Chapter 54

It meant abandoning the ship, and no one objected. The ship accelerated again, and the insect race with scythe-like claws slowly receded from view.

Wu Ying clutched her spatial button and gripped her seat, realizing for the first time how important a seatbelt was. The ship turned into a bumper car, tossing the students around like egg yolks.

"Ugh, I'm gonna puke."

"Hold it in."

"Blargh."

Finally, everyone slammed back into their seats, and the ship came to a halt.

"Are we saved?"

The ship had practically half-crashed into this planet. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but endless desert, withered grass, and gobi stone forests.

It was a barren star—a place no human had ever set foot on. That meant unknown radiation hazards and climate conditions. Could a bunch of rookie students with no combat ability and no wilderness survival skills even survive here?

"The ship's energy is depleted. It cannot provide a support shield."

The worst-case scenario had arrived, though it was to be expected. Wu Ying glanced at the ship's underside, nearly sunk into the sand, and reminded herself that they had been far closer to danger than they'd realized.

The pilots packed up everything inside the ship and urged everyone to disembark.

The ship was too conspicuous a target and could easily draw the attention of local beasts. They had to find a new shelter.

"There are so many of us, we're a big target no matter where we go. Might as well stay in the ship—at least there's a place to rest," one student objected. He didn't want to leave.

"Our distress signal has been sent out, and we've told our families to call for help. Someone will come rescue us soon."

Yi Lan stepped forward and asked, "Captain, will leaving the ship cause any trouble for the search and rescue?"

The captain didn't know. Honestly, this was the first time he'd encountered such a situation. The routes he flew had always been safe, and nothing like this had ever happened before. He was just following the manual's procedures.

Wu Ying and her two companions had stayed silent the whole time. Jiujiu stuck close to her side. Ever since the alarm had gone off, Wu Ying had released Jiujiu from the spatial storage.

"Master, the magnetic field is abnormal. I cannot receive signals or send messages."

Hearing the voice, those around turned to look, then immediately lowered their heads to verify on their Light Brains. "There really is a problem!"

Huo Lin hurried over to tell Teacher Bart that the magnetic field here was strange. The Light Brains showed no visible abnormality and gave no warning, but they just wouldn't work—couldn't send messages, stuck on "sending."

Wu Ying and Cynthia leaned against each other. Cynthia had turned very calm, her usual carefree demeanor gone, as she warily scanned their surroundings.

"What do we do?" Wu Ying blurted out, then immediately shut her mouth when she saw Cynthia's expression.

"Master, don't worry. Jiujiu will protect you." Its system was equipped with a special military communications device. Perhaps it could contact Asher.

Wu Ying stared at Jiujiu's mechanical face, and a wave of grievance suddenly welled up in her chest. Her eyes grew hot and moist. She blinked hard to force back the tears.

Cynthia squeezed her hand. Wu Ying turned to look at her and calmed down a little.

Night was slowly falling. No one could lead such a large group away from the ship. Students huddled in small clusters, few words exchanged. The entire atmosphere turned heavy and stagnant.

Yi Lan and Bart were also deeply worried. Compared to the students, they had far more to think about, and naturally, far more pressure.

With so many students' lives resting on their shoulders, how could they manage a smile?

The barren star also had a "moon." As a round, emerald-green moon rose in the sky, the desert suddenly turned wrong. The withered grass seemed to come alive under the moonlight.

"Mutant plants, danger!"

Wu Ying was the first to sense the abnormality in the withered grass and vines on the ground. Earlier, she'd sensed nothing but deadness, but now a few strands of life force eerily surged forth.

And they had already begun to move.

Bart released his Mecha to shield the students behind him. The glowing green vines slithered across the ground like snakes, rustling as they closed in.

The sounds grew denser. Fluorescent green and withered yellow flickered alternately. The ground around them churned like boiling water, leaping and writhing with a terrifying pressure that slammed into everyone's vision.

"Jiujiu, get in the Mecha with me."

Wu Ying threw open her spatial button, and Jiujiu immediately hopped into the cockpit after her.

The Mecha crushed many withered branches the moment it appeared. She shielded Huo Lin and Cynthia behind her, and immediately, many others scrambled to huddle close.

Huo Lin naturally had her own Mecha, but its specifications weren't standard, and she didn't want to reveal it yet.

Having barely escaped the insect race, only to fall right into a wolf's den. Even the finest patience would make you curse. Sitting in the Mecha, her view suddenly elevated, she could see the distant tangled mass of surging vines sprawled across the horizon.

She didn't know how big this planet was, but looking out, there wasn't a single safe inch anywhere.

Perhaps the commotion had stirred other things awake as well. Everyone was nearly pressed against the ship, several Mecha forming a defensive line on one side—until the ship behind them suddenly collapsed. The bottom had been bitten through. Even without power, the ship's hull wasn't made of ordinary metal, yet something had bitten clean through it.

A sand-colored scorpion emerged, nearly half a person tall, its stinger-tipped tail arched high.

"Ah!"

The formation that had just barely taken shape instantly scattered. Wu Ying was busy wielding her weapon against the withered vines ahead when the panicked crowd rushed past her feet. Before she could protect them, the vines seized the opportunity and bound them up.

