Chapter 198: The Rot Claw Descends, The Secret of the Vessel

The violent tremors made the already teetering ruins even worse. Rustling metallic debris and dust filled the air. The outer stardust barrier, like a candle in the wind, dimmed under the Doctor's flagship's ranged heavy strikes, covered in web-like energy cracks, on the verge of total collapse at any moment.

"Barrier... estimated... maximum... withstand... three... equivalent attacks..." Zero's data stream carried a cold despair.

Xiang Lingna braced herself against the cold metal wall to barely stay steady, while Sister Ai Li stood like rooted bedrock, warily watching the direction of the hall entrance. Wrench's broken body stood in front of Lin Mo and Priestess Liyana; on its only intact mechanical arm, the energy gun barrel's charging indicator lit up with a faint red glow—even though this attack might be like a tickle to the Doctor's army.

The sharp whistling of landing craft piercing the atmosphere drew from far to near, like the horn of the god of death. Soon, muffled crashing sounds came from different positions outside the ruins, accompanied by the ear-piercing noise of tearing metal!

"Landing points... confirmed! Three! Releasing... combat units!" Zero's scan projected into the air: on the twisted metal ground, three ferociously shaped landing pods covered in dark purple bone armor took root like malignant tumors. The hatches opened, and what poured out was not traditional soldiers, but mixed formations of variously shaped corrupted monsters and pale, cold killing machines!

There were corrupted orc warriors in heavy armor wielding giant axes (clearly twisted products of the same race as Grona); mechanical sentries hovering in the air with multiple sensors constantly scanning; bio-weapons like giant spiders spewing corrosive slime; and more numerous were the swift, sharp-clawed and fanged low-level Rot Claw beasts, scattering like a tide!

Even more chilling was that at the center of each squad followed a "Guide" in pale uniform, expressionless, holding a special instrument. They were not combat units, but constantly emitted invisible signal waves, coordinating the movements of the surrounding corrupted creatures, like cold-blooded commanders.

"Target... locked... core energy source... and... life signal... highest priority... capture... key... and... vessel!" Zero caught the cold command on the public channel.

Key... vessel... the Doctor's objective was crystal clear!

"Can't hold... must... fall back to the core hall! Use... the terrain..." Sister Ai Li made an instant judgment. The outer barrier was about to shatter; facing a tide of enemies in open ground was a dead end. The core hall's blast doors were thick, the interior structure complex—the last fortress.

Xiang Lingna nodded, and together with Sister Ai Li, quickly moved the unconscious Lin Mo and Priestess Liyana to a relatively safe corner inside the chamber's blast door. Wrench guarded the hall entrance, ready to cover the retreat. Zero's console hovered above the chamber entrance, its ghostly blue scanning beam vigilantly covering the corridor.

BOOM!!!!

The outer barrier finally couldn't withstand the second ranged heavy strike from the flagship, shattering completely like broken glass! The stardust's light dissolved into a skyful of scattered light points!

"Barrier... failed! Enemies... full invasion!" Before Zero's alarm finished, from deep within the corridor at the hall entrance came dense, heavy footsteps, the sound of metal scraping, and the nauseating roars of corrupted creatures!

"They're here!" Sister Ai Li's voice was cold as a blade, her figure melting into the shadows, disappearing behind the broken walls near the entrance. She was a lurking viper, waiting for a one-strike kill opportunity.

Xiang Lingna stood before the chamber blast door, her right arm's crystal lighting up with interwoven dark purple and emerald light, her body trembling slightly—from both tension and surging power. She watched the nightmare-like corrupted army pouring from the corridor's end, watched the cold mechanical sentries and the cold-blooded Guides, and a battle intent mixed with fear and anger blazed fiercely!

The first wave of Rot Claw beasts rushed into the hall like a black tide, howling! Their crimson compound eyes locked onto Xiang Lingna standing in the open!

"Get lost!" Xiang Lingna let out a low growl, her right arm crystal swinging violently forward! A condensed energy shockwave of chaotic nebula color whistled out!

BOOM!

The dozen or so Rot Claw beasts at the very front were instantly torn apart and carbonized by the violent energy! But more monsters surged forward over their fallen companions' remains! At the same time, the mechanical sentries in the air locked onto Xiang Lingna and fired scorching energy beams!

Xiang Lingna dodged sharply; the energy beam grazed her shoulder, melting a deep crater in the metal wall behind her. Her right arm swung repeatedly, firing chaotic energy beams at the sentries in the air, but the sentries were extremely agile, their energy shields unusually sturdy, and the attacks had little effect.

