Chapter 20: The Terrifying 31st Star Region, Section 10

Another howl echoed, but this time it seemed no longer to be a signal of attack. As the sound faded, all the wild wolves turned around simultaneously, ignoring even the mechs still firing behind them, and fled in panic with their tails between their legs. They retreated like a tide, leaving behind thousands of their comrades’ corpses. Bright red blood dripped down from the grass, and the air was filled with a thick stench.
Had they… retreated?
The pirates were stunned, feeling as if they had just had a dream.
Damn, are these still wolves? How can they be so intelligent? First, they lay in wait, then launched a surprise attack, and as soon as their enemy appeared, they fled. Such rational behavior—how could wild wolves possibly do that? This is clearly an army!!
Damn it, even beasts have become this smart. Is there any point in living anymore?
Spitting angrily, many pirates continued to curse even after getting out of their mechs. This battle had been utterly frustrating. It was always the pirates who launched surprise attacks—when had it ever been their turn to be attacked? And they couldn’t even chase after the enemy once they retreated. It was simply a game—one where they were the pawns.
Not fun. Really not fun at all.
“It’s clearly premeditated. I just wonder what’s next. Boss, it seems the owner of this planet isn’t very welcoming to us. If I’m right, tomorrow’s journey won’t go smoothly either.” Monkey suddenly said, looking at the chaotic camp around them.
“Hmm. Smart animals. It reminds me of a movie I watched before. I just hope when we finally meet the owner of this place, it won’t turn out to be some ridiculous nature spirit. That’s way too cliché.” Hei Fa was equally gloomy.
“Then let’s call it the Forest Spirit, haha. Anyway, all you care about is that old-fashioned name.” Monkey laughed, seemingly amused by Hei Fa’s frustration.
“If that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind blowing its head off with a shot.” Hei Fa sneered, waving his hand to call over one of the pirates.
“Count the losses and organize the equipment. Double the number of guards for tonight. I don’t want any more accidents. Understood?”
“Yes, Captain,” the pirate replied loudly before turning and running away.

There was no longer any need to clean up the battlefield. In fact, corpses piled up like mountains around the camp. All the pirates had to do was sweep the area again with flamethrowers. The scorching flames could effectively turn these corpses into charcoal. Though still black, it was far better than the stench.

Since it was just a temporary overnight camp, the pirates didn’t care much. Exhausted, they fell asleep as soon as they returned to their tents.

The evening breeze continued, and everything settled down again. It was as if nothing had happened…

The next day, as the morning sun first pierced through the trees, Black Hair and the pirates were already ready. The fatigue from the night vanished. Everyone’s face looked refreshed.

The primeval forest was great—when it came to fresh air, nothing was better than here. The slightly cool, dewy air filling the lungs brought a sense of freshness beyond imagination. The sunlight filtering through the trees and falling on people felt soft, like a lover’s touch.

Today’s itinerary was simple. They were only about seven or eight kilometers away from their target. If they moved quickly, they could reach it in just one morning.

But as the group progressed, Black Hair and Monkey’s expressions grew increasingly serious.

Unlike the other pirates, the two of them had survived countless battles. Their intuition was as sharp as a miracle. What appeared peaceful to outsiders was a different scene in their eyes. They exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.

The air… the air had changed…

It wasn’t a real change, but rather a strange smell. A scent that human taste buds couldn’t detect, but for people like Black Hair and Monkey, it could be felt through intuition. It was as if some danger lurked hidden within, making their hair stand on end. As time passed, this feeling grew stronger.

“It seems the deeper we go, the stronger this smell becomes. Head, I don’t think today’s journey will be easy.”

“I agree,” Black Hair nodded, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. His brows furrowed deeply.

“Maybe I started with overly optimistic ideas. A planet like this can’t be thoroughly explored by just our small team. Sending a small group of near-Earth patrol vessels would be the better approach. Our current weapons are sufficient, but they’re not particularly powerful. If we encounter some large prehistoric creatures, things could get troublesome.”

“Stop joking. Prehistoric creatures? You mean something like a mammoth?” The Monkey was amused by the words in Blackhair’s speech.

