Chapter 134

Chapter 134

After several hours of combat, the starbugs within a few kilometers had been largely eliminated.

Xino was instructing a few students nearby to search the battlefield for remains of high-level starbugs, stringing them together and dragging them back to the safe zone.

Cen Yuehuai, happening upon the scene, asked curiously, "Are you planning to grind these up and mix them into the soil too?"

"No, these are our spoils of war. These are valuable high-grade materials that can be counted towards our points," Xino explained, then turned and glanced at Cen Yuehuai's mech, "Your mech's rear wing is scratched. Aren't you going to have a mech technician fix it?"

Cen Yuehuai: "Huh? Really? I didn't feel it."

Nearby, several mech technicians were repairing damaged mechs, and Ying Chen was among them. He looked up at Cen Yuehuai's mech, continuing his work, "Small issue, it'll take just two minutes to fix. Wait a moment, I'll be right there."

The swarm had left only a minor scratch on Cen Yuehuai's mech. But not everyone was as lucky as she was.

After dealing with the first wave of starbugs, several students' mechs had sustained severe damage. Usually, such damage would accompany internal injuries, and they should be extracted from their mechs for immediate treatment. However, given the harsh environment of Death Star, humans couldn't survive outside their mechs, as it would worsen their injuries.

Ying Chen's task was to assess whether these students could continue fighting and to prioritize fixing their mechs — not to restore their mobility, but to ensure the mechs' life support systems functioned properly, allowing the students to hold on until rescue arrived.

Ying Chen had treated eight casualties and added them to the rescue call list. When he approached another injured student with his toolbox, he met with resistance.

"I-I can still move," the student struggled to lift a hand with his mech, trying to convince Ying Chen to let him stay in the competition, "Look, my mech's damage isn't as severe as theirs! I can..."

"I can indeed fix your mech," Ying Chen replied, as the other struggled more earnestly, "—but your mech has already issued an alert. You've injured your shoulder joint and need to rest. Otherwise, you wouldn't be struggling so much just to lift your hand."

In his professional field, Ying Chen was unwavering.

The student sighed deeply, expressing his disappointment, "But being sent out of the competition like this is just too... Why don't you dismantle my mech? Maybe there are parts on it that others can use?"

"We currently have ample supplies," Ying Chen added him to the rescue list, "There's no need to dismantle one thing to repair another."

"He just wants to leave his parts on the battlefield to continue contributing to his comrades," Cen Yuehuai interjected.

Ying Chen paused in his work, then said, "Alright." He proceeded to remove the mech's faceplate. Without its metal covering, the mech resembled a person stripped of their skin, its wires and components exposed. The mech's functions were still operational, but it looked unsightly.

Cen Yuehuai: "Why are you taking that off?"

The curved metal faceplate, turned upside down, resembled an iron pot.

"I can use it to heat some materials," Ying Chen explained calmly, "I just happen to need a heating pot."

The student whose mech had been stripped of its face: "..."

"Cough cough, that's pretty good, actually," Cen Yuehuai coughed twice, "At least it's practical, right?"

Saying this, Cen Yuehuai turned away, unable to bear looking at the disheartened mech pilot.

Ying Chen quickly came over to repair the scratch on her back. She opened her screen to see Baisha, Xino, and Jiya communicating on the command channel.

Both Xino and Jiya seemed to have changed since arriving on Death Star. They no longer remained silent to Baisha's commands but shared their frontline experiences against the starbugs as much as possible. Of course, their teachings were not just for Baisha; almost all the main team members could hear their exchanges. Learning was one thing; applying it was another. For now, at least, Xino and Jiya were absolute main forces supporting Baisha.

Cen Yuehuai had two thoughts at the moment: first, those with a military background indeed made a difference. Second, she should also do her best to contribute.

Ying Chen worked quickly, and Cen Yuehuai's mech was soon as good as new. She sighed and turned around, "Where's the guy who can't lift his arm? I'll go check on him. Maybe it's just dislocated."

Ying Chen: "You want to help him? But leaving the cockpit could be dangerous."

"This is a safe zone, and the environment outside is relatively stable for now," Cen Yuehuai glanced around, noting the calm, windless surroundings, "I'm wearing protective gear, and I can use psychic energy to create a barrier for myself. I'll be fine."

Cen Yuehuai was a woman of action.

She coordinated with the injured student, then leaped out of her cockpit and sprinted at a hundred meters per second towards another mech. About a minute later, a scream came from inside the cockpit. Then, Cen Yuehuai agilely jumped back out and climbed into her own mech.

"Done. You can go fix that mech now; he can continue fighting," Cen Yuehuai stated confidently.

Ying Chen saw that the mech, which couldn't lift its arm before, was now moving both arms normally.

