Sorren leaned against the window, shouting excitedly, "First time on a battleship, this is way too thrilling!" But the crowd passing by had blank faces, ignoring his excitement.
Cohen lay in the healing pod, connected through a voice system.
"Have we met before? Your name sounds very familiar." His calm, composed voice belied the fact that he was on the brink of life and death.
While injecting superpower into the healing pod, Lyra replied, "Sir, your pick-up lines are so outdated."
Cohen glanced at her slight, slender figure. He wasn't that desperate yet, and seeing that she had no intention of chatting, he fell silent.
Eleven years ago, they were the hottest talents in the Alliance. They had never officially met, but they had heard of each other.
Over the years, the name 'Lyra' had faded into obscurity.
Nearby, Ned scoffed, "Who would be interested in a mean girl like you?"
Lyra wasn't one to argue with fools. She turned to the team leader and said, "I'll go with you to get the Hemoplant."
The team leader refused. "OK, Sis Marv, you should listen to my advice. The medical team usually stays at the rear for support." He tried to dissuade her with humor, but it was like a small flame hitting an iceberg.
"Once the Hemoplant is harvested, it needs special handling, and only I know how to do it. If you still want to save him, do as I say and protect me well." Lyra's large, expressionless Bambi eyes, along with her delicate nose and lips, made her look much younger than she really was, yet she was surprisingly serious and calm. No one thought she was joking.
In the end, the team leader agreed to take her along, but only after emphasizing that she must not act on her own or leave the team.
Compared to humans who need detectors to find the plants, beasts are naturally sensitive to the plants' energy.
As soon as the Lavaberry ripened, the beasts of Bionysus went into a frenzy.
Even the Stellarcrab and the Dark Wolf changed their migration routes to stop here. Both groups were large, with high-ranking beasts in charge.
Even the admiral had to avoid them and plan from a distance.
The people from Voidstar didn't dare to be reckless either, so they settled near the military base. If the beasts rioted, they could use the big battleship to draw their fire.
The team leader sent Cohen back to the main ship for safety and reported the situation to the admiral. He also consulted the accompanying medical team leader, "She says the Hemoplant needs special handling. Could she be tricking us?"
The medical staff was sitting in a wheelchair with bandages wrapped around his head and body. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
After checking Cohen's condition, he frowned. "If she can stabilize Lieutenant Commander's vital signs with just a level three healing superpower, it means her abilities are indeed quite special. Besides, Lieutenant Commander can't make it back to Eden Prime in his current state."
He didn't say much else, but confirmed that the young woman did have the ability to save lives, unlike himself. His remaining superpower was just enough to keep him alive.
When the team leader returned in his spacesuit, he ran into Lyra at the door.
"Convinced I'm not lying now?" She knew a few words wouldn't fool these Alliance soldiers.
"We just don't have any other options. We hope you can deliver on your promise." The leader stared at her intently, still seeing only calmness and mystery.
"Tomorrow, we'll start a full-scale beast clearance. Once the admiral gives the order, we'll set off."
He then returned to the conference room to assign personnel.
Lyra coughed lightly against her hand, slowly curling her lips into a smile.
"The admiral's son sure is lucky. Even in such a critical moment, they can still spare manpower to save him," Sorren said jealously.
He rubbed his hands together with excitement as he asked Lyra, "How are you planning to get the Lavaberry? A level nine plant! It could sell for a lot."
Just as she had promised years ago, Sorren had made a fortune following Lyra, his appetite growing larger over the years.
Lyra turned her head and said quietly, "It seems you've been living too comfortably these years, daring to set your sights on a level nine plant."
Sorren sheepishly touched his blonde hair, unsure whether Lyra really didn't want the Lavaberry or just didn't want him getting a share.
The next day, the area around the volcano where the Lavaberry was located was already swarming with beasts.
From a distance, the dense crowd looked impenetrable. There were several towering creatures standing two to three hundred meters high, making the volcano seem like a mere fire pit in comparison.
Suddenly, a bright red particle cannon beam shot through the beast horde.
The explosion that followed ignited the beasts' rage, and their deafening roars filled the air as they began to riot.
The ground trembled, and orange-yellow sand was thrown dozens of meters high.
Countless warplanes and mechas flew out of the battleships, resembling giant birds as they continually strafed and attacked, drawing all the beasts' fire.
The chaotic battle began instantly.
The people from Voidstar cheered as they mixed into the fray, driving cars, piloting mecha ships, or even wearing just light armor, charging straight towards the volcano.
However, some barely got close to the beasts before being swatted away and crushed, ending their journey abruptly.
Lyra and her team, wearing spacesuits and riding in a heavily armed Lev (short for levitation car), were less significant than a grain of sand in the chaos.
Ned was driving the Lev. He swerved constantly to avoid the giant beast feet, cursing, "These damn beasts, brainless stupid creatures!"
"You should be thankful that Bionysus has a thin atmosphere. Otherwise, just that roar alone would have deafened us," Lyra remarked.
After breaking through the outer ring of low-level beasts, the team leader ordered the Lev's cloaking device to be activated.
The five-meter-long Lev vanished, leaving only a faint shadow visible as light refracted off its surface.
"The cloaking device only lasts for two hours. We need to move quickly!"
However, this device, which fooled the naked eye by bending light, couldn't deceive the high-level beasts' psychokinesis.
As soon as they entered the beasts' territory, a powerful pressure descended upon them.
The Lev jolted violently as a giant claw blotted out the sky above them.
'Dark Wolf!' Ned's eyes widened in terror as he yanked the power lever to the max, but the claw was too fast.
With a loud bang, the Lev was swatted away.
It tumbled through the air, the cloaking device flickering and revealing their position intermittently.
The team leader grabbed a handle and shouted, "Activate the particle shield!"
A blue, honeycomb-like energy shield enveloped the Lev, softening the impact until it finally came to a stop.
"Is anyone hurt?" The team leader immediately checked on the weakest member, Lyra.
"I'm fine, but it seems we're under a Stellarcrab," Lyra replied calmly, looking out at the enormous crab legs surrounding the car like colossal pillars.