Chapter 118: One Shock After Another

Hideous blood clots and cloudy eyes. A massive horde of Zombies from various races slowly turned their heads. Without a specific target, their movements were sluggish and drawn out.

On the closest Pig-man, a chunk of scarlet flesh had been torn from its shoulder by some unknown attacker. It dangled by a thread of skin, trembling with every movement but stubbornly refusing to drop.

"Damn... what is going on?" the Azure Remnant who had led them out exclaimed, clearly taken aback and entirely oblivious to what had just transpired.

They had been dealing with the Dark Star soldiers in the sandstorm. There were simply too many of them; even if they were pigs, slaughtering them all would take a considerable amount of time.

Gore swallowed hard, his throat bobbing involuntarily. His helmet concealed the rapidly shifting expressions on his face. 'Was this caused by that green liquid?'

How long had it been? Was the infection rate really this potent? Almost every living being near the Main Ship that had not worn a Gas Mask to filter the air was now infected.

"No wonder we were told to wear Gas Masks..." the Azure Remnant murmured, finally coming to a sudden realization while feeling a profound wave of relief.

"Go back and tell your leader... it is time to retreat," Li Yu instructed the Azure Remnant.

In truth, even without his prompt, the Azure Remnants were already preparing to pull back.

However, once the Dark Star soldiers regained their bearings, those in close proximity began grouping up. They became much harder to deal with, and the Remnants even lost a significant number of their own men.

Since the extraction mission was already completed, the Azure Remnants were ready to withdraw.

One by one, the Azure Remnants emerged from the sandstorm. Most were panting heavily, while others leaned on their comrades for support, sporting visible, bloody wounds.

"What... what are those things?" As soon as they stepped out, they noticed the Zombies covetously staring at them from nearby, leaving everyone in a state of horror.

Mohan wore a Gas Mask, concealing his expression. His pupils contracted as he surveyed the surroundings. Even with his newly forged Scimitar gripped tightly in his hand, it offered him absolutely no sense of security.

From a wider perspective, the massive Dockyard Plaza was crawling with roaming Zombies. The ground was painted with drying blood, yet there were almost no actual corpses left lying around.

The area where the Imperial Fleet of the Star Glory Empire had originally docked was now completely empty. All the ships had vanished...

Aside from a few unfortunate souls who had their heads blown off, the rest kept moving forward. Whether they were disemboweled or missing limbs, as long as their heads remained intact, they continued their relentless march.

"It spread this fast?" Li Yu muttered in surprise. He had not expected the virus to be this overwhelmingly potent. Noticing the two people beside him quietly putting distance between themselves and him,

he suddenly felt a bit awkward and forced an explanation. "This must be the work of Dark Star. What heinous crimes they commit!" he declared righteously.

"Everyone... be careful!" Mohan shouted, lowering his posture and raising his Scimitar. The Zombies that spotted them were already surging in their direction, their speed increasing with every passing second.

"Remember to aim for the head, and don't let them scratch you, or you will get infected..." Li Yu quickly warned, then hastily added, "At least, that is what I heard from someone else..."

Mohan was momentarily speechless, but his internal vigilance skyrocketed.

"Roar!" The horde of Zombies surged forward, immediately clashing in a vicious shower of blood. These creatures lacked intelligence and were entirely outmatched by the battle-hardened Azure Remnants.

Numerous severed heads flew into the air and rolled across the ground. Li Yu stood amidst the horde, yet the Zombies completely ignored him. They even split into two streams, flowing right past him as if he were an invisible barrier.

"Damn Zombies... go to hell!" Li Yu shouted theatrically, attempting to blend in with the innocent victims fighting for their lives. After blowing up a few Zombies, he quickly found the charade boring and simply dropped the act altogether.

'That's right... I'm the one who released the virus!'

Taking Gore and another unnamed companion with him, he forcefully blasted open a clear path through the horde.

Faint gunshots echoed from ahead, surprising Li Yu. He had not expected to run into acquaintances here.

