Chapter 51

Lin Fu ascended to the third floor via the staircase.

Along the way, he encountered countless people rushing downward, nearly tripping him.

Clinging to the handrail, his psychic power was gradually recovering, but for some reason, the vomiting of blood did not cease.

The sound of running filled his ears; the glass in the cockpit opposite the bridge shattered, an energy membrane maintaining the internal pressure of the battleship to prevent abrupt changes.

He crossed the bridge, gazing at the control console reduced to twisted metal, and asked the system if there was any way to regain control.

The system fell silent for a moment before responding, "I can only try; if the damage is too extensive, there's nothing I can do."

Without hesitation, Lin Fu agreed: "Alright!"

If that failed, they would have to devise another plan.

He only needed to buy a brief respite, just enough time for the people on the battleship to make a safe departure.

The opposing battleship seemed to have detected their movements, as its cannons began to converge energy once again, charging up for an imminent assault.

The system's diagnostic was swift, yielding results that could be tentatively deemed good news: [Control over movement is possible, but expect sluggish speeds and minimal range of motion. Don't harbor high hopes.]

"Can't the artillery be controlled?"

[If you can get close to the artillery and manually operate it, I can attempt a link. The main control console here is utterly useless.]

Lin Fu: "You manage its directional shift, avoid the bow. I'll go down and see if I can manually operate the artillery."

*

The battle outside the battleship had escalated to a fever pitch. What was originally a tangled engagement turned one-sided with the intervention of Albert and his two companions. They could take on ten or even more enemies single-handedly, utterly overwhelming lower-ranked sentinels.

Soldiers of the vanquished foe, following instructions, returned to the battleship and boarded the aircraft, preparing to leave the vicinity.

"Boom—" A thunderous roar!

The trio's actions halted in unison, their heads turning towards the battleship.

Then, to their utter astonishment, they noticed that the battleship had somehow deviated in the opposite direction. The artillery fire was blocked by the energy membrane, scattering sparks that quickly dissipated.

Had Lin Fu actually managed to move the battleship!?

What was most unfathomable was that soon after this barrage ended, another thunderous roar echoed!

"What's happening!? How could the cooldown period end so quickly!?"

"Wait, is that... an attack from our battleship!?"

"Hurry up! Board the aircraft! Don't waste time!"

……

Estimating the time in his mind, Lin Fu knew that going toe-to-toe with the enemy's intact battleship was folly. He surmised that most people should have boarded the aircraft by now. Abandoning the uncontrollable artillery, he located the exit and disembarked from the battleship, instantly deploying his mech the moment he was out.

He caressed the blind spots in his vision, his psychic power barely cloaking him, ensuring he didn't give himself away to the scans of the opposing battleship.

The aircraft couldn't sustain long flights, and with the enemy battleship intact, their chances of escape were next to none.

The only viable escape route was to destroy the enemy's battleship.

Given the current situation, attempting external demolition was nothing short of a fool's errand. The optimal strategy would be to infiltrate and devastate from within.

He swiftly located his target, an enemy mech with its pilot unconscious inside.

Ordinarily, mechs not granted access cannot be opened by outsiders; forcible destruction is the only path.

However, Lin Fu had discovered a method to open the cockpit using psychic isolation on Albert and his companions' mechs. Although somewhat strained, it was still possible.

After prying open the hatch, he stripped the pilot's clothes and tossed the body out of the mech, utterly indifferent to the gory sight.

Quickly donning the uniform, he piloted the mech toward the space pirates' battleship, his face conveniently obscured by the blood smeared across it.

The moment he boarded the battleship, he retracted the mech. Before the swiftly approaching crew could question him, he preemptively spat blood on their faces, clutching his mouth and abdomen, feigning severe injury.

Annoyed by his seemingly moribund state, they impatiently ordered him to be carried to the repair bay.

Along the way, murmurs could be heard from the crew.

The soldiers carrying him to the repair bay encountered an acquaintance and exchanged a few words.

"Who is this kid?"

"Not sure, his face was a bloody mess. Must've been near death when he came back. We found him like that when he emerged from his mech. No time to chat, I need to get him to the repair bay fast, or he might not make it."

"Hurry back after you drop him off. The Colonel has ordered us all to go down; a few from the Fourth Army are too formidable. We must capture that young Harvey and the guide."

"Understood, on my way."

Lin Fu was tossed into the repair bay, and after a few beeps, the repair program was set. Then, the area was deserted.

Only the injured who were brought here remained, waiting to regain consciousness and exit the repair pods themselves.

Lin Fu's physical wounds were minimal, negating the need for the repair bay, and as for the psychological toll, that was beyond the scope of the repair bay's capabilities.

Ensuring there were no voices around and that no one would enter for a while, Lin Fu pushed open the lid of the repair pod and clambered out.

His gaze fixed on the occupants of the repair pods, he activated his portable computer to record their faces.

……

Seconds later, a series of repair pods began to emit beeping noises, as malfunctions forced the occupants to wake and exit prematurely.

They opened their eyes in confusion, gazing upon the empty room. Hastily, they pushed open the lids of the pods and climbed out, just as the repair pods emitted a hiss and began to smoke, signaling their breakdown.

In the vast room, filled with dozens of repair pods, not a single one remained intact.

The figure in the corridor outside disappeared without a trace.

*

Inside the star raider's cockpit, the control panels were fully engaged. The commander stood before the virtual screen, focusing intently on the red dot approaching steadily.

Upon entering their detection range, it became clear that the other party had also noticed their presence and was heading directly towards them with clear intent.

In no more than two minutes, this unfamiliar starship would enter the field of vision within their sector of space.

An officer inquired of the commander, “Sir, what should we do? Shall we send a signal to request they alter their course?”

The commander raised his hand, dismissing the idea: “Anyone who appears in this sector, other than the legion, is part of a star raider group. Asking them to divert will only provoke them.”

The officer expressed his concern, “But what if they are reinforcements from the Fourth Army?”

The nature of star raiders was ambiguous; they often acted on whims, making it difficult to discern friend from foe.

If the newcomers decided to aid the Fourth Army, their troubles would multiply.

After all, orders from higher command couldn't be defied. Failing to bring back the person in question could lead to severe repercussions.

The commander pondered for a moment before agreeing with the suggestion, “Contact them, and it wouldn’t hurt to promise some benefits.”

The officer nodded in agreement.

The message was sent and acknowledged, but the dot on the virtual screen did not change its course. Instead, it accelerated, heading straight for them.

The commander’s expression darkened instantly, “What did they say?”

The officer hesitated, “They didn’t say anything... but we’ve identified the frequency and the model of the starship. It’s from the Uzstamon Group…”

Lin Si Zhen, the leader of the Uzstamon star raiders, was none other than Lin Fu’s own aunt.

Tension was etched on the faces of everyone in the cockpit.