Chapter 664: Leonopteryx
After a brief skirmish, the atmosphere within the team grew even heavier. Every step was taken with extreme caution; the slick rock surfaces and intense magnetic interference made the advance exceptionally difficult. The roar of the waterfalls and the patter of flowing water echoed endlessly between the cliffs, masking far too many potential movements and severely degrading the effectiveness of their acoustic early-warning systems.
Ryo walked near the front of the formation, right behind Maine and Dorio. His breathing beneath the respirator remained as steady as ever, but his mind was operating at maximum capacity, continuously comparing and correcting the environmental features from Celtic's memory fragments against what he saw before him. Memories were, after all, fragmented and carried a heavily subjective perspective, creating deviations from reality. He needed to piece these fragments together with on-site reconnaissance, much like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Halt," Ryo suddenly raised his hand, signaling the team to stop. They were currently standing on a relatively open platform formed by several massive intersecting floating rocks. Ahead of them lay multiple paths shrouded in dense water mist, leading to unknown destinations.
"Sir, what did you find?" Maine immediately dropped back to his side, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
Ryo did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the edge of the platform, crouched down, and gently brushed aside a patch of faintly glowing blue moss growing within a rock crevice. Beneath the moss, the rock surface bore a highly inconspicuous, minute scorch mark, as if it had been flashed by extreme heat. Its color differed only slightly from the surrounding stone; unless one was deliberately looking for it, it would be impossible to notice.
"This is not naturally formed," Ryo stood up, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surrounding rock walls and curtains of water. "Nor is it a mark left by Na'vi or RDA weaponry. The energy signature is highly concentrated and was released instantaneously. It looks like the dispersion or calibration shot of some type of energy weapon."
"A Predator weapon?" Dorio asked in a low voice.
"Highly probable," Ryo nodded. "In Celtic's memories, he did indeed conduct acclimation training and weapon testing in this sector. This mark is still quite fresh, which aligns with his arrival timeline on Pandora."
Just as they were preparing to resume their advance, a resonant, piercing screech echoed from the distant sky. Everyone immediately took cover behind the boulders, holding their breath.
A flock of vibrantly colored Mountain Banshees swept out from the clouds and mist. Their expansive wings beat gracefully against the air currents, producing a rhythmic flapping sound.
Following closely behind were three Na'vi riders, steering their Ikrans nimbly as they wove through the floating mountains.
The lead Na'vi warrior held a longbow, his sharp eyes sweeping the terrain below. They were clearly conducting a routine patrol.
The flock of wild Banshees carved elegant arcs through the sky, their brilliant plumage shimmering with iridescent halos under Pandora's unique lighting.
The Na'vi riders trailed them, maintaining the perfect distance to avoid startling the flock while remaining ready to respond to any sudden emergencies.
Their silhouettes flickered in and out of the mist, looking like spirits completely integrated into this bizarre world.
The squad members pressed themselves tightly against the rock walls, even shallowing their breaths.
Peering through a fissure in the rock, Ryo calmly observed the situation in the air. He noted that these Na'vi riders were exceptionally well-equipped, clearly the elites of their clan.
Maine made a hand signal to remain concealed. The soldiers of Hellfire Squad immediately lowered their stances, keeping their weapons tucked tight against their bodies to prevent any potentially reflective surfaces from being exposed.
Only after the silhouettes of the Na'vi riders completely disappeared behind the distant peaks did the group let out a collective sigh of relief.
Sergeant Reynolds wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered, "It seems this sector isn't quite as peaceful as it looks on the surface."
"Maintain concealment," Maine ordered quietly over the comms. "Wait until they are fully clear."
The squad held their breath, watching the Na'vi riders chase the flock of Banshees further and further away until they vanished into another mountain range.
Once safety was confirmed, Ryo stood up and cast his gaze toward one of the paths, which was nearly half-obscured by a massive waterfall curtain.
"Maine, focus the scans behind that path. In Celtic's memory, passing through a water curtain exactly like that one is the only way to reach his ship's landing coordinates."
"Falco, Pilar!" Maine ordered immediately.
The two technicians stepped forward at once. Due to the intense magnetic interference, they had to repeatedly adjust their equipment parameters. Smacking the casing of his scanner, Falco complained, "The interference in this godforsaken place is enough to drive a machine crazy."
Just as the group thought this scan would be another fruitless effort, Pilar suddenly shouted, "Wait! There's a faint residual energy signature here, pointing toward the second path on the left!"
The team immediately pivoted to the new heading. This path was even narrower, its rock walls densely packed with bioluminescent fungi. Ryo carefully observed the traces within the passage and suddenly spotted an inconspicuous metallic shard wedged in a crevice.
"This is alien alloy." Ryo picked up the shard, examining it closely between his fingertips. "We are heading in the right direction."
"The interference is too strong... Wait!" Falco, staring intently at his screen, suddenly called out, "I've got a faint, unnatural metallic echo! Right behind the water curtain! The signal is weak, but it is definitely there!"
This news jolted everyone's spirits. After all the perilous trekking, they had finally caught a concrete trace of their objective.
"Sergeant Reynolds, covering formation," Maine ordered. "Valerie, Jake, Iron Guards take the point. We are pushing through to take a look. Doctor, you..."
"I am moving in with you," Ryo's tone was calm but carried unquestionable resolve. "I need to confirm it on-site."
Maine glanced at him and offered no objection, simply giving Dorio a pointed look. Understanding the cue, Dorio moved even closer to Ryo's side to provide close-quarters protection.
The two Iron Guard mechs stepped into the roaring water curtain first. The massive torrents of water crashed against their metallic armor, sending spray flying in all directions.
Immediately following them, Maine and Dorio escorted Ryo through, with a portion of Hellfire Squad moving in swiftly behind them. Asuka took a deep breath and followed closely.
Beyond the water curtain lay the entrance to a relatively dry, concealed valley entirely surrounded by massive rock formations. The lighting inside the valley was exceedingly dim, relying solely on scattered bioluminescent fungi for faint illumination.
The sight at the entrance caused everyone who stepped through the water curtain to draw in a sharp breath.
Clearly branded into the rock wall on one side of the valley entrance were several deep, gouged marks, looking as if they had been torn into the stone by the razor-sharp claws of a colossal beast. The gouges dug nearly half a meter deep into the solid rock! The edges of the marks were smooth, displaying characteristics of high-temperature melting.
"What... what kind of thing did this?" A Hellfire soldier asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Ryo stepped forward, closely inspecting the claw marks, then cross-referenced them with the fear and obsession regarding the Great Leonopteryx found in Celtic's memories.
"Toruk," he slowly breathed out the name. "The apex predator of the Pandoran skies. It appears our 'friend' did not have an easy time upon arrival either. These marks are very fresh, indicating that this beast might still be active in the vicinity, or has only recently left."
His words instantly re-tightened the atmosphere, which had just slightly relaxed upon finding the clue.
Not only did they have to locate a hidden alien spacecraft, but they also had to remain constantly vigilant against the ultimate native predator that might be lurking in the shadows.
Ryo's gaze moved past those shocking claw marks, peering into the dark depths of the valley.
"The ship is inside. Stay alert, we are extremely close to the objective." His voice transmitted through the respirator, calmly dispelling the faint unease that had quietly begun to spread. The true challenge had perhaps only just begun.