109: Terror – The Ferocity of the Star Beasts (Part Two)

The hamster was indeed a highly intelligent pet star-beast from a sci-fi plane. It led the group through the spaceship, pausing occasionally to look back at them, clearly intending to guide them to a specific destination. According to Zigui’s analysis, the little creature was surely taking them to find the mechanic; he just couldn't fathom how such a tiny thing had managed to evade the attacks of the monstrous serpentine star-beasts.

Whether the monsters were full or simply intimidated by Mutou’s group, they faced no further attacks this time. Led by the hamster, they soon arrived outside a room resembling a warehouse.

The black bodyguard, seemingly familiar with the ship's layout, said, "This is the machine room!" He pressed a button, and the iron door slid open with a hiss. Upon entering, the group saw that the machine room was packed with various goods, much like a cargo hold, and looked as if it had been hit by a magnitude-eight earthquake—everything was scattered and in total disarray.

The hamster scurried in, leaped onto a pile of crates, and stood on its hind legs, gesturing with its front paws toward the floor. The group chuckled, realizing the mechanic was likely trapped beneath the debris. The two bodyguards stepped forward to clear the cargo, and sure enough, a disheveled man crawled out from underneath. Coughing, he stood up and cursed, "Damn it, what rotten luck! If I’d known, I wouldn't have taken a side job hauling cargo for a few extra credits. I almost got crushed to death!"

The group found the scene amusing; the man was lucky to have been knocked unconscious, which had inadvertently spared him from the monsters' attacks. The man swept his gaze over the group, and upon spotting Mu Siyu and Qiona, his expression instantly shifted to one of awe. He immediately pulled a mirror from his pocket, tidied his appearance, and approached the two women with a polite bow. "Ah! To what do I owe the honor of such beautiful ladies gracing my humble workshop? Forgive my lack of introduction—I am Hao Shuai, the mechanic of this space cruiser. I certainly wouldn't mind if you two beauties called me 'Handsome'!"

He smoothed his hair back with a stylish flair and sighed, "It’s all my parents' fault for giving me such a handsome face and a fit physique. I’m the center of attention wherever I go..."

He completely ignored the presence of the other men as he spoke. Yet, truth be told, narcissistic as he was, the guy actually possessed a certain charm. At the very least, his antics brought a glimmer of amusement to the group, whose spirits had been dampened by the prevailing tension and terror.

However, someone was not pleased.

Zigui laughed, "Hey! 'Hao Shuai'? You truly live up to your name! You really are quite a 'loser' (Hao Shuai sounds similar to 'Hao Shuai' - very loser)."

Hao Shuai cradled the hamster, his face hardening. "It’s Hao Shuai, as in 'handsome'... whatever, I won't lower myself to the level of someone uncultured like you!" He turned back to the two women. "Heh, I haven't asked for your names, ladies. This... it’s a long journey, and if you’re bored, I’d be more than happy to accompany you through this unforgettable and wonderful trip."

It seemed this guy had no idea that terrifying monsters had appeared on the ship and was still busy trying to charm the women. Mutou stepped forward, nudged Zigui, and remarked, "Heh, this kid is a real match for you!"

Zigui rolled his eyes, stepped up, and knocked the guy to the ground with a punch. "You little punk, learning the bad stuff instead of the good—wait, no... I mean, what kind of capital do you think you have, kid? Daring to snatch my women."

He delivered a few kicks for good measure, and the man curled up, shielding his head. "Don't hit the face... don't hit the face..."

Watching the two clowns bicker, Qiona and Mu Siyu shook their heads in frustration and ordered the bodyguards to pull them apart. Hao Shuai still tried to lash out with a kick, but the black bodyguard simply pressed his multi-barreled machine gun against the man’s forehead and growled, "Enough, or I’ll blow your head to pieces!"

As a mechanic, Hao Shuai was somewhat familiar with weaponry. Seeing the bodyguard's gun, he stammered in terror, "Br-brother, could you please move that away? That’s an antique gunpowder-based firearm; it’s very prone to misfiring."

The bodyguard replied, "Listen to me. We are in a very dangerous situation. This ship has collided with a star-beast, and the power system is down. The beast has made this cruiser its nest, and we all seem to have become its rations. Do you understand?"

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" Hao Shuai laughed awkwardly, but his tone shifted instantly. "Though... I think you’re right!"

Seeing his sudden change in demeanor and the look of terror in his eyes, the black bodyguard immediately understood. He spun around and roared, "Watch out!"

However, the sight that met them put him at ease. A bizarre snake had slid forward silently, attempting a sneak attack, but with the cultivation levels of the group, they had sensed it long ago. Just as the creature reared up and opened its disgusting, petal-like maw, Mutou turned and swung his high-energy oscillating blade, instantly severing the upper half of the snake. The remaining body retreated with lightning speed.

The black bodyguard looked at Hao Shuai and asked, "Do you understand now?"

