Chapter 117: The Past and the Spread

The attack on Dark Star had attracted the attention of quite a few people.

In fact, ever since the Dark Star soldiers had surrounded the main ship in large numbers, some had already noticed the clues and broadcasted it across the Black Hole Network.

This caused many Interstellar Races to flock to the vicinity to watch the spectacle. It was an old tradition in No Man's Land; you would have to be an idiot to miss out on a good show.

"To think someone actually dared to attack Dark Star. Do they have a death wish?" someone clicked their tongue in wonder, finding the situation unbelievable.

The fearsome reputation of Dark Star had long been ingrained in their hearts. It was a faction that had risen to power on a foundation of blood and bone.

However, as time passed, the onlookers gradually realized that something was amiss. The soldiers were merely surrounding the main ship; they made no move to enter, simply waiting on the periphery.

It wasn't until a grayish-black mist of grit began to permeate the area that they finally sensed the danger. It seemed Dark Star really was in trouble.

"Where is Dark Star? Why hasn't he come out to take charge?" a creature asked in confusion.

"Isn't this the same method used to attack the Green Knight the other day? The Black Hole Network said it was the Azure Remnants... Ah..." A fat-headed, large-eared Pig-man suddenly let out a wail mid-sentence.

The Sheep-man staggered. Drool leaked from the corner of its mouth, its fur was falling out in clumps, and its eyes were clouded. Its limbs jutted out at unnatural angles as if they were broken, and a low, guttural wheeze rasped from its throat.

"Fuck, what is wrong with him? Did he catch the sheep plague?" The Pig-man felt a chill run down his spine, only to suddenly realize that his own throat was itching.

Vomiting a mouthful of fresh blood, he stared around in sheer terror.

"Roar!"

A massive number of the Interstellar Races had gone completely mad, tearing into and devouring one another. Those who barely managed to retain their sanity drew their sidearms and began firing wildly into the crowd.

"Urgh..." The Pig-man's consciousness gradually blurred until nothing remained in his mind but a primal, bloodthirsty instinct.

The entire ecosystem of No Man's Land operated on a self-sustaining cycle, which meant the air supply was also constantly recirculating. Large numbers of lower-tier lifeforms began to mutate rapidly.

The pure viral fluid had formed an inexplicable fusion with this environment, causing the infection rate to multiply dozens of times over. Only the slightly more advanced lifeforms could barely muster up a bit of resistance.

Yet, becoming infected was only a matter of time. The vast expanse of No Man's Land had completely transformed into a breeding ground for monsters.

Aboard the Starlight main ship, Hunter was in the middle of handing over a mission. Before them sat the massive Titan Metal Box. This was an incredibly complex process.

Along the way, they had passed through several layers of tedious verification procedures, and they even needed the personal approval of the Starlight General just to lay a hand on it.

"Mission handover complete. Please escort it carefully." The unique nature of the Titan Metal Box meant it could not be stored within a Compressed Space; it had to be physically transported.

"Understood. I will call the transport team right away," Hunter nodded, tapping a few times on his Smart Terminal.

Inside the ship's command center, the Starlight General watched the holographic screen before him, which displayed the bizarre situation unfolding over at Dark Star's location.

"General... according to our preliminary analysis, the air contains trace amounts of an unidentified substance. It is highly likely to be some kind of biological virus," a staff member reported, having analyzed the massive horde of zombies nearby.

"We have discovered that this biological virus has the effect of dominating dead nervous systems and is highly contagious."

"Shut down the fleet's air circulation system. Have all soldiers activate the internal circulation of their armor," the Starlight General ordered with a deep frown.

'A biological virus... producing a biological virus is not cheap. Who would do such a thing? The Council?' he mused.

"General, should we deploy troops to assist? The Azure Remnants are armed personnel belonging to the Reformers."

The Starlight General's frown deepened. Truthfully, he had no desire to aid Dark Star, even if the enemy were the Reformers.

However, if he did not offer support, there was no telling what kind of unexpected trouble that lunatic Dark Star would stir up once he returned.

