Now, Yang Ming had a bit of an understanding of those Transformed Soldier players who loved to show off their biceps.
The sensation of becoming stronger was indeed exhilarating.
This passageway cut through the vast outer engine room.
Through the thick peripheral glass, Yang Ming could clearly see the various complex mechanical structures and the heart of the spaceship— the inner engine room, glowing with a pale blue light.
Passing through this long corridor would lead to the rear half of the spaceship.
Yang Ming turned a corner, planning to detour to the weapon storage to find some equipment for self-defense, when he had barely run a few steps before he saw over a dozen fully armed Imperial soldiers charging towards him.
While Yang Ming was hesitating whether to let these soldiers experience mechanical deformation in their necks, the leader of the soldiers took the initiative to greet him,
"Captain Hanton! How's the fight going in the lower hold? The captain issued an evacuation order earlier, and everyone has rushed to the lifeboats."
Yang Ming immediately realized that the news of his transformation hadn't yet spread.
"It was extremely fierce," Yang Ming raised his hand to his forehead, his expression filled with apprehension, "I wouldn't recommend you join the fight. Better save yourselves, lads, and go find lifeboats."
The leader frowned, "But Captain! Our only job is to follow orders."
"You're right," Yang Ming stated firmly, "so I'm going to find some equipment and then take on the Valkyrie! The Empire's honor must not be tarnished! The weapon storeroom is this way, right?"
The dozen or so Imperial soldiers looked at him with eyes full of admiration and respect.
"Right, could I get one of your radios?" Yang Ming pointed to the small earpiece in their ears, "I also want to receive orders from above in time."
"Use mine, Captain, I have a spare!"
"Thanks!"
"My honor!"
Yang Ming took the rather clean earpiece.
The group of soldiers saluted in unison, fists raised, then snapped down the transparent visors on their blast helmets, clutching their laser guns and carrying micro thrusters, they ran without looking back towards the inferno ahead.
Yang Ming saluted in the Imperial military fashion, watching the soldiers disappear around the corner before putting on the earpiece and continuing towards the weapon storeroom.
Only a bit of static noise came through the earpiece.
The armory was usually guarded by soldiers, but when Yang Ming arrived, he found that the group of soldiers he had just encountered must have been the guards.
Now, all that stood in his way were two ordinary cabin doors ten centimeters thick.
Yang Ming bellowed to intimidate and unleashed a series of combination punches at the alloy doors, then winced and cradled his swollen right fist, kicking open the cracked door panel.
What greeted his eyes were two rows of neatly stacked laser rifles, and the shelves on the left and right were filled with standard individual soldier equipment.
Yang Ming yanked a tactical backpack off the wall and headed straight for the grenade area.
High-frequency flashbangs, electromagnetic Shock Bombs, rapid-action sleep gas, thermobaric grenades, enemy-facing mines...
Yang Ming grabbed two of each type of throwable weapon he recognized and had used in the "Abyss" game, along with two emergency gel capsules and three spare laser magazines, slung the backpack across his chest, fastened the safety rope, and jumped up and down a few times before picking up an unlocked laser rifle and setting his biological information.
Click-click.
He skillfully disengaged the safety and adopted a standard firing posture with the rifle;
Yang Ming aimed at the blank wall and pulled the trigger—two purple beams flashed by and left burnt marks on the cabin wall.
The power was satisfactory, though it was uncertain if it could harm the Valkyrie.
Yang Ming slung the rifle and prepared to make his escape when his gaze was drawn to a few boxes in the corner.
The Valkyrie in the "Lost Voice" instance, donning fiery red Strong Breeding Armor, held a dark-red ion blade, unstoppable and destructive—only high-level protective shields could withstand her onslaught.
The current Valkyrie, draped in a yukata showing off her figure...
Wait, could the Valkyrie's equipment also be here?
Yang Ming quickly rushed to the boxes, shot through the locks with his laser gun, lifted the lid, and his eyes lit up.