Just then, a ghostly black shadow flashed out from behind the broken wall to the side! Sister Ai Li! Her target was not the cannon fodder in the front, but a pale Guide mixed in behind the beast horde, releasing command signals! Her speed was extreme, her alloy short blade tracing a deathly cold gleam in the dim light!

Puchi!

The short blade precisely pierced the Guide's rear neck core! The Guide's body stiffened, the signal wave instantly cut off! The corrupted beasts around it immediately became confused and sluggish in their movements!

A good opportunity! Xiang Lingna's spirit lifted, about to concentrate fire. Suddenly, an ice-cold, bone-piercing sense of crisis seized her! She jerked her head up!

At the hall entrance, a corrupted orc commander in dark purple heavy armor, wielding a door-sized giant axe, was locking onto her with its crimson, brutal eyes! It let out a deafening roar, its thick hind legs kicking off the ground violently, its massive body charging toward Xiang Lingna like a cannonball! The giant axe came down with a shriek that tore the air! The speed was beyond imagination!

Xiang Lingna's pupils contracted sharply! The might of this axe far surpassed the previous Rot Claw beasts! She had no time to dodge completely!

At the critical moment!

A condensed ghostly blue energy beam shot down from above, precisely slamming into the ground on the corrupted orc commander's charging path!

BOOM!

The violent explosion and shockwave sent the orc commander stumbling, its charge broken! It was Zero! With precise calculation, she bought precious time for Xiang Lingna!

Xiang Lingna seized the chance, rolling sideways! The massive axe blade grazed her back as it slammed down, carving a deep trench in the ground!

Xiang Lingna's fright had not yet settled, about to counterattack. Suddenly, the orc commander did not pursue her, but whirled around, its crimson eyes fixing dead on Priestess Liyana lying in the corner inside the chamber blast door! It seemed to have received some order, let out an even more violent roar, and abandoning Xiang Lingna, broke into heavy steps, charging straight toward Priestess Liyana! The giant axe raised high!

"No!" Xiang Lingna's eyes nearly split with rage! Sister Liyana was completely defenseless!

Sister Ai Li was also entangled by a mechanical sentry commanded by another Guide, unable to rescue in time!

At this critical moment, Wrench, who had been silently guarding in front of Lin Mo and Priestess Liyana, moved!

Its broken body erupted with its last energy! The treads spun madly, ramming head-on into the charging orc commander! At the same time, on its only intact mechanical arm, the energy gun barrel overloaded to the limit, erupting with a blinding red light!

"Guard... directive... highest priority!"

BOOM——!!!

Wrench did not choose to fire, but at the instant it charged to the orc commander's feet, it violently thrust the overloaded energy gun barrel into the gap of the knee joint covered by the orc commander's heavy armor! Then, it detonated the last remaining energy of its own core!

A deafening explosion! Scorching metal fragments and violent energy streams flew in all directions! The orc commander let out a pained howl, one leg blown to pieces, its massive body crashing to the ground! And Wrench... only half a charred torso trailing smoke and one twisted mechanical arm remained, its electronic eyes completely dimming.

"Wrench—!" Xiang Lingna let out a heart-wrenching cry!

The orc commander's threat was temporarily removed, but more enemies poured in. Worse still, in the chamber, Priestess Liyana, who had been unconscious, under the stimulation of the orc commander's violent killing intent just now, suddenly convulsed violently!

The dark purple crystals on her forehead and chest suddenly erupted with unprecedented, blinding purple light! A cold, violent energy filled with destructive aura, annihilation energy, burst uncontrollably from the crystals, spreading outward like a shockwave!

Xiang Lingna, closest to her, bore the brunt! She felt an icy flood slam into her body; her chaotic power instinctively defended, but she was still blasted flying, crashing hard against the metal wall inside the chamber! A sweet taste rose in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!

And Priestess Liyana's body, after erupting with this energy, had the dark purple patterns under her skin writhing madly like living things, her complexion instantly turning ashen, her aura rapidly weakening! Those crystals, like greedy vampires, after the eruption instead more frantically drained her life force!

"Vessel... energy... out of control... annihilation spores... activity... surging!" Zero's alarm carried unprecedented urgency, "Priestess Liyana... vital signs... rapidly declining!"

Xiang Lingna struggled to rise, looking at Priestess Liyana's pain-twisted face, at Wrench's sacrificed remains, at the enemies pouring in like a tide outside... despair, like a cold tide, nearly drowned her. The Doctor hadn't truly acted yet, and they were already at their wits' end?

Just then, Lin Mo's stardust core, which had been hovering beside Priestess Liyana, weakly guarding her, seemed to sense the annihilation energy erupting within Priestess Liyana and her rapidly draining life force, and extremely faintly... pulsed once.