Shadows of the Deep Space Chapter 1645: 530: Eerie (5)

Su Ming raised his gaze and spoke.

“Affirmative!”

Li Menghan promptly initiated the systems.

“Increase scanning device power to the maximum, locate the target.”

Su Ming commanded instantly.

“Negative, the opponent cannot be detected, and the optical sensors are failing to capture anything.”

Li Menghan tried repeatedly to pin down the attacker, but the screens displayed nothing but swirling patches of white mist.

Warnings flashed incessantly across the interface.

“Alert: Energy Barrier under assault, integrity decreased by 0.1%!”

…

Su Ming furrowed his brow, wondering what strange entity could be harassing them.

Suddenly, Little Grey let out a squeak, gesturing toward a specific direction with its tiny paw.

Li Menghan caught the signal immediately and issued the order to retaliate.

“Engage launch ports 1 through 2000, activate the L1 interception battery, execute area-of-effect suppression!”

“Acknowledged!”

The operator replied swiftly.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Light Extinction unleashed a volley toward the coordinate marked by Little Grey, flooding the area with concentrated beams and a barrage of missiles.

Boom!

Explosions bloomed, illuminating the dense white fog.

“We hit it!”

Li Menghan exclaimed with satisfaction.

“Can you identify the creature attacking us?”

Su Ming questioned immediately.

“It’s impossible, the optical feed is still blank.”

Li Menghan shook her head.

Su Ming turned his attention to Ankaga.

“Ankaga, take your team and retrieve the carcass.”

“Understood!”

Ankaga and his group proceeded toward the mobile platform.

Moments later, the hatches of the Sunset slid open.

Ankaga and the others piloted their mecha, equipped with specialized fog lamps, steering into the thick, white veil.

Su Ming bided his time quietly.

After several tense minutes, the salvage team returned, dragging a corpse behind them.

Su Ming stood up and headed for the hangar.

Soon enough, Ankaga hauled in a fifty-meter-long, pale-skinned monstrosity. It possessed a malformed, pterosaur-like physique with serrated teeth and razor-sharp claws.

Su Ming and Rhein inspected the beast closely; a milky-white fluid oozed from its wounds, lending the scene a haunting atmosphere.

“Celeste, are you familiar with this species?”

“I have no records of it. It seems to be a heavily mutated variant. However, most entities within the Mist Star Sea are collectively referred to as Mist Beasts,” Celeste explained.

“I see.”

Su Ming offered a brief nod.

“Boss, how should we proceed? These things are masters of concealment,” Rhein asked with visible concern.

“It is acceptable, we will simply maintain higher vigilance,” Su Ming answered in a somber tone.

“Understood!”

Rhein and the others acknowledged.

…

Three days passed.

Inside the command center of the Doomed Light, red alarm windows suddenly manifested.

“Warning: Energy Barrier under assault!”

…

Li Menghan stared at the white noise on her monitor, her brow knitted in frustration. Since she had no way to pinpoint the invisible threat, she kept her eyes on Little Grey.

“Squeak squeak!”

Little Grey abruptly pointed toward a new heading, letting out a series of urgent chirps.

Li Menghan issued the command without hesitation.

“Rotate the external C-zone interception cannons, load sub-munitions, execute saturation bombardment!”

“Yes, ma'am!”

The operator commenced the firing sequence immediately.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Beams and cluster bombs tore through the white fog.

Tranquility soon returned to the area.

“Deactivate the alarm,” Li Menghan ordered.

The crew let out collective sighs of relief. Constant hit-and-run attacks were exhausting, and the inability to strike back made the situation truly maddening.

After the order, Little Grey let out a lazy yawn and curled back into the comfort of Su Ming’s arms.

Rhein looked over and chuckled at the creature.

“Little Grey, we’ve been wandering this Mist Star Sea for three days now. Why haven’t we found the target yet?”

“Indeed, don’t lead us into a dead end!” Ankaga joked, joined by the laughter of his peers.

Little Grey seemed to feel the pressure; it patted its own chest with a small hand and chirped back indignantly.

“Squeak, squeak!”

“Stop teasing the poor thing. While Little Grey is often silly, you cannot deny its intuitive gift is unparalleled, a true blessing of the heavens,” Celeste remarked.

Little Grey perked up, clearly pleased by the praise.

Rhein laughed, “We are only joking. Honestly, if Little Grey can truly navigate the Mist Star Sea, imagine the wealth we’d find if we returned for mining operations later!”

“A smart thought! Of the Three Forbidden Zones, the Mist Star Sea is the least exploited; it must be brimming with rare resources,” Celeste agreed.

“That would be fantastic!”

Rhein and the others chuckled, visibly buoyed by the thought.

“Do not celebrate prematurely. Have you forgotten the current state of the Federation? We are on the verge of retreating to the Old Galaxy. Do you honestly believe we will have the time or opportunity to conduct mining operations here?” Su Ming doused their excitement with a dose of reality.

The smiles on Rhein and the others vanished, and they turned somewhat awkward.

“Boss is right, of course. But perhaps there will be openings in the future.”

“We will cross that bridge when we get there,” Su Ming said calmly.

“Accepted,” Rhein and the group acknowledged.

In the vast white void, the Level 5 Battleship Sunlight moved along, its fog lamps acting as the only beacon for the lone traveler.

Hidden within the mist, a pair of glowing scarlet eyes ignited, watching the departing Sunlight with cold, unwavering focus.

…

Two days later.

Su Ming sat in the command chair, Little Grey nestled in his lap.

The tension among Rhein and the others climbed. They had spent five days drifting through the Mist Star Sea. Despite minor course corrections, their general trajectory remained consistent, meaning they had pushed deep into the unknown territory—yet, Lin Chuyu and the others remained missing.