Anyone this close to the Dark Star Main Ship who had not been infected was either one of his own people wearing a Gas Mask or a High-Level Lifeform with immense resistance.

Before long, peering through the gaps in the zombie horde, Li Yu caught sight of a brilliantly shiny bald head sporting a Gas Mask.

Wielding a Laser Rifle aimed at the surrounding Zombies, the flashing muzzle flares reflected blindingly off his polished scalp.

"Motherfucker! Damn that Li Yu! Is this what he meant by a 'little trick'?!" Hunter roared furiously. They were almost completely surrounded by the swarming horde.

They were taking a stand on top of a giant Metal Crate. Mo Duo's hair fluttered without any wind. Even with her Colored Contact Lenses on, one could faintly see the piercing Crimson Glow radiating from her eyes.

Every few seconds, a massive swath of Zombies would spontaneously explode, sending chunks of flesh and gore flying everywhere in a horrifying display. It was solely because of her presence that they had managed to hold out for this long.

As for Li Ping, he was just a useless Burden dragging them down.

"It really is our own people..." Li Yu muttered, genuinely surprised to bump into Hunter and the crew.

Rumble!

A crimson figure charged into the zombie horde like a runaway freight train. Wherever he passed, the terrifying kinetic force directly pulverized every Zombie in his path.

Mo Duo's eyes flashed as she sensed a familiar Mental Fluctuation. She instantly relaxed. Her face was somewhat pale, a clear indicator that she had expended a significant amount of energy.

Hunter was still staring dumbfounded as Li Yu's figure descended from the sky like a Cataclysmic Collision. His body radiated a scorching heat.

A purplish-red Electric Arc rippled outward like water over a pond. Every Zombie it touched instantly burst into flames, their blazing bodies twitching violently.

"My loyal servants, I have arrived," Li Yu declared, patting Hunter on the shoulder with a sickeningly "loving" smile.

"Mr. Li Yu, you came to save us! I am so... deeply moved!" Li Ping cried, his eyes instantly brimming with hot tears. He looked ready to lay down his life for Li Yu right on the spot.

Hunter's face darkened. Pointing at the writhing mass of Zombies, he demanded, "This is the 'little trick' you mentioned? You didn't even bother to give us a heads-up! I thought some god-forsaken, inhumane bastard had released a Biological Virus."

"Didn't I tell you to wear your Gas Masks?" Li Yu replied, completely ignoring Hunter's thinly veiled curses. "Besides, there are no good people here anyway. Just think of it as taking out the trash for the Universe."

Hunter was rendered speechless for a moment, but he chose not to dwell on the matter. Glancing at the two Dark Star soldiers following Li Yu, he asked, "Did you rescue the target?"

"Yeah," Li Yu nodded, then furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why are you guys out here? Did something go wrong?"

According to the original plan, they were supposed to be waiting safely inside the spaceship, not traveling on foot through a warzone.

"No... the goods are right here in the Metal Crate," Hunter said, patting the large container behind him, though he noticeably avoided explaining why they were outside.

"He bumped into an acquaintance," Mo Duo suddenly chimed in. She then elaborated, "Thanks to their cooperation, the mission actually went incredibly smoothly."

"An acquaintance?" Li Yu stared at Hunter suspiciously. "And they didn't sell you out?"

"Fuck off," Hunter swore, unable to help himself. "My stellar reputation is widely known. You have no idea how much my former crew members adore me."

"Ah, so it was a member of your old crew," Li Yu mused thoughtfully.

Hunter instantly snapped his mouth shut, refusing to leak any more information. 'Damn little fox...'

"Forget it, let's just head back to the ship. It is time we left this place," Li Yu said, choosing not to press the issue as he noticed the surrounding Zombies beginning to swarm toward them once more.

Taking the Smart Terminal that Li Ping offered him, Li Yu reconnected with Claptrap, who immediately bombarded him with a series of status reports.

"Master... as you instructed, I transmitted the message to Bauhaus the moment Dark Star was discovered to be under attack."

"Furthermore... early warnings regarding the Bio-Virus outbreak have already surfaced on the Black Hole Network."

