86: Corona Binder and Desperate Activation

The "Corona" scout boat went completely out of control in the violent impact, tumbling as it fell toward Mercury's rocky ground, scorched red by the sun. The ear-piercing alarms, the groans of twisting metal, and the shriek of plasma scraping against the hull outside mixed together like a concerto of death.

"Steady! Activate all backup thrusters! Attempt a forced landing!" Sun Zheng roared into the communicator while gripping the fixed handrail tightly during the violent jolting. His calmness infected the others; the pilot desperately manipulated the nearly failed control system, while the Engineer tried with all his might to restore some power.

"Thruster response is weak! Falling speed is too fast! We might have to make a hard landing!"

At this critical moment, the glimmer keystone on Sun Zheng's chest suddenly erupted with intense blue light! A surge of pure Order Energy poured out on its own—not as an attack, but forming a dense buffer field that enveloped the bottom of the "Corona"!

Bang—!!!

Accompanied by a dull roar and violent tremors, the "Corona" slammed hard onto the surface of Mercury, kicking up a sky full of high-temperature dust. The hull was severely deformed and damaged in several places, but thanks to the keystone's final buffer, it did not disintegrate on the spot.

"Report casualties!" Sun Zheng shook his dizzy head and asked urgently.

"Structural damage is severe, life support system is leaking! Three minor injuries, no fatalities! But... we're trapped!" the Engineer reported after a quick check.

Worse still, that blazing white energy phantom—let's call it the "Corona Binder Spirit" for now—had not left. It hovered in mid-air like a burning ghost, "watching" the crashed scout boat with indifference. It seemed to feel extreme disgust and aggression toward the Order Energy emanating from the boat.

"It's still outside! Energy levels are high, it's gathering for the next attack!" the sensor operator's voice tightened as he looked at the blinding ball of light outside.

The "Corona's" weapon systems were destroyed in the crash, and the shield generator was completely scrapped. They were now like fish on a chopping block.

"We can't just sit here and wait for death!" Sun Zheng looked at the energy body getting brighter outside the porthole, then at the distant order beacon tower still standing under the glow of the Corona. An extremely risky plan formed in his mind.

"The beacon! We must activate the beacon!" Sun Zheng said quickly. "The powerful Order Energy field emitted by the beacon might be able to suppress or disperse this 'Corona Binder Spirit'! This is our only way out!"

"But Commander, the beacon is over a kilometer away! Outside is high-temperature vacuum and intense radiation! Standard spacesuits won't last minutes!" the Engineer reminded him.

"Use the exploration rover! The 'Corona' carries a small heat-resistant exploration rover!" Sun Zheng pointed to the hatch in the belly of the boat. "I'll drive it over! You guys find a way to fix the communications and request help from hope!"

"It's too dangerous! Let us go!" several team members argued.

"Stop arguing! Only I can maximize the power of the keystone to counter the radiation and possible attacks on the way." Sun Zheng put on the spare heavy cooling suit with no room for argument and checked the status of the exploration rover. "This is an order!"

He took a deep breath and opened the airlock door. Scorching heat flooded in instantly; even with the cooling suit, he felt a moment of suffocation. He quickly climbed into the heat-resistant exploration rover, which looked like a small tank.

"Good luck, Commander!"

The exploration rover's engine let out a low growl and charged out of the "Corona," racing toward the beacon tower across the rugged, heat-shimmering surface of Mercury!

Almost the moment the exploration rover appeared, the "Corona Binder Spirit" in the air spotted the moving target! It let out a silent shriek and turned into a streak of white light, diving down!

"It's coming!" Sun Zheng saw the chasing white light through the rearview mirror and pushed the exploration rover's speed to the limit, while simultaneously pushing the keystone to its full potential to form a thin Order Shield around the vehicle.

"Boom!"

The "Corona Binder Spirit" slammed into the Order Shield, making the exploration rover shake violently and the shield light flicker wildly! High temperatures burned through the shield onto the vehicle body, and the hull began to glow red!

Sun Zheng gritted his teeth and charged forward recklessly! Five hundred meters to the beacon tower! Three hundred meters!

The "Corona Binder Spirit's" attacks grew more frenzied, constantly striking and tearing at the Order Shield. The keystone's energy was being consumed rapidly, and Sun Zheng felt waves of dizziness.

One hundred meters! Fifty meters!

The exploration rover's hull had already begun to melt! The Order Shield was on the verge of collapse!

"Now!" Sun Zheng aimed at an interface on the beacon tower's base and drove the exploration rover, which was on the brink of disintegrating, right into it!

The moment before the impact, he jumped out of the cabin and simultaneously injected the little Order Energy left in his body, along with the full power of the keystone, into the beacon tower's base interface!

"In the name of order... activate!"

Hum—!!!!

As if a giant beast sleeping for eons had awakened, the blue crystal at the top of the order beacon tower suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant light! A solid blue beam of light shot into the sky, piercing the Corona and reaching deep into the universe!

Centering on the beacon tower, a powerful and pure Order Energy field rapidly spread out like a shockwave!

The "Corona Binder Spirit" preparing to deliver the final blow to Sun Zheng was hit head-on by this sudden Order Energy field. It let out a shrill wail that seemed to come from the depths of its soul, and its blazing white body quickly dimmed and dissipated like it had met its nemesis, finally vanishing into nothingness.

The powerful Order Energy field also instantly dispersed the surrounding violent radiation and high temperatures, forming a brief habitable zone.

Sun Zheng collapsed at the base of the beacon tower, looking at this miraculous scene before him and showing a relieved smile.

The first beacon, activation successful!

Almost at the same moment, he felt that the other four beacons located elsewhere in the Solar System seemed to resonate weakly with it.

The order cage was slightly reinforced.

"hope... this is Sun Zheng... mission... accomplished..."

He sent a weak but clear message into the damaged communicator.