205: The Wreck Maze and the "Silver" Strike

Following the "Silver Flow Vanguard Squad" that had been "tricked" into setting off, Wen Youyi and the other five ventured deep into the northeastern region of the Starry Sky Debris.

The scenery here was completely different from the surroundings of the base. The debris was denser and more massive, as if they had trespassed into a primeval forest made of metal and rock. Giant ship keels resembled collapsed mountain ranges, twisted armor plates formed eerie arches, and from time to time, huge, unknown mechanical structures abruptly lay across the path, blocking the way.

The light was also dimmer, with only the brief flashes brought by the irregular energy turbulence passing in the distance, illuminating the hideous outline of this realm of death. The air was filled with denser energy turbulence, and even with the filtration of the "Starfire Armor," one could still feel a slight tingling sensation on the skin.

"This damn place... is even creepier than the mass graves back home." Zhao Iron Pillar tightened his grip on his heavy sword and muttered. Even a brute like him felt a hint of unease.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wang Wu scolded in a low voice, holding a simple compass-shaped Magical Artifact in his hand—this was an "Energy Pointer" urgently crafted by Senior Brother Li, which could assist in tracking the faint energy traces left by the "Flowing Silver" squad. "Keep up, those 'Flowing Silver' are not slow, don't lose them."

The "Silver Flow Vanguard Squad" was in its element in this debris labyrinth. Sometimes they turned into a flat puddle, sliding through narrow gaps; sometimes they condensed into a silver rope, swinging across broken chasms; occasionally, they even "melted" directly into certain metal walls and drilled out from the other side, as if this hard debris were just soft mud to them.

This made things difficult for Wen Youyi and the others following behind. They did not have the ability to pass through walls, so they could only rely on their legs and limited climbing tools to arduously follow the traces, occasionally having to take detours or work together to push aside smaller debris blocking the path, making slow progress.

"Boss, these iron lumps are definitely doing this on purpose!" Zhao Iron Pillar panted, having just worked with another team member to push aside a piece of twisted metal plate stuck in the passageway entrance. "They specifically pick the hard paths!"

Wen Youyi also had sweat on his forehead, but his eyes remained focused: "They are just relying on instinct to find the path with the most 'concentrated' energy, which actually proves we are heading in the right direction. Everyone stay alert and keep watch; anything could pop up in a place like this."

His premonition soon became reality.

While passing through an area composed of countless broken pipes, resembling a giant bird's nest, Wang Wu, who was walking in the front, suddenly made a gesture to signal a stop.

"There's movement!" He lowered his voice, pointing into the depths of the "bird's nest."

Everyone immediately held their breath and focused, each looking for cover. In the shadows of the pipes, a few dim green lights lit up, accompanied by a teeth-grinding "click" sound. Soon, several strange-looking creatures crawled out.

They were about half a person tall, their bodies looking like they were randomly pieced together from various rusty metal parts. Eight sharp mechanical legs supported a spherical body, and in front of the body was a metal mouthpart that constantly opened and closed, covered in jagged teeth. The dim green light was emitted from deep within the mouthpart.

"It's a 'Cleaner'!" Senior Brother Li's expression changed as he recognized this low-level construct creature recorded in the ancient database. "They are usually automatic cleaning units inside starships. It seems they have gone out of control and are treating us as 'trash' that needs to be cleaned up!"

The "Cleaners" had clearly also discovered Wen Youyi and the others. Their dim green lights locked onto them, and their eight mechanical legs moved rapidly, charging over with a harsh, screeching noise!

"Prepare for combat!" Wen Youyi shouted in a low voice, and his Star Domain instantly expanded, shielding everyone.

Zhao Iron Pillar roared, and his heavy sword slashed toward the "Cleaner" charging at the front with a fierce wind!

"Clang!" With a loud bang, sparks flew everywhere! The "Cleaner" was knocked rolling away and had a deep gash on its body, but it shook its head and actually crawled back up. Its defense was astonishing!

The Spells from Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li blasted onto another "Cleaner," but only scorched its surface metal, slightly slowing its movements.

"This thing's shell is really hard!" Zhao Iron Pillar cursed.

Wen Youyi frowned slightly. The individual strength of these "Cleaners" was not too strong, roughly equivalent to a Middle Stage Cultivator, but their defense was troublesome, and their numbers were unknown. Fighting them for too long would be disadvantageous for them.

Just then, he noticed that the "Silver Flow Vanguard Squad" that had been leading the way had stopped and gathered to the side, their silver liquid surfaces rippling as if they were... "watching"? They had no reaction to the "Cleaners," neither attacking nor showing fear, as if they were watching a spectacle that had nothing to do with them.

A thought occurred to Wen Youyi, and he tried to convey a message to the "Flowing Silver" through the star core fragment: "Help... solve them... there's something delicious..."

However, the "Flowing Silver" only rippled more violently, conveying back a vague thought of "Hungry... want to eat...", but they had no intention of stepping forward to help. Instead, they retreated slightly, as if they were annoyed that this fight was ruining their "leisure" of foraging.

Wen Youyi: "..."

Good grief, they can't be commanded? Taking benefits without doing any work?

It seems that although these "Flowing Silver" have a certain level of intelligence, making them actively attack other entities is not something that can be done at the moment. Their core logic seems to be only "seeking energy" and "maintaining themselves."

"Better to rely on oneself than others! Quick battle, quick decision!" Wen Youyi gave up on asking for help, his eyes turning sharp. "Attack the joints and the glowing mouthparts!"

He contracted his Star Domain, concentrating his defense, and simultaneously gripped his hands in the air, channeling Star Power. Several condensed silver beams shot out as precisely as scalpels, aiming directly at the mechanical leg joints and the dim green mouthparts of a "Cleaner"!

"Puff! Ssh!" The beams flashed, and the two front legs of that "Cleaner" snapped off in response. Its mouthpart was also knocked askew, the dim green light flickered a few times, then extinguished, and its entire body twitched before falling to the ground, motionless.

Once the weakness was found, it was easy to handle! Zhao Iron Pillar and the others were greatly encouraged and aimed their attacks at the joints and mouthparts. Soon, the remaining "Cleaners" were also solved one by one, turning into a pile of real scrap metal.

The battle ended, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Senior Brother Li hurried forward, trying to dismantle some potentially useful parts from the "Cleaner" debris.

Seeing that the battle had ended and sensing the (feigned) scent of "something delicious" in Wen Youyi's hand, the group of "Flowing Silver" slowly gathered back together, continuing to creep in the established direction, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.

"These masters..." Zhao Iron Pillar looked at their backs, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Wen Youyi also shook his head helplessly. These "Flowing Silver" were truly useful, but their "personalities" were also truly strong. It seems that wanting to fully control them is a long and arduous road.

"Let's go, keep following. Everyone be careful, we haven't been deep for long." Wen Youyi reminded them.

After this little episode, the team was even more cautious. In this silent and dangerous debris labyrinth, following a group of unreliable "foodie" guides, they trudged toward the unknown land of energy.

(End of chapter)