Chapter 242 Big Loss. (3)

Words : 1097 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

While gritting her teeth, Nyra cursed under her breath, her mind racing. Cleo's calm demeanor was unnerving; she never sounded like that unless something big was happening. Whatever had Cleo's attention must have been catastrophic enough to prevent her from sending aid. "What the hell is going on up there?" Nyra muttered to herself as she picked up her pace, her boots pounding against the trembling floor. Once Cleo cut the communication line with Nyra, her attention returned to the massive space crack that loomed ominously in front of the Cleopatra. Her mind raced as she analyzed the situation, the faint hum of the ship's systems serving as the only background noise in the tense command room. From the void of the crack emerged an object of terrifying scale, a colossal asteroid, several kilometers in size, slowly pulling itself into the physical plane. Cleo's golden eyes narrowed as she initiated a scan of the object, her fingers flying across the holographic interface. "Its trajectory is clear... the trading station," Cleo muttered to herself. The asteroid's path was locked onto the already battered station, and its sheer size guaranteed total annihilation if it made contact. Her initial decision was swift and calculated. "Order: All fleet units under my command are to focus fire on the asteroid. We'll blow it up before it fully emerges from the crack." The fleet began to mobilize, their long-range weapons locking onto the asteroid. However, just as the first orders were about to be executed, Cleo's HUD lit up with new data. The asteroid wasn't just a massive rock; it was glowing faintly, radiating a familiar, unsettling purplish energy. Cleo's eyes widened slightly, her sharp instincts flaring. "Cancel all firing orders immediately. Stand by for further instructions." Her mind churned as she analyzed the data, trying to piece together what was happening. "Deploy recon drones. Priority: Full scan of the asteroid." Hundreds of drones launched from the frigates surrounding the Cleopatra, their sleek forms racing toward the asteroid like a swarm of fireflies. Each drone began feeding real-time data back to the flagship, and within seconds, a 4D hologram of the asteroid began constructing itself in front of Cleo. Layer by layer, the asteroid was digitally dissected, revealing its internal structure. Cleo's gaze sharpened as the hologram reached the core and her suspicions were finally confirmed. Embedded in the center of the asteroid was a massive purplish crystal, pulsating with energy that matched the readings from the Great Rock's crystals. But this crystal was far larger, with its power exponentially increasing. "Tsk," Cleo muttered with a hint of frustration slipping into her otherwise calm demeanor. "So in the end, my instincts were right. Something is wrong." The asteroid wasn't just a weapon; it was a trap. If destroyed recklessly, the energy within the crystal could trigger catastrophic consequences. Cleo's mind raced as she closed her eyes, running simulations through her neural interface. "Running simulation: Detonate the asteroid." The results were displayed almost instantly: Result: Total destruction of the sector due to a massive space-time crack. Cleo frowned. "....." "Running simulation: Intercept the asteroid with obelisks." The simulation ran again, and the results appeared: "All ships, prepare for immediate evacuation procedures. Prioritize transporting civilians and personnel from the trading station. Fighters, focus on suppressing any remaining threats." While Cleo was stopping the asteroid with meticulous precision and monumental effort, Nyra was sprinting for her life through the chaos-ridden trading station. Her breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, and her crimson eyes darted around for threats. Her personal shield flickered weakly around her, on the verge of breaking after enduring too many close calls. "FUCK! What now?! Are they insane or something? DAMN ROCK BRAINS!" Nyra screamed as yet another golem came barreling toward her down the corridor. Before she could react, the golem detonated, the blast sending her skidding across the floor, her body coated in a fine layer of dust and debris. She coughed and spat, shaking her head clear as her shield blinked dangerously, flickering like a dying lightbulb. "Mmmm? Sis... where are we right now?" a weak, groggy voice mumbled from behind her. Nyra's eyes widened slightly as she felt Lyra stirring on her back. "Lyra! You're awake! Thank the stars!" Nyra exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. But the relief was short-lived as she remembered the hellish situation she was still in. "And as for where we are... I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE! I've been trying to reach the hangar, but these crazy golems keep charging at me and exploding! I had to keep changing directions to avoid getting turned into a pile of ash! And to make things worse, Master hasn't updated the coordinates she sent me before!" Nyra tapped furiously at the device on her arm, glaring at the glitching GPS. The screen flickered and changed directions randomly, utterly useless in helping her navigate the labyrinth of collapsing corridors. "So... you're saying my life depends on you," Lyra said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "And you got us lost, so I'll probably die in terrible suffering because of some kamikaze golems?" Lyra's hand weakly reached up to grab a fistful of Nyra's hair, pulling it as hard as she could in her weakened state. "Yep, that's more or less accurate," Nyra deadpanned, letting out a frustrated sigh. "And could you NOT pull my hair? What are you, a toddler?" Lyra grumbled something unintelligible and continued to weakly gnaw on a strand of Nyra's silver hair. Nyra suddenly stopped in her tracks, breathing heavily as she leaned against the wall for a moment. "...Hey, Lyra... Say, do you think the little cat is dead by now or something?" Lyra's tired crimson eyes blinked open with confusion written on her face. "Wait... Did you leave him there after the explosions!?" "Of course I did! You were my priority!" Nyra shot back without hesitation, resuming her frantic pace through the dimly lit corridor. The only light came from flickering emergency panels and the faint glow of exposed wires hanging loosely from the ceiling. Lyra sighed dramatically. "Well... cats have multiple lives, don't they? So I guess he'll be alive somehow... I hope." "Yeah, let's hope," Nyra muttered, rolling her eyes as she turned a corner. Her steps faltered when her gaze landed on yet another golem standing ominously in the distance, its jagged body radiating faint energy. "Oh great, another walking bomb," she groaned.

Chapter 242 Big Loss. (3)

Comments (0)