50: Starry Sky Beast

The "behemoths" in the image enlarged rapidly, tearing through the simulated tranquility of the asteroid belt. They weren't orderly ships, but more like... terrifying hybrids of giant worms and crustaceans, writhing with flesh and covered in metallic spikes! Their exoskeletons were a fusion of rusted metal and some sort of dark biological carapace, with desecrated fluorescence and filthy slime flowing across their surfaces. With no visible thrusters, they seemed to "swim" through space, leaving behind a faint, nauseating trail of Warp psychic light. The largest one was over three hundred meters long, with a diameter comparable to a small frigate; its head featured layers upon layers of opening and closing spiral mouthparts filled with sharp teeth. The smaller ones were also over a hundred meters long, varying in form, but all exuded pure chaotic malice and a predator's hunger.

"Genestealers?! No... wait! Are they Tyranids?! Or some kind of Warp-twisted Bio-ship?!" Names of the most terrifying biological threats in the Warhammer universe flashed through Han Zhe's mind, but the monsters before him differed from any he knew; they were more like a twisted fusion of several horrific traits.

"Energy signature analysis: A mixture of high-intensity bio-energy, chaotic fel energy, and unknown metallic resonance. Behavioral pattern: Highly coordinated predatory behavior. Target: Our units (high energy reactions and organic signals). Threat level: Extremely lethal!" keystone's analysis was cold and swift. "Quantity: Seven. Speed: 0.1C, still accelerating!"

0.1C! That far exceeded the Ark's current clumsy maneuverability! And there were seven of them!

"All operational units, abort mission immediately and retreat to the Ark at full speed! I repeat, retreat immediately!" Han Zhe's roar exploded over the public channel. "Alpha, Beta, Gamma, all combat personnel, form an interception formation and cover the retreat! SCVs, return at full speed!"

"Understood!"

"Evacuating now!"

"Interception formation, deploying!"

The channel was instantly filled with short responses and commands. The well-trained soldiers displayed extremely high combat literacy. The SCVs and auxiliary soldiers who were setting explosives immediately cut their connections, thrusters firing at full power as they dragged unfinished equipment toward the Ark. The cmc armor on the perimeter quickly converged toward the center, forming a sparse steel defensive line along the SCVs' retreat path.

"Fire! Free fire! Slow them down!" Alpha-01's command was crisp and decisive.

The already-standing-by "long nail" heavy sniper rifles were the first to let out a silent roar! Several ultra-high-speed metal rods, nearly invisible to the naked eye, shot toward the largest monster leading the charge with terrifying kinetic energy! However, that monster's seemingly clumsy body twisted eerily at the last moment; most of the rods grazed its thick bio-metallic carapace, only plowing a few deep, pus-oozing furrows, while the few that hit were deflected or embedded by the exceptionally tough shell, failing to cause a fatal wound!

"Carapace strength is extremely high! Kinetic weapons are ineffective!"

"Switch to 'downpour' and 'Needle Rain'! Cover fire! Aim for joints and suspected sensory organs!" shouted the Commander of Beta Squad.

The "downpour" Gauss machine guns began to hiss, pouring a dense barrage of metal into the swarm. Simultaneously, the searing beams of the "needle rain-ii type" Rail-assisted laser rifles lit up. This time they achieved some results; fragments flew and slime splattered from the surfaces of several smaller monsters as they let out silent shrieks (translated into piercing psionic noise by the armor's sensors), and their charge speed faltered slightly.

But it was far from enough! The largest monster, seemingly enraged by the attack, snapped its spiral mouthparts open. A viscous green energy/matter mixture breath, reeking of strong acid and chaotic Warp light, sprayed out like a high-pressure water gun, sweeping toward the cmc armor group organizing the defense!

"Evade!" Before the warning could even finish, the breath was already upon them!

Two CMC-2A model armors from Beta Squad that couldn't dodge in time were hit head-on! Under that eerie breath, the thick "Simulated Taosteel" armor actually corroded and melted as quickly as butter meeting a hot knife! The soldiers inside only had time to let out a short scream before they, along with their armor, were turned into a twisted, smoking mass of metal and organic residue!

