Chapter 20: The Terrifying 31st Star Region, Section 9

Had he guessed wrong? The force behind the monkey was Red Beauty’s doing, not the Moors?
For a moment, Black Hair was completely stunned. The sense of powerlessness in that situation made him stop thinking altogether. He could only keep smoking, his gaze lost in confusion. Thick smoke swirled inside the tent, even spilling outside.
But the pirates outside had grown used to it; none of them came to check.
No, that wasn’t right. If it wasn’t the Moors, then where did the crystal controlling the monkey come from? Black Hair trusted his own eyes—according to Mason, the only race in the universe skilled in using such crystals was the Moors! And the warships made from that special material were undeniably real!
At this thought, Black Hair’s gaze sharpened.
The monkey wouldn’t lie to him, so it followed that Red Beauty must have had contact with the Moors and acquired some of their abilities.
This wasn’t impossible. In their previous team, Red Beauty had always been known as the brain of the group. Although the Moors were unknown, it didn’t mean communication was impossible. If she encountered them, there was a chance of forming an alliance. But then another question arose. As Black Hair’s former partner, he knew Red Beauty’s personality all too well. She was a girl who appeared shy on the outside but was actually very strong inside. Though her methods were often direct, she had a kind heart. No matter what the reason, she shouldn’t let her former partner end up under control.
Black Hair had witnessed the monkey’s miserable state with his own eyes. He couldn’t possibly believe it was Red Beauty’s doing.
Contradiction. Fear of the truth. For a time, it felt like a nightmare clinging to Black Hair’s mind, preventing him from thinking further. Seeing his state, the monkey also grew sad. After a long while, it sighed deeply and sat down beside Black Hair.
“Boss, don’t stress. Maybe things aren’t as serious as you think. Maybe Sister Red Beauty has her own reasons. Before actually meeting her, aren’t all these guesses pointless? Forget it. It’s better to relax.” With that, the monkey took a wine bottle from the tent, bit off the cap with its teeth, and started drinking greedily. The bright red wine flowed down its lips, a shocking sight.
Depression… This wasn’t like the monkey at all.

He watched quietly as his companion drank heartily, the black-haired man remaining silent. After a long while, only when he saw the monkey put down the empty wine bottle and fall asleep did he stand up. He stepped outside the tent. The cool evening breeze hit him suddenly, making him shiver. Above, the brilliant starry sky was exceptionally bright, like a profound painting.

If only the future could be as clear as this starry sky, something one could touch at will. Suddenly, this thought crossed the black-haired man’s mind.

The night was vast, and the camp gradually fell silent. Apart from the occasional crackling of the campfire, no other sounds could be heard. A day of hard work had already exhausted the pirates, so they all went to bed early. Only a few who were on guard sat obediently in their mechs, sighing at their miserable fate.

Camping in the wild might seem romantic, but that was only for lovers. For these bloodthirsty pirates, it wasn’t so comfortable. Being on this mysterious planet, it would be false to say they weren’t worried. Thus, every pirate on guard didn’t dare to be careless.

It was precisely because of this that when a pair of green lights appeared around the camp, they noticed them immediately…

“Who’s there!?” A loud shout came as one pirate suddenly turned around to face the direction of the lights. The two searchlight beams on the shoulders of his mech shone brightly, illuminating the area within 300 meters in perfect detail.

But then, everyone couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.

Wolves!!

Many, many wolves!!

It was impossible to count them. In the light of the searchlights, wolves could be seen everywhere within a hundred meters around the camp. These small creatures crouched quietly in the grass, like a group of extremely patient hunters, with the pirates’ camp as their prey.

“How is this possible! How can there be wolves here?” The pirate who first spotted the wolf pack exclaimed in surprise, showing no attempt to hide his astonishment.

This was deep in the mountains. Even if it were suitable for wolves to live here, there shouldn’t be such a large pack. But just the number visible in the light already exceeded that of an ordinary wolf pack. There were likely even more hidden outside. What was even more astonishing was that these creatures could evade the mechs’ biological scanners?

What on earth was going on!?

