Sis Marv, the top doctor on Voidstar No.2, was leaving!
Regular folks just felt anxious, knowing they were losing their lifesaver. People like Blackheart, on the contrary, secretly hoped the spaceship would crash, keeping her around forever.
"Oh, my dear Lyra, I won't get to see your pokerface anymore," Liliana cooed, rubbing Lyra's cold hand against her cheek like a kitten seeking affection. Her red hair fell to reveal bite marks on her back.
"Are you out of your mind, thinking about school? Stay here and get your hands dirty with me!" Blackheart yelled, yanking Liliana back. "If you're leaving, go now and stop tempting my daughter!"
Liliana pouted but obediently nestled into his arms.
Through it all, Lyra only smiled faintly, eagerly anticipating her new life.
"Keep in touch, alright?" Snakehead said, pushing past the overly affectionate father-daughter duo to warmly hold Lyra's hand like a caring elder. "And remember, prioritize supplying 'cores' to our guild. We'll pay you more than that pervert ever could. Trust me, won't you?"
With Blackheart ready to lose his temper again, Lyra nodded, "Don't worry, you'll get as many as you need."
Both men smiled, a bit more relaxed knowing she wasn't planning to run away.
Blackheart grunted, "If there's any problem with the business, I'll personally come to NMA to get you."
Lyra had already left them with a year's supply of 'cores,' so the two men had no immediate desire to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.
Snakehead, more tactful, patted the young man nearby, "Sorren, you've got more experience out there. Take good care of Lyra, alright?"
Sorren nodded quickly, "Rest assured, I'll protect her with my life."
Lyra glanced at him but stayed silent.
Seeing the time was right, she and Sorren prepared to board the ship.
Suddenly, a commotion spread through the crowd.
"Lyra, you're so dead today!" Kline shouted, rushing forward with a metal box flashing red.
His hair was a mess, and his clothes were filthy. He looked desperate.
After exposing Lyra and NMA's dark dealings online, he had been blacklisted from employment everywhere. He had lost his mind.
The crowd scattered in panic, terrified of getting caught in the blast.
"Damn, a particle bomb!"
Blackheart shoved Liliana forward and turned to run. This thing could blow up even a level five mecha; their flesh and blood bodies would be obliterated.
Todd quickly moved to protect Snakehead, "Let's retreat." He glanced at Lyra, knowing she was too valuable to lose, "Miss Shedd should come with us."
"No need."
Lyra extended her hand, and a green dot shot out like a bullet, hitting the bomb.
With a deafening boom, everyone instinctively ducked as the entire spaceport shuddered.
Snakehead felt a tremor in his heart too; he had spent a fortune building this spaceport and had exerted great effort negotiating with the Alliance to secure flight routes.
If it collapsed... just thinking about it made his head spin.
"Don't faint just yet, the spaceport is still standing!"
Snakehead raised his chubby neck and squinted to see several pieces of curved elastic metal constricting in the hall.
The explosion's residue sprayed out only through the gaps, creating a gray flower-like bloom from above.
As for the perpetrator, he had vanished into thin air without leaving a drop of blood.
Sorren glanced fearfully at Lyra, her face expressionless. She truly lived up to her reputation—when she took action, she made sure to eliminate every trace.
If she ever found out what he had done... Sorren couldn't help swallowing hard.
The pungent smell spread. Lyra retracted Schedar with one hand and lightly covered her nose with the other, coughing.
"Let's go... cough, cough."
She headed towards the boarding stairs, and the staff at the checkpoint, too scared to meet her gaze, quickly validated her ticket and hurriedly ushered her aboard.
Planet Snowfall, named for its perpetually snowy weather, was Lyra's destination this time.
Although the water on this planet was usable by humans, its unique molecular structure and planetary environment made it prone to crystallizing.
Even in the height of summer, one could still enjoy the sight of snow, making it a famous tourist planet in the Alliance. More than half of its over twenty cities experienced constant snowfall.
As soon as she stepped off the ship, Lyra was greeted by the cool, moist air, which did wonders to soothe her throat. This place would be perfect if she were only considering residence.
"Let's find a place to stay first."
Sorren, carrying two travel bags, patted his chest. "Already booked, boss, follow me." He hailed a Lev at the spaceport entrance.
"Take us to 27th Street."
The driver's expression turned strange. "You two are visitors? It's a pretty rough neighborhood there, not really idea for sightseeing."
He glanced at the frail young woman, suspecting the man was up to no good. He even considering calling a police.
"What are you looking at? Drive!" Sorren kicked the driver's seat.
Lyra turned her gaze towards the driver. "It's fine, just go where he said."
The city they landed in was called Icicle, famous for its exquisite ice sculptures and many buildings adorned with transparent decorations, creating a dreamy, beautiful scene.
But 27th Street was clearly not part of this picture.
The area appeared somewhat dilapidated, with only the white walls vaguely blending in with the rest of the city.
Yet, the laughter and noise from inside the walls bore an uncanny resemblance to Voidstar.
Lyra was the last to get out of the car and was about to close the door when the driver quickly called out, "Wait a minute."
He seemed hesitant, worried that she might be in trouble. He wondered if he should pull her in and drive off to save her.
"Young lady, you're not an adult yet, are you?"
"...I'm an adult," she finally replied.
Over by the gate, Sorren had already finished talking to the guard and shouted, "Let's go, boss."
Lyra nodded to the driver and turned to leave.
The driver drove off, still bewildered. 'Did he just call her boss?'
Inside, the noise was even more deafening. Some people were gathered around card tables, others were sitting at the bar drinking, laughing loudly.
Lyra's entrance attracted quite a few curious glances.
"Hey, isn't that Sorren? Thought you got nabbed by the cops and were done for!"
An old man wiping glasses behind the bar tossed his rag aside, came over, and slapped Sorren on the back, laughing heartily. He then sneaked a look at the petite young woman.
Winking and nudging, he hinted, "New catch?"
Sorren jumped, glancing nervously at the young woman who seemed increasingly impatient. He quickly elbowed the old man, "Bullshit, I quit that business ages ago. She's my boss now!"