"02! 07!" The grief-stricken roars of comrades echoed in the channel.

"Don't try to tank it! Scatter! Mobile firing! Buy time for the SCVs!" Alpha-01's eyes were bloodshot, yet he maintained the composure a Commander should have. He knew there was no chance of winning a head-on clash with these monsters.

The cmc armor group began to use more flexible maneuvers to evade the breath and the monsters' limbs, which were being swung like energy blades. Their firepower was more scattered, but they continued to resist tenaciously. Two more suits were hit by claws or tail stingers and severely damaged, but the pilots managed to break away under the cover of their comrades.

By now, the SCVs had perilously rushed back into the Ark's open recovery bay. The last auxiliary soldier also scrambled inside.

"All personnel retreat complete! Closing bay doors!" keystone reported.

"Interception squads, alternate cover and retreat! Get back to the Ark!" Han Zhe ordered immediately. He couldn't let his precious soldiers die in vain any longer.

"Understood! Alternating retreat! Group A goes first!"

The remaining dozen or so cmc armors split into two groups, alternating fire and retreating. The monsters pursued relentlessly; they seemed to have identified the Ark as the larger "prey," with three monsters staying behind to harass the retreating armor while the other four lunged directly for the Ark itself!

The Ark's thrusters had long since preheated, and now they suddenly emitted an even more intense wake as the ship began to clumsily accelerate and turn, attempting to escape. But an acceleration of 0.05G seemed so sluggish in the face of monsters with a pursuit speed of 0.1C.

"Port side, monster approaching! Distance five kilometers!" the observer from Gamma Squad reported urgently.

A smaller but exceptionally agile monster, resembling a giant metal centipede, had already wound its way to the Ark's left side, its sharp forelimbs gouging fiercely into the hull armor!

Boom!

The dull impact traveled through the hull, making the entire Ark vibrate! At the point of impact, the "Simulated Taosteel" armor plating dented inward with a tooth-aching sound of twisting metal, and even fine cracks appeared at the edges! This monster's physical strength was terrifying!

"Port side C-7 sector armor damaged! Structural integrity down 8%!" keystone assessed quickly.

"Point defense weapon systems! Fire!" Han Zhe roared. The Ark was not entirely unarmed; during the "Sword Forging" period, some fixed "downpour" machine gun towers and light laser cannons had been installed in key areas using idle capacity and some Gauss technology.

Instantly, several turrets on the port side popped out, pouring frantic fire onto the monster clinging to the hull! Bullets and beams struck the monster's carapace, sending sparks flying and slime splashing; though they couldn't penetrate immediately, they forced its body to writhe, interrupting its gouging actions.

However, two other monsters were also approaching from different directions! The largest one opened its horrific spiral mouthparts, and that ghostly green breath began to gather once more!

"Don't let it hit the hull!" Han Zhe's eyes felt like they were bursting. That breath could melt even cmc armor in an instant; one could only imagine the damage it would do to the Ark!

"Flight control! Emergency maneuver! Full thrust, hard to starboard! Use the rear thruster exhaust to disrupt it!" He shouted the command almost instinctively, while lunging for the auxiliary control stick himself.

The Ark's massive body tilted sharply to the right, and the rear thrusters pivoted; the brilliant white plasma flood was no longer directed straight back, but swept toward the giant monster charging up its breath on the side!

The searing high-temperature plasma stream washed over the monster's head and forebody, instantly evaporating the slime on its surface and burning its carapace until it was glowing red and cracking! The monster let out an even more frenzied silent roar, its charge-up interrupted as its body was sent tumbling away by the impact.

But this emergency maneuver also caused the Ark to temporarily lose control of its orientation, and its speed dropped sharply. The other two monsters took the opportunity to pounce, leaving more deep scratches and pits on the hull with their claws and tail stingers! Internal alarms blared in unison!

"Structural damage intensifying! B-4 sector pipelines ruptured! D-12 sector external sensor array disabled!"