"Linlin!"

Cynthia cried out. Huo Lin had been struck by a vine whip, her sleeve torn open—thankfully, no blood. Wu Ying's foot, which had started forward, immediately pulled back. It was her fault for suddenly stepping away that Huo Lin got hurt.

Fine beads of sweat hung on her forehead. Wu Ying's fingers were taut, her back ramrod straight. Jiujiu observed and scanned Wu Ying's physical condition at the same time.

Wu Ying's heart rate had been accelerating since she entered the Mecha, spiking the moment Huo Lin was injured. Even now, as it slowly regulated, it was far from normal.

Being in a real battlefield couldn't compare to any training, and on top of that, Wu Ying was under enormous psychological pressure.

"I'm fine."

Huo Lin covered her arm and shook her head at Cynthia. She turned to look at the scorpion. The suddenly appearing scorpion was clearly poisonous and a far greater threat. Teacher Bart had pivoted to deal with it, leaving a gap in the defensive line, which meant Wu Ying and the others had more ground to cover. Huo Lin clutched her spatial button, which she'd been holding the whole time, now slick with sweat.

This was the critical moment.

Huo Lin made up her mind. She released her Mecha and scooped Cynthia up—her Mecha could hold two. Wu Ying's own physical skill was limited, and with her constant concern for them, she'd been too cautious, too easily affected.

The moment Huo Lin's Mecha appeared, it immediately filled the gap in the defensive line, even making things a bit easier. Her Mecha piloting was better than everyone else's.

Defensive Mecha couldn't carry heavy or thermal weapons, so they could only be grateful that the mutant plants appearing so far weren't very powerful.

Seeing Huo Lin take Cynthia away, Wu Ying slowly let out a breath. But the instant she was distracted, her fingers suddenly cramped. The pain made her lurch forward uncontrollably.

Those outside didn't know what was happening. They only saw Wu Ying's Mecha suddenly lunge forward, and the people behind her, suddenly stripped of protection, scrambled backward in panic.

"Jiujiu!"

Jiujiu immediately took over the system and steadied the Mecha. Wu Ying gained some breathing room as her fingers gradually stopped twitching. Jiujiu could only assist with operations, not fully take over the Mecha. Wu Ying flexed her fingers and grasped the controls again.

Wu Ying felt like she was trapped in an endless dungeon. No matter how many times she struck, there were always withered vines flailing in front of her. Time passed, and only the growing pile of vine fragments before her proved she was making any progress.

On the left, a Mecha suddenly froze and sat down. Its pilot seemed exhausted. The Mecha still had power, but it never stood back up. The vines crawled over the Mecha and reached into the protected circle. There was no choice—Wu Ying had to shift over and do her best to block them.

Their mental power was limited to begin with, and their mastery of their Mecha was hardly worth mentioning. Just surviving this long was an achievement for anyone. Wu Ying lengthened her light whip, but with Mecha blocking the way, she couldn't intercept everything.

"This won't work. Chopping like this isn't a solution." Some students were already injured. Teacher Yi Lan, carrying a first-aid kit, brought the wounded students to the center. Looking around, barely half the students were still standing unharmed.

"Master, the system detects abnormal radiation on this barren star. The moonlight seems to carry some kind of anomalous energy."

"The moon?"

Wu Ying glanced up, distracted. Anyone could tell the moon was off—she'd never seen one glow such an eerie green.

But the moon hung high in the sky. What could they possibly do about it?

"Caw, caw—"

Wu Ying looked up at the moon again, only to spot a flock of birds flying toward them. Her heart plummeted. One scorpion was already nearly overwhelming them—now a flock of birds?

She didn't dare imagine those birds could be friendly. She could already see their eyes glowing green, as if the students were a delicious feast just waiting to be devoured. "Everyone, watch out! There are birds in the sky. We might be targeted."

The alerted students instinctively looked up. A dark, dense mass. The crowd stirred in panic, and the flock above seemed unable to hold back any longer, diving down in waves.

"Ah, my arm!"

A stricken student's arm was pecked through. He collapsed, curling up in agony. Teacher Yi Lan shoved through the crowd, rushed to his side, and immediately stopped the bleeding. The arm couldn't be saved—at least the person could.

Wu Ying felt the Mecha jolt under impact. She blocked some attacks, but some birds slammed straight into the Mecha with enough force that she had to adjust her stance to stay steady.

"Jiujiu, are we done for?"

Wu Ying choked back tears, her voice trembling. She didn't dare say it to anyone else, only whispering to Jiujiu. Here, she was the protector, and many had already broken down. She didn't want to be the one to fall.

"No, we won't be. Master Asher will come save us."

Asher. The name flashed into her mind almost instantly, and bitterness flooded her heart. Asher was probably on a battlefield too. She'd sent him a message yesterday, and he hadn't replied.

She fought desperately, knocking away the birds before her. The ugly, misshapen creatures just tumbled once and flew back up, tenacious as ever. But the withered vines on the ground showed no signs of letting up, their encirclement shrinking ever tighter.