No Man's Land was vast, and its inhabitants were certainly no fools. People were already actively posting on the Black Hole Network.

"Massive bombshell! Someone deployed a Biological Virus in the No Man's Land System! It is currently spreading like wildfire—everyone better put on a Gas Mask!"

"Fuck, who the hell is so ruthless? Aren't they afraid of drawing the wrath of the major Marauder Groups?"

A flood of users were cursing relentlessly in the comment section below. With a calm expression, Li Yu simply closed the webpage.

Even without the intervention of official factions, the Bio-Virus had stopped spreading at its initial breakneck pace after the first major wave of infections.

Playing the good Samaritan on the ground while acting as a ruthless bandit in the skies was just a daily routine for the denizens of No Man's Land. Everyone was a hardened marksman. Dispatching a horde of brainless Zombies barely required any real effort from them.

"I hope luck is on their side," Li Yu murmured, shaking his head. He never really expected this manufactured bio-crisis to terrifyingly sweep across multiple star systems anyway.

It would even struggle to completely overrun No Man's Land. However, it wouldn't be easily eradicated either. After all... this virus was still capable of evolution.

Li Yu led the group as they carved a bloody path out of the zombie horde. Leaving the Inner District behind, they finally arrived at the shipyard docking area in the Perimeter District.

This area remained relatively calm. A few spaceships were already beginning to lift off. The Marauders, possessing survival instincts as sharp as cornered rats, had quickly realized something was terribly wrong. Fleeing at the first sign of trouble was always their best choice.

It wasn't until they were safely aboard their own ship that the group finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Claptrap... start the ship's engines and scrub the internal air reserves. Let's get out of here. Also, send a secure message to Glazed Star letting her know that the rescue was a success,"

Li Yu commanded. Following his orders, the ship's thrusters spewed fierce, blazing exhaust flames as the vessel slowly lifted off the ground.

Gore stood before the viewing port, overwhelmed with a barrage of complex emotions. The recent sequence of events had been an absolute emotional rollercoaster.

First, he had been dispatched by Tyron Tower as expendable Cannon Fodder, only to end up captured by his very own daughter. Yet, before he could even rejoice at their reunion, she was mercilessly blackmailed by Dark Star, and he was thrown back into a dark prison cell.

He had attempted suicide multiple times during his captivity, but each attempt was discovered and thwarted. Plunged into absolute despair over failing his daughter once again, he never imagined he would actually be miraculously rescued.

His gaze was deep and profound. Deep within his pupils, something finally seemed to be blooming—the bright, unmistakable light of hope.

Wait... he suddenly blinked and let out an exclamation of surprise. "Huh? What the hell is that flashing outside?"

"There are ships engaging in combat," Hunter identified the phenomenon at a mere glance. It was the blinding flash of heavy artillery fire.

Li Yu's attention was quickly drawn to the window as a few speculations crossed his mind. "Claptrap, calculate the precise coordinates of the engagement. Are they close to the Stargate's coordinates?"

"Yes, Master. The combat is taking place right near the Stargate's coordinates," Claptrap confirmed.

"Bauhaus... you really are a talented individual," Li Yu murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Originally, the only reason he conned Bauhaus was to briefly tie down the Imperial Fleet of the Star Glory Empire to prevent them from sending reinforcements to Dark Star.

But looking at the situation now... Bauhaus clearly wasn't just disposable Cannon Fodder. Could he have actually succeeded?

"Stargate? What Stargate?" Hunter asked in utter confusion, completely oblivious to Li Yu's overarching plan.

"Oh, nothing major," Li Yu replied, before casually explaining his master plan.

He would always only reveal his schemes after the fact. Prior to execution, everyone—excluding the active participants—was kept strictly in the dark. Hunter and his group had only been instructed to wear Gas Masks; they had zero idea it was to defend against a highly contagious Biological Virus.

"You..." Hunter was instantly stunned. It took him a long time to finally string his words together. "Running into you... the Star Glory Empire really is incredibly unlucky."