Ying Chen had no choice but to repair the mech.

About ten minutes later, the student energetically came to thank Ying Chen and Cen Yuehuai. Ying Chen didn't say much, just murmured to Cen Yuehuai as they passed by, "…I really did want a pot." His tone was quite despondent.

Cen Yuehuai cleared her throat awkwardly, "Well, maybe we'll run into the Federation team soon. You'll get your pot then, I promise."

……

The situation with the Federation's representative team was a bit more delicate.

They also had their safe zone. But strangely, heading west from the safe zone, they only encountered a few low-level starbugs, without running into any swarms.

"Is the team leader fooling us?" someone couldn't help but say, "Wasn't it said that Death Star is swarming with starbugs?"

"Maybe it's really not the bug tide season right now?"

"Isn’t that obvious? If it was really the bug tide season, why would they dare to send us here?"

It's no wonder the students were confused.

The area was dotted with craters of various sizes, with their rough, jagged edges marking out gray depressions, open and bare. Only the wind wandered like a ghost under the night sky, howling eerily — or rather, creating high-frequency noise.

The Federation students stood under the dim starry sky, feeling both physically and emotionally cold. They couldn't help but wonder: Did they come all this way just to be blown by the wind?

"I think it's like last time," someone whispered, "The starbugs must all be heading towards the Empire's representative team."

In theory, it was understandable that star worms were more fervent towards the people of the Empire. After all, the psychic power levels of the Empire's people were higher than those of the Federation, making them more likely to be perceived as threats by the star worms.

"Enough, don't be complacent," Zhou Ying instructed coolly over the command channel, and the murmuring voices instantly dissipated. "Continue exploring and be alert to changes in wind speed."

According to their observations before departure, there shouldn't be any meteor showers near Dead Omen Star. Thus, the biggest threat would be the storms on the planet, which they needed to avoid.

The team descended into a depression and continued forward.

Suddenly, a shout came from the front left of the team. Before anyone could react, a gush of sand and dust erupted from the ground, sending a student soaring into the sky. The fierce wind and dust blurred the vision of several students nearby. Just as they raised their weapons, a distinct sound came from the air—

It was the sound of metal being bent and broken.

The drifting sand, like falling snow, slowly revealed a huge silhouette. It was a star worm with a flat, bat-ray-like form, its skeleton covered by a thin layer of skin. Its abdomen had two rows of symmetrical blue spots that flickered with a ghostly glow as the creature chewed.

Creak, creak.

Several students suddenly realized what the star worm was chewing on and, filled with horror and rage, fired their ammunition. The bullets created several holes in the worm's body, causing it pain. It dropped what was in its mouth and, like a fish diving back into water, burrowed back into the sand and charged towards the team, knocking many students awry.

Jing Yi weaved through the chaotic crowd, her eyes always tracking the traces on the sandy ground. She drew her lightsaber, wordlessly leapt up, and thrust it fiercely into the back of the star worm. Then, changing her grip, she spun around and dashed out.

Blood splattered everywhere.

The lightsaber carved a long gash across the star worm's body, almost exposing its spine on the spot.

This precise and ruthless strike immediately halted the star worm's struggles.

Zhou Ying quickly ordered a regroup, pulling the injured into formation.

The student who was first attacked by the star worm was encircled. His mech was nearly in pieces. They dragged him out of the cockpit; his abdomen had a massive gash, his protective suit punctured and fused with flesh and blood.

They quickly administered a coagulant injection and pulled him into another mech pilot's cockpit for warmth. Zhou Ying then pressed the emergency rescue signal.

"How long will it take for the rescue team to arrive?"

"Ten minutes."

"But he won't last that long!"

“……”

Several students were caught in an argument. Zhou Ying recognized them as members of the same group as the critically injured student, probably blaming themselves for not reacting immediately to counterattack.

Perhaps it was the scent of blood spreading, but they gradually began to hear rustling noises hidden in the darkness, as if something was rapidly moving beneath the sand.

"Everyone on alert," Zhou Ying commanded.

They surrounded their injured comrade at the center, silently loading their ammunition and readying their weapons.

They had to hold out until rescue arrived!

Their eyes were fixed on the ground around them.

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded in their ears:

"Mark the coordinates, 114, 136."

A student impulsively fired a shot in that direction.

Without warning, a starbug's roar erupted in the night sky, followed by the familiar sensation of the ground trembling. The starbug angrily flipped over and lunged towards them.

Then, the same female voice continuously reported several more coordinates. These were the hiding spots of the starbugs, invisible to the naked eye!

Zhou Ying raised an eyebrow, glancing at Janice, who was mingled within the group.

Her face was expressionless, her eyes streaming with silver-white data, appearing as emotionless as a machine.