"These beasts are treating us like a ball, kicking us around!"
Before the words could fully settle, a heart-pounding pressure wrapped around the group, like a heavy, chilling wave sweeping over them.
It was the psychokinesis of the Stellarcrab.
These beasts use their psychokinesis to command their groups and other lower-tier creatures. This power marks their rank, far stronger than any human's.
"Ned, drive now!"
No matter how much the team leader urged, Ned was pale and sweaty, his hands slipping on the control lever. He was clearly paralyzed by the psychokinesis.
Lyra's eyes flashed—here it comes!
The Stellarcrab released a powerful stream of hot air from its lower abdomen, blasting the Lev away.
Lyra clung to the handrail tightly, thinking to herself, 'Maybe this is what riding a roller coaster feels like?'
The temperature inside the vehicle shot up abruptly. Red warning lights buzzed to life, and then they crashed heavily at the foot of a volcano.
Suddenly, they were within the range of several high-tier psychokinesis fields.
These beasts didn't care about them at all, their focus entirely on the ripening Lavaberry.
In about ten minutes, the real disaster would begin.
Once the high-tier beasts started fighting, if they got caught in it, there would be no way they'd survive.
"Captain, what do we do now?" Ned asked, his face a mask of regret.
The team leader gritted his teeth, "Get out and pilot the mechas in!" He turned to Lyra, "Sis Marv, you come with me."
"May I ask, what level are your mechas?" Lyra asked bluntly.
"Mine is level six, the others are level five, all combat types."
"Then I refuse to go out," Lyra said almost mercilessly. "Even a level six mecha can't withstand a high-tier beast's attack. I'm safer hiding in Lev while you all draw their fire."
Ned glared at her in disbelief, "How can you be so cold-blooded?!"
The cold-blooded young woman spread her hands, "You pay me to heal, not to die alongside you."
Not just Ned, but the other guards also gave her subtle looks.
"If it wasn't for you saying we needed the Hemoplant, we wouldn't even be here…"
"Enough! Cuss will stay and drive Lev. The rest of us will split up and meet at the volcano's crater."
The leader cut off Ned's outburst, and then he glared at the emotionless young woman, "Sis Marv, I hope once we get the Hemoplant, you can heal him just as you've promised."
Lyra didn't seem to care about his half-threatening.
When the Dark Wolf let out a terrifying roar, the ground began to tremble.
The beast's ray shot at the volcano, creating a huge breach, and scarlet lava started pouring out!
"Move out!"
The guards, pale-faced, piloted their mechas into the thick smoke.
A massive crab claw descended from above, and the leader screamed hysterically, "Retreat!"
At that moment, a dazzling railgun shot from the sky, piercing through the crab claw.
"The admiral's team is here to support us!"
Everyone shouted in surprise, then rushed into the volcano's crater.
Meanwhile, the bounty hunters of Voidstar were also riding the waves and rushing in, swarming into the volcano.
"Let's go too," Cuss said, pulling the power lever.
Lyra's eyes flickered as she said, "Our target is the Hemoplant. Let's go in last."
Cuss thought that made sense; he didn't want to compete with Voidstar's hyenas for the Lavaberry. He started up the Lev and followed them in.
As soon as they entered the crater, the temperature soared. Without their spacesuits, they would have been roasted alive.
"The lava below is acting strangely," Cuss said, maneuvering the Lev to hover in the air, a hint of fear in his voice.
He didn't notice Lyra's hands shaking as she gripped tightly.
"Let's stick close to the cliff and look for the Hemoplant," Cuss suggested.
The molten lava below grew brighter and more turbulent, roiling violently.
Others began to notice the abnormality.
Todd was standing at the cockpit window. He nervously adjusted his glasses, "Something's not right."
"Why aren't the Dark Wolf and Stellarcrab coming in?" Liliana, from another ship, muttered.
Suddenly, her face changed as she shouted, "Retreat quickly!"
"Roar—"
A giant scarlet lizard emerged from the lava.
With ferocious bone spurs and a gaping maw, it instantly crushed a nearby fighter.
The lizard perched at the crater, swiping its claws and tail, turning countless mechas and Levs into dust.
Cuss pulled the Lev tightly to the cliff wall, his face twisted in fear. "Dear God, it's a level-eight Pyrodrake! I wonder how the captain and the others are doing?"
Just as they were about to retreat, the light from above was blocked—Stellarcrab and Dark Wolf, along with other level-seven beasts, had arrived.
The real nightmare had begun.
Facing the wild energy rays, the devastating fangs, and claws, it was almost impossible for Lyra and Cuss to find any space to survive among the roiling lava.
As they were caught in the explosive shockwaves of the energy collisions, Cuss felt a cold chill in his heart, "Sis Marv, you need to…"
A sharp pain hit the back of his neck, and he passed out.
Lyra unbuckled her seatbelt. She grabbed the steering and power levers, and then she piloted the hovering Lev through falling boulders, diving into a cave in the cliff.
The level-eight Pyrodrake was originally the overlord of Bionysus, maintaining a truce with the passing Stellarcrab clan.
But with the Lavaberry ripening, the relationship between the innkeeper and the guests had broken down.
The Stellarcrab planned to unite with other level-seven beasts to eliminate the Pyrodrake.
This way, the energy core of the level-eight beast and the Lavaberry would be enough to share.
The warships continued to clear out other beasts, while the crater had descended into chaos.
The number of people from Voidstar had already significantly reduced. Todd, steering his ship away from the high-level beasts' battle zone, contacted Liliana's ship with a grim face, "Do you have any extra medical units? I need five."
The situation on Bionysus was worse than anticipated. If they didn't heal the wounded quickly, they wouldn't stand a chance against the other two groups.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. We do sell medical units, but… who would bring such goods on a mission?" Liliana said, one hand on her slender waist. "But if it's you asking, it'll be a hundred thousand credits, per level-three unit."
Todd felt his heart bleeding. "I remember your products only cost thirty thousand each."
"But this is a special situation."
Todd almost smashed the communicator. He should have known these robbers excel at exploiting desperate situations. Yet, he had no choice but to accept the extortion.
He swore he must get the Lavaberry! Otherwise, his boss would kill him.
The next second, a thunderous roar from the Pyrodrake echoed through the volcano.
"What's going on? Has the Pyrodrake been taken down?" Todd rushed to the monitor screen.
A bright, silvery arc moved impossibly fast among the beasts, falling rocks, and lava. It took a moment for everyone to realize it was a person!
"Who is that?!"
Not just Todd, but everyone who had temporarily retreated was equally shocked.
This person seemed to be performing an elegant and thrilling dance, with their target being the highly coveted Lavaberry!