Hao Shuai’s face went deathly pale. "I understand. You mean the whole ship is infested with these monsters?"

The bodyguard nodded. "Precisely. And many people have already gone missing; they’ve likely been fed to the beasts. You’re the only one with any luck—knocked out, but not dragged away by them."

Hao Shuai pondered for a moment. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's simple," the bodyguard said. "Restore the ship's power system!"

Hao Shuai agreed. He first went to the control room to inspect the systems, pressed a few buttons, and said helplessly, "The problem is more severe than I thought. We need to check the power generation room."

The power room was typically located at the rear of the spaceship. Since he was the only mechanic on board, the group kept him protected in the center.

"Surely we aren't the only survivors on this ship?" Hao Shuai asked on the way. "No matter how powerful the monster is, it couldn't have wiped out everyone. I know there are at least five thousand people on this ship, all headed to Mercury for a vacation—including several wealthy individuals with their own bodyguards!"

The bodyguard replied, "We don't know about the others. But so far, we haven't even seen the true form of the beast..." As he spoke, Hao Shuai opened an electronic door—the only path to the power room. But as the door swung open, everyone felt a wave of nausea and began to retch. Countless bloodied, mutilated corpses were piled up in the corridor, many with their mouths wide open as if frozen in a final, agonizing scream.

A chilling draft swept over them, carrying faint, ghostly wails from the hallway, where a mass of serpentine monsters crawled over the bodies, devouring them.

Zigui roared, "Demons!" He snatched the multi-barreled machine gun from Mutou and opened fire on the pile of snakes. The bodyguards’ faces drained of color, but seeing the snakes rushing toward them, they pulled their triggers as well. A hail of dense gunfire forced the snakes to retreat. Taking advantage of the chaos, Hao Shuai quickly slammed the electronic door shut and collapsed to the side, vomiting uncontrollably.

After a long while, the group regained their composure. Qiona asked, "Is there any other way through?"

Hao Shuai was too exhausted from retching to even stand. At Qiona’s question, he simply shook his head. "This is the only path. However..." He hesitated, leaving the rest unsaid.

Qiona pressed him, "However what? Speak up!"

Hao Shuai hurried to add, "However, we could take another route. We could use the high-energy oscillating blade to cut through the steel wall of the power room. But..."

"But it's highly likely that the star-beast is holed up in the power room, feeding on the ship's energy!" Zigui finished the sentence for him. Being from a sci-fi plane, he naturally understood the habits of star-beasts; it was said that the more ferocious the beast, the more it craved energy.

Hao Shuai nodded, his face deathly pale. "If the beast is nesting in the power room, we’re as good as dead."

The black bodyguard interjected, "Not necessarily. We can just kill it or drive it out."

Hao Shuai shook his head. "The power room is the hub for the entire ship’s energy. If that beast goes berserk and destroys the facility, the power system will be beyond repair... which means we’ll be left drifting in deep space!"

Zigui thought for a moment. "Not necessarily. We'll lure the beast out. Mutou, we'll work together to take that thing down. Qiona, you and the bodyguards protect this guy!"

Qiona was shocked. "That’s a star-beast! How can you fight it without a mecha?"

Zigui gave a wry smile. "This is a cruiser, not a military vessel; there are no mechas here. We’ll have to make do! Hao Shuai, lead us to the room adjacent to the power room."

Hao Shuai nodded and led the group in a detour, entering a cargo hold. He pointed to the adjacent wall. "That’s the power room." He gestured for a moment. "I’ve calculated that if we cut a large hole from this position, we won't damage the equipment inside."

Zigui nodded. "Everyone else, retreat to the corridor. We’ll lure the beast out first; then you can enter." He raised his high-energy oscillating blade, ready to slice into the steel wall.

"Wait..." Qiona suddenly called out. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Zigui’s neck, and kissed him lightly. "You are an amazing hero. If... you must survive. I... I will wait for you!"

Zigui was overjoyed. The only reason he had gotten into this mess was to woo this girl. Now that his wish was granted, he beamed. "My darling, wait for me outside. Once big brother finishes off this little bug, we'll go on a date!" He leaned toward her ear and whispered, "My bed back home is big and very comfortable!"

Qiona spat, blushing furiously, and retreated from the cargo hold with the bodyguards.

Next, Zigui and Mutou drove their high-energy oscillating blades into the steel wall. As the metal melted into molten iron, they traced a circle, aiming to create a hole large enough for a person to pass through. Just as they were about to succeed, Mutou suddenly sensed a dangerous aura from the other side. "Get out of the way!" he yelled, pulling back his blade.

Zigui’s reaction was just as swift, and he leaped back. At that exact moment, with a deafening "boom," the steel wall was smashed open. A swarm of serpentine monsters poured out, their petal-like mouths agape, revealing sharp, curved fangs that were as disgusting as they were terrifying.