outpost's shell!
The metal molecular structure there is forcibly changed, softened, and reorganized!
A circular hole with a diameter of about two meters and edges as smooth as a mirror appeared silently on the alloy armor that was several meters thick!
No sparks, no alarms, it just appeared out of thin air!
"Back door open! Duration 25 seconds!"
The robot tells time accurately.
"Assault team, go!"
Mark shouted softly, and his figure blurred in an instant!
boom!
A small sonic boom cloud exploded inside the bridge!
Mark's figure was like a cannonball tearing through space, and he was the first to rush into the hole that had just formed!
The high speed brought by the pure physical explosion is silent in the vacuum, but it causes the air inside the ship to vibrate violently!
"Damn it! Wait for me!"
The black rhino roared, and the thrusters under its feet spewed out blue flames, following closely behind.
The matter around Eve reorganized with a flash of light, and instantly formed a streamlined energy shield for herself, shooting into the cave like an arrow!
"Leave the perimeter security to me!"
The clone's voice rang out, and at the same time, dozens of her clones instantly appeared in the shadows around the assault ship and the outpost's shell, dispersing like ghosts.
"My darlings...it's time to take the stage!"
Rudy let out a strange cry and was the last one to rush in.
The hole healed quickly behind him, returning to hard alloy armor as if it had never appeared.
Inside the outpost.
Dead silence and cold.
There was only the faint hum of the Vitrum energy pipes and the low sound of wind in the circulatory system, and the air had a mixed smell of metal and ozone.
Mark landed silently, like a top predator.
Super perception unfolded instantly, like invisible radar waves scanning the surrounding complex channel structures, energy nodes and... life signals!
After turning the corner ahead, the energy response of the two patrolling Vitrum guards was extremely clear!
"Turn left ahead, two guards, quick action, don't trigger the alarm!"
Mark's voice was transmitted through the internal encrypted channel to the ears of Black Rhino and Atomic Eve who were following closely behind.
"Leave it to me!"
The black rhino roared, and its thick arm armor ejected high-frequency vibration horns, and with its engine fully running, it rushed around the corner like a wild bull!
The two Vitrum guards reacted extremely quickly!
Almost the moment the black rhino appeared, their energy rifles were raised!
But the black rhino is faster!
The huge body slammed into the guard on the left with terrifying kinetic energy!
Boom—Crack!!!
The dull impact was accompanied by the horrific sound of bones breaking!
The guard on the left was like being hit head-on by a high-speed train. His breastplate instantly caved in and deformed, and his body slammed into the metal wall like a torn sack, embedding deeply into it, leaving no sound!
The guard on the right had his gun aimed at the black rhino's back, but a black figure appeared beside him like a ghost!
Mark's right hand was like a pair of pliers, grabbing the guard's gun-holding wrist with incredible precision and twisting it hard!
Snap!
The wrist bone and the reinforced alloy wrist guard were crushed together!
The guard's scream was blocked in his throat!
Mark's left hand stretched out at the same time, and his palm covered with dark gold slapped the side of the guard's helmet with a low whistle that tore through the air, just like swatting a fly!
Boo!
Like a ripe watermelon being hit by a hammer!
The helmet and the head inside exploded instantly, red and white mixed with metal fragments splattered everywhere, and the headless corpse fell limply to the ground.
The whole process takes less than two seconds!
Clean! Sharp! Cruel!
Atomic Eve followed closely behind. Seeing the bloody scene, her face turned slightly pale, but she suppressed her discomfort and immediately began to scan the channel structure.
"Towards the core database... this way! But there are heavy energy barriers and automatic turrets ahead!"
"Robot, suppress!"
Mark ordered.
"Invading... System firewall level is extremely high... Will take 3 seconds!"
The robot's voice had a rare hint of delay.
"Too late! The turret is activated!"
Black Rhino roared as he looked at the scarlet aiming beam that lit up at the end of the passage ahead.
"I'll do it!"
Atomic Eve stretched out her hands and a beam of matter reorganization shot out instantly!
The target is not the turret itself, but the connection between the turret base and the passage floor!
The hard alloy melted and deformed like wax.
The heavy turret instantly lost its balance and fell over. The high-energy beam it emitted passed over the heads of the assault team, melting a deep trench at the top of the passage!