"Two starboard point defense fire points destroyed!"

"Inertial dampeners overloaded! Hive center reports internal vibrations exceeding limits!"

The Ark was like a giant whale being besieged by a pack of sharks; although it was thick-skinned, under the frantic and sustained attacks, it was already covered in wounds and its situation was becoming precarious.

At that moment, the last batch of intercepting cmc armor finally withdrew, and the hatch closed. However, three monsters remained outside, frantically attacking the hull.

"Commander! Let us out! We'll attack their joints or weak points from the inside!" Alpha-01 requested combat over the channel, his voice filled with resolve.

"No! Going out is a death sentence!" Han Zhe gritted his teeth and refused. Outside was a vacuum, the monsters' home turf; the mobility of cmc armor was far inferior to these space predators.

They had to find a way to shake them off! Or... kill them!

"All remaining point-defense fire, concentrate on the same one! 'keystone', calculate their carapace vibration frequency and energy weaknesses! Find the resonance point!" Han Zhe forced himself to stay calm, searching for a chance to win.

"Analyzing... unstable fluctuations detected in target energy field... the shell-metal chimeric structure exhibits brief stress weaknesses at joints under sustained high-frequency impact..." keystone quickly gave feedback, marking several slightly glowing "weak points" on the monsters on the tactical screen.

"All units! Aim for the marked points! 'downpour' machine guns, maintain suppression! 'long nail' snipers, armor-piercing rounds, hit those bright spots for me!" Han Zhe roared.

The surviving point-defense towers and the cmc armor, which had quickly taken their positions after retreating and were firing out through internal firing ports, immediately adjusted their fire. The dense rain of bullets and beams no longer scattered but concentrated on the marked "bright spots" of a monster that was tearing at the starboard armor with its sharp claws.

Initially, the attacks were still deflected or absorbed by the thick carapace. But as the assault continued, the monster's body vibrated more violently. At the "bright spots" under concentrated fire, fine cracks began to appear in the carapace, and more foul liquid seeped out.

"Now! 'long nail'!"

Several specialized armor-piercing explosive rounds with delayed fuses hit those cracks almost simultaneously!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Muffled explosions occurred inside the monster! They weren't earth-shattering, but the effect was significant! The monster's movements suddenly froze, followed by an even more shrill (psionic) shriek. Its massive body twitched violently, its claws tearing at the hull went limp, and it began to tumble and disintegrate into the void, foul entrails and metal fragments gushing from the ruptures!

One down!

"It's working! Keep it up! Focus fire on the next one!" Hope, like a spark, ignited instantly.

The same tactic was repeated. Concentrated fire, sustained suppression, finding resonance weaknesses, and then the fatal blow from the "long nail." Another smaller monster was successfully killed under the siege.

But the remaining five, especially the largest one, seemed to become more cunning and furious. They no longer clung to the ship to gnaw on it but began to cruise around the Ark at high speeds, constantly harassing with breath or long-range energy attacks, wearing down the Ark's armor and point-defense fire.

The Ark's speed still couldn't be increased, and it was covered in scars. Resources were being consumed rapidly to repair damage and replenish point-defense ammunition.

"We'll be worn down to death at this rate..." Han Zhe looked at the five hideous figures still in pursuit on the monitor, then at the Ark, which was struggling to stabilize but whose speed remained stagnant. A bold and risky plan formed in his mind.

"All personnel, secure yourselves! 'keystone', prepare for an emergency space jump! Target: the nearest asteroid ahead, a solid rock at least fifty meters in diameter!" He ordered into the communication channel and to keystone simultaneously.

"Warning: Safety jump device not installed. Forcing a short-range Warp carries risks of hull deconstruction, Warp contamination, and navigation failure. Success rate: below 15%." keystone immediately gave a grim assessment.

"Execute! That's an order!" Han Zhe had no time to explain. If they didn't jump, death was certain. If they did, there was a slim chance of survival!