"Has Purple Light finished the mission handover? Have him take a team to assist... Never mind, just put me through to him," the Starlight General instructed.

The centipede-man maintained an indifferent expression, suppressing his inner excitement and trying his best not to let it show.

'Captain... my Captain... To think that I would have the chance to see you again after the Day of Exile!'

'From now on... you all must live well...'

He still remembered that day, when that man with a bright smile was escorted away under heavy guard.

Beep! Beep!

His Smart Terminal vibrated. His eyes flickered as he saw the caller ID. It was the Starlight General!

He stepped to the side before answering the call, choosing a specific angle so the Starlight General could not see Hunter standing behind him.

"Purple Light, is the mission handover complete?" the Starlight General asked with a frown.

"It has been completed," Purple Light replied calmly.

"Take the soldiers from Ship Three and Ship Six to reinforce Dark Star immediately. They are under attack!"

"Yes, sir!" Purple Light nodded in acknowledgment. Only after hanging up did he turn back to look at Hunter.

"You all need to leave now," he said in a cold tone, seemingly trying to chase them away.

"But... the transport ship hasn't arrived yet," Hunter feigned confusion.

"I have a new mission now. Your tasks have nothing to do with me anymore. Please leave this place immediately," Purple Light shook his head, while the surrounding officers subtly changed their expressions.

"Fine," Hunter agreed with a furrowed brow. Truthfully, this was the step where they were most likely to be exposed.

There was no way the three of them could swagger through No Man's Land carrying the Titan Metal Box, nor would the Starlight Fleet permit such an arrogant display.

A transport ship definitely had to come and receive it. Originally, they had planned to use their own ship's camouflage abilities to pick it up.

Normal spaceship programming would never allow a vessel to mimic an imperial military ship, but since the artificial intelligence running it was Claptrap, those restrictions meant nothing.

However, doing so still carried the risk of exposure. But now, that risk had been completely eliminated because the Starlight Fleet was the one explicitly driving them away.

"Take good care... of it," Purple Light uttered a rather strange sentence, seemingly reminding them to guard the Titan Metal Box.

However, Hunter perfectly understood the hidden meaning behind Purple Light's words. He gave a solemn nod.

"I will."

'My adjutant...'

"General... the radar has suddenly detected an unidentified spaceship near the Stargate!" A string of shrill alarms suddenly blared throughout the command center.

On the holographic screen, several dilapidated ships could be seen exploding. Those were the defensive units stationed near the Stargate.

The construction of the Stargate was their utmost priority; every other objective had to make way for it.

"How is this possible?!" the Starlight General paled in shock. "No one knows the coordinates of the Stargate!"

Even though the unidentified ships had already been destroyed, the Starlight General showed no signs of joy.

The most critical issue now was that the Stargate's coordinates had been leaked. The enemy was very likely planning follow-up attacks. In that split second, all thoughts of Dark Star were cast to the back of his mind.

"Recall Purple Light. Have all the frigates launch immediately. I want to see exactly who dares to sabotage the Stargate!" the Starlight General commanded, his expression dark and forbidding.

...............

Inside the prison cell block of Dark Star's main ship... Headless Dark Star soldiers littered the ground. The black blood pouring from their corpses had nearly formed a river across the metal floor.

"Impressive!" Li Yu applauded Pachis and Kalash. He sat calmly on the fishing platform, observing the situation with ease. He acted as an impenetrable wall blocking the zombies, yet strangely, the zombies made no move to attack him.

He watched leisurely as the two men fought tooth and nail to clear out the armored zombies.

"You damn bastard!" Kalash bellowed furiously. Bloody water splashed beneath his feet as the armor around his elbows split open. Thrusters fired at maximum capacity, and the energy pathways throughout his entire mech flashed with blinding energy radiance.

Bang!

Li Yu raised his palm in front of his face, catching Kalash's punch in an iron grip. The fist was stopped dead in its tracks, unable to advance even a single millimeter.