"The barrier is still there!"
Black Rhino pointed at a thick blue energy wall in front of him.
"Rudy! Blast it!"
Mark ordered.
"Haha, look at my portkey!"
Rudy laughed strangely, took out a fist-sized metal ball that was flashing with unstable red light from his backpack, and threw it hard at the energy barrier!
The metal ball hit the barrier and was instantly sucked in!
The dazzling red light flashed rapidly!
Boom——!!!
The violent explosion shock wave raged in the narrow passage!
The blue energy barrier shattered and dissipated in an instant like fragile glass, and most of the flames and fragments of the explosion were blocked by Mark's body!
"The barrier is broken! The database is just ahead! There are... a lot of guards!"
The robot finally completed the suppression, but its tone was solemn.
At the end of the passage is a huge alloy gate, which is slowly opening!
Behind the door is a vast space filled with flashing data columns!
At the door, there stood six elite Vitrum guards wearing sophisticated armor, their aura far stronger than that of the previous patrolmen!
They hold ferocious-looking battle axes or hammers in their hands, with cold eyes, like wolves waiting for their prey!
One of them even had an emblem on his shoulder armor that was similar to the elite officer killed by Mark before!
"Damn! Hard bones!"
The black rhino spat and clenched its shock horn.
"Mark! The leader! The energy reaction is very strong!"
Atomic Eve reminded hurriedly, her material perception captured the surging destructive energy in the other party's body.
Mark's eyes were fixed on the guard captain with the emblem on his shoulder armor.
The other party also stared at him intently, with undisguised murderous intent and a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.
"Nolan's descendants..."
The captain of the guard spoke in a low, hoarse voice, in Vitrum, but Mark could understand it.
"Your head will be the stepping stone for my promotion!"
No nonsense! The captain of the guard takes the lead!
The figure disappeared from the spot as if teleporting, and with a scream that tore through the air, the huge axe in his hand chopped down at Mark's head!
The speed and strength actually reached the level of Nolan's previous casual attack!
"I'll do it!"
Red light flashed in Mark's eyes!
Instead of retreating, he advanced, clenching his right fist. His terrifying muscle strength was instantly compressed to the extreme, and he punched out without any fancy moves towards the falling giant axe!
boom--!!!!
Like two asteroids colliding, a shock wave visible to the naked eye exploded in a circular shape!
The solid alloy ground twisted and shattered like waves, and several Vitrum guards who were close to it were shocked and retreated again and again!
Black Rhino and Atomic Eve were also forced to hold up their defense!
Fist and axe clash!
But Mark's fist was like the hardest star core material, motionless, and the pure power passed through the axe blade like a tsunami!
Snap!
The captain of the guard was horrified to see that a tiny crack had appeared on the blade of his giant axe, which was forged from a special alloy and infused with destructive energy!
At the same time, an irresistible force like a planetary collision came from the axe handle, which made his arms numb and his knuckles crack!
"impossible!"
He roared.
"Nothing is impossible!"
Mark's voice was as cold as iron!
The power of his right fist exploded again! At the same time, his left fist blasted out like lightning, directly hitting the opponent's breastplate that was exposed due to blocking!
Boom——Puff!!!
A heavy muffled sound!
The guard captain's sophisticated breastplate collapsed inward like a piece of paper, and terrifying power penetrated his body!
His eyeballs bulged out, and blood mixed with internal organ fragments spurted out of his mouth. His body seemed to have all the bones pulled out, and he flew backwards and slammed into a thick data column!
The surface of the data column was instantly covered with cracks, and sparks flew inside!
"team leader!"
The other guards were shocked and angry.
"Kill them!"
Black Rhino and Atomic Eve seized the opportunity to charge forward and engage in a fierce battle with the remaining guards! The tunnel instantly transformed into a meat grinder of flesh and steel!
Mark did not pursue the seriously injured captain, his target was the core database!
Like a human tank, he pushed aside the remains of the guards blocking his way and rushed towards the huge main console in the center, which was constantly flowing with data.
"Robot! Download the data!"
Mark punched the sturdy protective shield of the main console, and the shield flashed violently, issuing a shrill alarm!
"Downloading... Encountered a strong countermeasure program! This will take time!"