"...Command confirmed. Initiating emergency space Warp protocol. Coordinates locked... Channeling energy into the 'Wide-Area Intelligent Shield Array', attempting to temporarily construct a local space bubble... Risk is extremely high..."

The light from the Ark's main thrusters at the rear suddenly extinguished. In its place, the runes and energy conduits of the Wide-Area Intelligent Shield Array on the hull's surface lit up frantically! The eerie blue light was no longer restrained but pulsed and expanded like a breath, enveloping the entire Ark in a rapidly destabilizing sphere of light.

The five pursuing monsters seemed to sense something; they became more frantic and accelerated their pounce!

Just as the largest monster was about to spit again—

Buzz!

A dizzying, bizarre sensation, as if space itself was being forcibly bent and then snapped back, swept through every conscious being inside the Ark!

The starry sky and the hideous figures of the monsters outside the portholes were instantly elongated and distorted, turning into unrecognizable, kaleidoscopic ribbons of light, then... suddenly plunged into a brief, absolute darkness and silence!

The next second, a violent impact sensation, as if being thrown into a high-speed centrifuge, arrived!

BOOM!!!!

The Ark shuddered violently, accompanied by the bone-chilling sound of tearing metal and crushing rock! The piercing alarms instantly reached their peak!

"Impact! Impact! The bow has collided violently with the target asteroid!"

"Severe structural damage! Multiple bulkhead ruptures from Area A to Area D! Pressure leak!"

"Main power line interrupted! Switching to backup circuits!"

"'Hive' center reporting... life support system fluctuations..."

Han Zhe was thrown hard against the console by the massive impact; a ringing sound filled his helmet, and stars danced before his eyes. He struggled to lift his head and look at the main screen.

Outside the porthole, it was no longer the empty starry sky, but a massive wall of rock covered in cracks—they had crashed into an asteroid! Or rather, they were half-embedded in it.

The emergency jump was successful... but it came at a heavy price. The hull was severely damaged, and the power system was unstable.

But... what about those monsters?

"External scan... pursuer signals... disappeared. None detected near the jump exit point." keystone's static-filled report came through, clearly affected by the impact as well.

They had shaken them off! Or, the chaotic space Warp had interfered with their tracking.

For now... they were safe.

Han Zhe slumped in the command chair, gasping for air, feeling as if all his strength had been drained. Inside the ship, warning lights flashed everywhere, smoke lingered (quickly being drawn away by the purification system), and the muffled groans and inquiries of soldiers could be heard.

"Report casualties and losses." His voice was hoarse.

The preliminary statistics soon arrived: four Beta Squad soldiers killed, seven seriously injured, and countless minor injuries. Two cmc armor units were completely destroyed, with many others damaged. No losses to the SCVs. The Ark's structural integrity had dropped to 65%, with multiple outer armor breaches and several non-critical internal areas destroyed; the power system would take time to repair. The "Hive" center suffered from the shock of the impact, but the core cultivation tanks were preserved; the status of the delta batch required further evaluation.

A pyrrhic victory. No, it wasn't even a victory, just a brutal escape.

But at least, they survived.

And, a blessing in disguise, they were now half-embedded in an asteroid rich in metals and silicates. This rock, over eighty meters in diameter, was both the source of their trauma and had become a temporary "bunker" and... a new "mineral deposit."

"Clear the scene, rescue the wounded, and assess repair priorities." Han Zhe forced himself to rally and issued orders, "At the same time, scan the composition of this asteroid. Since we're already here... let's 'eat' it."

The steel cradle was damaged again, but it had not capsized.

In the dark depths of space, it had found a "reef" to which it could temporarily cling and from which it could draw nutrients to repair itself.

And in the distance, were those seven (and perhaps more) twisted predators still cruising? What secrets lay hidden in the region where they appeared?

Han Zhe didn't know. He only knew that the road to survival had never been so bloody and real.

He wiped away the blood from his lip, bitten at some unknown moment, and his gaze became cold and hard once more.

Repair. Mine. Continue to gestate.

And then, become stronger.

Until... they had the power to face those monsters in the stars and tear them apart with their own hands.