"Pachis!" he roared at the top of his lungs. A sharp gleam flashed from the side as a dagger slashed viciously toward Li Yu's neck.

"Yelling so loudly, making me look like the villain..."

Gripping Kalash's hand, Li Yu's shoulder and back muscles exploded with power. To Kalash's utter horror, his body was sent flying uncontrollably through the air.

Crash!

He smashed heavily into Pachis, and the sheer force sent them both tumbling backward.

Kalash's armor groaned under the overwhelming strain, fracturing in several places. Having lost his weapon, he had almost nothing left to confront Li Yu head-on.

"His Excellency Dark Star... will definitely not let you off!" Kalash staggered to his feet, with Pachis standing by his side.

"What a coincidence, I won't let him off either," Li Yu replied without a care in the world. Since Dark Star couldn't hear him anyway, he might as well brag.

'Pachis... we need to find an opening to escape...' Kalash communicated secretly with his comrade. The two of them were currently in the same boat; they had to work together. 'There is no response from the outside either. I have no idea what went wrong...'

Squelch!

A glowing scarlet blade erupted from Kalash's chest. His blood continuously evaporated against the intense heat, hissing and sizzling upon contact.

Beneath the helmet, Kalash's face contorted in sheer agony. He stared at Pachis in total disbelief, his hands clutching desperately at the man's arms as if he wanted to say something.

"My apologies... but I have no interest in shouldering all the blame when we face Dark Star," Pachis said. He understood Dark Star's ruthless nature better than anyone.

If they managed to escape now, there would only be one outcome waiting for them when Dark Star returned: certain death.

Kalash convulsed violently, his grip on Pachis refusing to loosen even as his body slowly slumped to the ground.

Li Yu watched the scene unfold with great interest. He certainly had not expected them to turn on each other so suddenly.

"There is no need for us to continue fighting," Pachis stated as he withdrew his dagger, his eyes locked warily on Li Yu. "I am not one of Dark Star's men. You are free to leave."

In Pachis's original plan, bringing Li Yu back to the Star Glory Empire would have been the best-case scenario. Not only would it spare him from punishment, but it might even earn him a handsome reward.

However... Li Yu's strength was simply too monstrous. Even working together, he and Kalash couldn't defeat the man, so Pachis had changed his mind.

Since he couldn't return with a genuine merit, he would have to settle for a fabricated one. Reporting that Dark Star's faction had staged a mutiny should suffice... but for that story to work, Kalash's continued existence was no longer necessary.

"Oh... how generous of you," Li Yu eyed him suspiciously. "You aren't planning some kind of scheme, are you?"

"There is no scheme," Pachis explained with a frown. "I was never loyal to Dark Star to begin with. I work for the Star Glory Empire. I have no intention of risking my life for him."

"Ah, I see how it is," Li Yu murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. But in the very next instant, his lean body launched forward, erupting with terrifying kinetic force.

A blur shrouded in crackling purple-red electric arcs slammed Pachis directly into the solid metal wall, instantly creating a sprawling, spiderweb-like crater.

"Are you insane?!" Pachis bellowed, his body pinned helplessly against the dented steel.

"My guess was spot on... Your combat strength is lower than his," Li Yu grinned. Through their brief clash earlier, he had sharply perceived the disparity in their power levels.

His hands glowed crimson red as he forcefully plunged them straight through the armor on Pachis's chest. Amid the agonizing screech of tearing metal, Pachis found himself staring face-to-face with Li Yu, a look of absolute horror etched across his features.

"Wh-what... What exactly are you trying to do?!" Pachis's voice trembled uncontrollably. "I am a member of the Star Glory Empire! If you kill me, Dark Star will never let you go!"

His words were a jumbled mess of contradictions. He lacked a strong will, and in the face of imminent death, he was completely incapable of maintaining his composure.

"Give me two billion Star Coins, and you can buy your life," Li Yu stated calmly, entirely unbothered.

"Two billion... I don't have two billion Star Coins," Pachis shook his head frantically.