The robot's voice was more urgent than ever before, and data streams flashed wildly in its electronic eyes. It was obvious that it was also in a tough battle on the digital level!
"Rudy! Prepare the explosives!"
Mark roared as he punched the protective shield.
"It's already happening! Give me 30 seconds!"
Rudy's voice came from a corner, where he was deftly connecting a pile of candies that were flashing dangerously.
Just then!
"Warning! Hyperspace fluctuations detected!"
"Source: From the Angrum star field! Signal characteristics... that of the Empire's main fleet! Numbers... impossible to estimate!"
"Estimated time of arrival at the edge of the solar system: 72 Earth Standard Time!"
The robot's cold voice suddenly sounded, with a hint of... astonishment.
This kind of mood swing is extremely rare for it.
Everyone in the bridge and the database felt as if they had fallen into an icy cave.
Angrum Empire!
Vitrum's nemesis!
How could they appear at the edge of the solar system at this time?!
And...it's the main fleet.
"Damn it! Was it Nolan who brought this about?!"
Black Rhino roared as he smashed a guard down with his hammer.
"Data download 85% complete! Countermeasure program breakthrough! Obtain key information!"
The robot suddenly raised its voice.
"Outpost-7 records show that Nolan Grayson sent Earth's detailed coordinates to the Angrum Empire High Command 48 hours ago... and... the coordinates of the weak points in Earth's space defenses!"
traitor!
A complete traitor!
Not only did Nolan betray the Earth, he also wanted to use his old enemy Angrum to completely destroy the Earth!
"The explosives are set! Retreat!" Rudy screamed.
"withdraw!"
Mark made a prompt decision!
With one punch, he completely shattered the protective cover of the main console and grabbed a core data chip with flashing data streams inside!
"Robots! Cover the retreat!"
"Understood! Countdown to start self-destruct sequence: 60 seconds!"
The robot's engineering mecha arm suddenly inserted into the outpost's main energy pipeline, and a dazzling electric arc flashed!
"Walk!"
Mark grabbed Rudy, who was still in a daze, and held him under his arm like a chicken.
Black Rhino and Atomic Eve followed closely behind, rushing to the designated evacuation point and using their abilities to open the back door again!
Behind him were deafening explosions, the roars of the Vitrum guards, and the terrifying tearing sound of the outpost beginning to collapse and disintegrate!
When they rushed back to the Ark in a panic, the back door closed instantly.
The spaceship's engine roared in overload, and like a frightened swordfish, it sped away in an instant!
Through the porthole, they saw the huge "Outpost-7" turned into a brilliant and deadly fireball in a series of explosions, and countless fragments flew like meteors.
Mission accomplished.
The intelligence was obtained.
The enemy outpost was destroyed.
But no one cheered.
There was dead silence on the bridge.
Only the robot's cold electronic voice echoed:
"Analyzing core data... Confirmed, the Angrum Empire's 'Exterminator' main fleet has locked onto Earth. Estimated arrival time: 71 hours and 52 minutes."
"Attack target priority: destroy the 'Sky Shield', tear apart the space defenses, and execute a planetary extermination order."
"Nolan Grayson's last coordinates...disappeared deep in the Kuiper Belt. The signal points...towards the home planet of Vitrum."
"At the same time... deep within the outpost's database, we discovered an encrypted message, an unusual data stream pointing to coordinates within the Earth... it seems... it's not the encoding method used by Vitrum or Angrum..."
The robot slowly raised its head, and its cold electronic eyes looked at Mark, then seemed to penetrate the spacecraft and look towards the earth.
"Commander... we brought back intelligence, but we also brought... a true catastrophe."
"And inside the Earth... there may be things hidden that we don't know about."
Mark stood in front of the porthole, looking at the gradually extinguished remains of the outpost behind him, and then looked towards the direction where the Angrum fleet was attacking in the deep universe.
Finally, his gaze fell on the blue planet that looked extremely fragile in the sea of stars.
The core data chip in his hand was cold and heavy.
The battlefield of the sea of stars is darker and crueler than imagined.
The burden of protecting our homeland has never been so heavy.
When the Ark returned, it brought back not the song of victory, but the clarion call of a full-scale escalation of war and the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
The real test begins now.