“Come on. This isn’t Earth—whether such creatures exist is still uncertain. Even if they do, they’re not as terrifying as what we’ve seen before. They’re just larger, stronger monsters. In front of mechs, they’re just targets.”

“That’s true.” Blackhair gently flicked ash from his cigarette, a teasing look on his face. “So…”

“What if they’re mutated? Like the ones from last night?”

“You…” The Monkey opened his mouth but was left speechless. He glared at Blackhair with a vulgar expression, as if to say, “You’re disgusting.”

But then again, if there were no jinxes in this world, human life would lack a lot of fun. So, after another three hours of travel, when Blackhair’s group reached a valley, a loud explosion rang out a kilometer ahead of them. Immediately afterward, the trees in that area seemed to be struck by something and toppled sideways. The thick trunks hitting the ground caused such intense vibrations that even Blackhair felt them.

On the mechs of the pirates, an extremely bright, huge light spot appeared almost simultaneously.

“I…” The Monkey stared blankly in that direction. “Damn!”

“Stop cursing. Save it for finding a pretty girl on Death Star.” Blackhair laughed and patted the Monkey’s shoulder, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The owner of this planet really lacks creativity. This huge creature he encountered was exactly as he had predicted—it resembled an elephant, a massive monster. It stood over twenty meters tall, almost as tall as a building. The exploration mechs brought by his team looked like children next to it, not even reaching its knees. From the outside, the monster’s skin appeared wrinkled and dark brown. Though its thickness was hard to estimate, its durability was undoubtedly top-notch. Ordinary mech weapons probably couldn’t even damage it significantly.

But its abilities are definitely not just physical strength, right? A cold glint flashed suddenly in the black-haired man’s narrowed eyes.
Just like the wolf pack that raided the camp last night, such monsters might also be products of enhancement or mutation. Relying solely on his own exploration mech, the black-haired man really didn’t feel confident.
It turned out his judgment was absolutely correct.
Almost as soon as the monster appeared, the Blood Wolf Pirates showed remarkable combat skills. The mechs at the front crouched down simultaneously, while those behind stepped forward and mounted a giant multi-barrel turret on their shoulders. Immediately afterward, a barrage of gunfire, like a scythe of flames, lashed out violently.
It was impossible to imagine the power of that intense fire. Amidst the deafening explosions, the ancient trees in front of the team were completely shattered. Tree fragments flew everywhere, and the relentless gunfire, like a storm, instantly destroyed everything in its path. A huge corridor, a kilometer long and fifty zhang wide, immediately formed between the team and the monster. After destroying all the trees in the way, the ongoing gunfire struck the giant monster directly.
“Boom… Aaaah!!!”
Vivid sparks instantly spread across the monster’s body as it let out agonized howls. But to the surprise of the black-haired man and the others, the monster… even sound waves were its weapons!!
With its scream, a visible shockwave spread rapidly. All the trees within hundreds of meters around it were instantly shattered into pieces, exploding in the air. A large amount of wood chips mixed with soil was lifted up, creating a giant column of dust that rose into the sky.
What was even more terrifying was that the range of the sound wave attack was far beyond a few hundred meters—it even enveloped their mechs. As the smoke column appeared ahead, several mechs at the front seemed to have been punched hard by something, falling to the ground instantly. With crackling sounds, sparks burst from their joints.
“Damn, it’s definitely a mutated creature. Head, you definitely deserve the title of ‘Worst Omen of the Year,’” the monkey snarled, spitting out a stalk of grass angrily. His gaze at the black-haired man seemed to say, “This is all your fault.”
Faced with his expression, the black-haired man could only shrug helplessly. Then he took out a small ring-shaped object from his pocket. Under the sunlight, the object emitted a colorful, dreamlike glow.

“What’s this?” The monkey was stunned.
“A subspace synchronization harmonizer. Haven’t heard of it? Then you must have heard of Little Dingdang’s pocket, right?” The black-haired man smiled, his expression full of entrapment.
“I… damn…” The monkey was speechless.