"What?!" Li Yu's expression twisted fiercely. He clamped his hand around Pachis's throat and hoisted him bodily out of the ruptured mech. "You had two billion to buy a Mermaid, but you don't have two billion to buy your own damn life?"

Pachis was paralyzed by terror. He had no idea how the other party knew about his attempt to purchase the Mermaid.

"I really don't have it..." he wailed. Seeing Li Yu's face darken even further, he hurriedly explained, "I was just looking for an excuse to cause trouble for Bauhaus! I knew he would absolutely refuse to sell..."

"You motherfucker..." Li Yu paused, his face chillingly still. "Playing smart, aren't you..."

The grip around Pachis's neck slowly began to tighten.

"No... No..." Pachis gasped out. "I have five hundred million... I have five hundred million! I will give you five hundred million... Five hundred million!"

Li Yu paused slightly, his expression instantly softening into something far more amiable. He rattled off an account number. "Transfer the funds."

"I..." Pachis was still reeling in shock. "How do I know you'll let me go afterward...?"

Surprisingly, Li Yu didn't get angry. He pondered for a moment before replying, "I am a man of my word. If I say I won't kill you, then I absolutely won't kill you."

Pachis hesitated.

"Look, the situation is like this," Li Yu patiently analyzed for him. "You have five hundred million and a chance to survive. But this chance requires you to gamble."

"Even though you don't know the outcome... there is still a possibility of winning. That is always better than not taking the gamble at all."

Pachis thought about it carefully, and it actually seemed to make sense. If he gambled... maybe he really could survive?

He struggled over to his broken armor, and under Li Yu's watchful gaze, successfully completed the transfer over the Black Hole Network.

The moment he confirmed the transaction was complete, Li Yu's warm smile vanished entirely. With brutal efficiency, he shattered all four of Pachis's limbs and kicked him straight over to Gore. "Finish him off."

"You... You didn't keep your promise!" Pachis's eyes went wide. He pointed an unsteady, trembling finger at Li Yu.

"Well, I wasn't the one who killed you," Li Yu shrugged, completely unbothered by the accusation.

Gore wore a complicated expression as he delivered the final, fatal strike. He looked at Li Yu, whose demeanor remained entirely unfazed, unsure of what to make of the man.

"Let's go. It is time for us to leave," Li Yu said to Gore cheerfully, standing amidst the sea of corpses. Even though he hadn't gotten two billion, five hundred million was still quite a decent haul.

The metal corridors of Dark Star's ship were now strewn with corpses. There were also numerous turrets around, so they carefully maneuvered past while carrying the severed sections of the Mechanical Doors as shields.

Li Yu did not head straight for the exit. Instead, he made his way to the command center to find the hidden agent left behind by Glazed Star.

The agent was hiding inside a secure room. The zombies hadn't been able to breach the reinforced walls, so he remained completely unharmed.

"I will disable the purge protocol now... That should guarantee us a clear path out of here," the agent stated.

This was exactly why Li Yu had sought him out in the first place. There were simply too many turrets, and relying entirely on chunks of a Mechanical Door for cover was too risky.

"By the way, can you control this main ship to launch an attack?" Li Yu inquired.

"No," the agent shook his head. "That requires the authority of at least a Commander."

"I killed them too early," Li Yu muttered, momentarily speechless. It didn't matter much in the end. He led the other two out of the room, preparing to leave.

As the doors to the main ship parted, the familiar grayish-black mist billowed before their eyes.

"My friend, where are you...?" Li Yu called out into the dense fog. Instantly, a barrage of laser fire shot toward them, forcing the group to scramble for cover.

Moments later, a figure draped in a cloak and wearing a gas mask emerged before him. It was a member of the Azure Remnants.

"The leader told me to get you out of here... Keep quiet. The Dark Star soldiers haven't been fully dealt with yet."

Li Yu and his companions followed the Azure Remnant through the mist. It wasn't until they finally stepped out of the black fog that Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief. However, before he could even utter a single word...

He saw a massive horde of horrifyingly mutated zombies, all slowly snapping their heads around to stare directly at them.