Ion blade and protective shield!
Sadly, they weren't the Valkyrie's set.
Yang Ming grabbed the ion blade that looked like a flashlight out of the box, firmly grasped the hilt, and pressed the hidden button with his thumb.
Hum—
Amid the low hum, Yang Ming's short hair stood on end one by one, and a strong magnetic field constrained the high-energy ionized gas into the shape of a slender blade.
"Well, well," the Light Sword he fought for half a year in the "Abyss" to get his hands on, was now zero cost?
Bring it along, bring it along!
Pressing the switch, Yang Ming stowed away the Light Sword and the glove-style energy shield into his backpack before he left the weapons cache contentedly.
A series of scrambled conversations suddenly came through the headset.
It was the same squad of soldiers from before.
"The target has breached the bottom hold line and is heading our way! Find cover on the spot, permission to use all weapons!"
"Damn it! Did the bottom cargo ejection fail? Or was there no ejection at all?"
"Target sighted! Fire!"
"My god, is she flying?"
"Shoot! Shoot!"
"The red energy shield around her! We can't break through her shield! Captain!"
"Shock Bomb! Use the Shock Bomb!"
"The Shock Bomb doesn't work either! Damn it! No, don't! Ah! Don't come here!"
From the initial conversation to the explosion, the roars, and then those last few panicked screams, the entire sequence lasted no more than half a minute.
If Yang Ming's judgment hadn't failed him, the Valkyrie appeared to be... flying in his direction!
Boom!
The entire starship shook, then the lights flickered a few times before going out completely, leaving only the dim glow of emergency lights in the corridors.
The Valkyrie had destroyed the starship's power system.
Yang Ming hadn't stopped moving; the temperature around him had already dropped a degree or two, indicating he was now not far from the rear mech hangar.
He searched through Hanton's memories for information about this scientific research ship and tapped a few times on the headset to access a busy communication channel.
"Captain, the Valkyrie has broken into the armory! She's looking for weapons... Oh, Emperor Star, she understands our civilization!"
Yang Ming's mouth twitched violently.
He should have blown up the armory with a grenade!
"The Valkyrie is heading toward the hangar! She's flying fast, we can't mount a defense! She's trying to escape our starship!"
"There are two squads assembling in the aft cargo hold, with a few old Mechas there. Their high-energy cannons can be activated... but might puncture the hull."
"Have them start the Mechas and target the Valkyrie!" The captain's voice was no longer calm, "Close the lifeboats' doors at the aft in twenty seconds to disengage from the ship! The resting area lifeboats will disengage in one minute! The bridge lifeboats, stand by! Breach the Valkyrie's protective shield, shoot her body with a laser gun!"
Twenty seconds?
Yang Ming stepped out of the corridor, and his view suddenly widened, revealing a hangar as big as three or four basketball courts.
Also catching his eye were soldiers hiding behind various covers and two Mechas over six meters tall, "Imperial Star" escort Mechas.
The door to the lifeboat at the rear was to the left and front!
Over a dozen people were running towards the door, but it was already closing slowly.
Those who had entered the lifeboat didn't even want to wait for the last few seconds of the countdown!
It was too late!
Completely unconcerned about frightening anyone, Yang Ming leaped from a three-story staircase, the sound of the wind whooshing past his ears.
He could make it!
Even if it meant a hard crash, he would break through that door and board the lifeboat!
Hum—
Yang Ming, suspended in the air, suddenly felt time slowing down, like a slow-motion scene in a movie.
He strained to turn his head to look at the side wall of the hangar; the silver-gray wall seemed to burst into a radiant blossom.
A two-meter-diameter red light sphere melted through the wall.
Inside the light sphere, the Valkyrie's hair fluttered, her feet hanging in mid-air, as her clear eyes focused on Yang Ming falling. A hint of an excited smile appeared on her lips.
"I'll devour you."