“Awoo…”

A howl echoed, and it was clear the pirates had been detected. These wolves showed no fear of the bright light from the searchlights; instead, they charged forward. Soon, howls filled the area around the camp, too many to count. Agile figures moved swiftly through the chaos, turning the entire camp into a frenzy.

No further explanation was needed. Anyone could see the situation clearly. Those with mechs rushed to their own machines, while those without grabbed weapons at hand. But one thing was common among them all: not a trace of panic on their faces.

What were they but wolves? Though aggressive, these creatures posed a threat only to the unarmed. With so many mechs in the camp and ample weapons and ammunition, they saw no reason for danger.

That notion was quickly shattered by the first wave of attacks from the wolves.

“Bang bang bang bang…” Amid the low sounds of pulse guns, countless figures rushed in from all directions. Though most were shot in half mid-air, some managed to dodge the machine gun fire and clung fiercely to the exploration mechs. Visibly, a white mist rose from the points of contact, and a sour smell spread through the air.

“Bad! Their claws contain strong acid!” The attacked pirate screamed in horror. From his cockpit, he could clearly see burn marks on the parts of his mech attacked by the wolves. The hard armor plates were covered in claw marks, and the surrounding metal had turned blackened. The status display in the crystal also turned yellow instantly, with the arms and legs turning bright red.

Strong acid?! No way!

Everyone’s face paled; they couldn’t believe their ears. If there was anything that could shock them further, this was definitely it. How could wolves have strong acid in their claws? Acid strong enough to burn through mech armor? This wasn’t a movie…

Damn, what terrible luck. Almost all the pirates cursed at the same time as they rushed toward a mechanical platform piled up in the center of the camp.

That was where the pirates stored their high-powered weapons. Though it was hasty, it was the only means to suppress the wolf pack at the moment. After all, the number of wolves was simply too large. Everywhere one looked, there were wolves flying about. Even though more and more mechs were activated by the pirates, they still couldn’t gain the upper hand. The sky was filled with red blood mist, and corpses scattered from machine gun fire lay everywhere, yet the wolves continued to charge fearlessly.

At the same time, Black Hair and Monkey also stepped out of the tent. Looking at the wolves flying around, Monkey’s eyes were clear—no trace of drunkenness remained.

“Boss, it seems these wolves are organized and well-planned. Our actions might have fallen into someone’s scheme.”

“Mm,” Black Hair agreed. Watching as a mech, upon activation, immediately turned around and fired, turning a group of wolves into pulp, his expression grew increasingly grave.

“They have strong acid on their claws and an almost endless number. Our mechs don’t have much of an advantage. If this continues, being overwhelmed is just a matter of time.”

Just as Black Hair said this, as if to prove his point, a pirate’s scream suddenly came through the public channel. Everyone turned to see a mech having its leg torn off by a wild wolf, collapsing at an angle, followed by countless wolves pouncing on it and instantly covering it completely. Terrifying biting sounds filled the public channel. Visibly, white mist spread as the mech was torn apart in an instant!

Finally, some damage had been done… Black Hair and Monkey exchanged a glance, understanding each other’s thoughts. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the center of the camp. At the same time, Black Hair gave his orders.

“The outer mechs should continue to resist. The inner mechs, switch to flame throwers!!”

Black Hair’s voice was like a stimulant, immediately calming the pirates. Following his orders, some mechs that had just been activated stopped rushing outward and instead returned to the central platform. They took out the suits from them and carried them on their backs.

Soon, intense heat and blazing flames appeared before everyone’s eyes. Fiery dragons shot out from the upgraded mechs, filling the air with a burning smell.

There’s no doubt the flamethrowers are incredibly effective. The scorching flames can instantly sweep through an area and are also a natural threat to the wolves. Almost as soon as they appeared, the wolves’ attack slowed down significantly, and the pressure from the mechs at the periphery diminished greatly.
“Huff… huff…” The pirates’ heavy breathing could be clearly heard over the channel. Yet each of them had a slight smile on their face.
Finally, they managed to hold back the wolves. What an exciting night…
Just as they were thinking this, another long howl from the wolves made their smiles freeze on their faces.