chsdbacks Page 231
Page 231
Vegeta roared, and his aura instantly turned deep blue—he was in Super Saiyan Blue form! He charged towards Mirror Image Lin Ye, his fist carrying the power to shatter planets, and slammed down: "Bastard! Take this!"
Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how Mirror Image Lin Ye would be hit. But the next second, they were all stunned... Vegeta's fist suddenly stopped when it touched that point of black light. The deep blue aura seemed to be sucked away, instantly dissipating, and his fist seemed to have hit an invisible wall, remaining completely still.
"How is this possible?!" Vegeta's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
“Foolish.” Lin Ye flicked his finger lightly.
"boom!"
Vegeta was struck as if by an invisible meteorite, sent flying backward and crashing heavily into the alloy wall with a deafening roar. A deep crater was smashed into the wall, and Vegeta slid down from it, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His aura instantly dimmed, leaving only a faint glow flickering around him.
The whole place was dead silent.
Night Owl and his teammates were stunned... They knew Vegeta's strength; even if he couldn't beat Mirror Image Lin Ye, he shouldn't be unable to withstand even one move, right? The difference in strength was too great!
Mirror Image Lin Ye landed slowly, walked up to Vegeta, looked down at him, and said with a tone full of sarcasm: "Is this the full power of a Saiyan? How disappointing."
He raised his hand, and black light once again gathered at his fingertips, clearly intending to finish off Vegeta completely.
"Stop!" Night Owl shouted suddenly, pulling out several smoke grenades and EMP flares from his pocket and throwing them towards Mirror Lin Ye. "Raid! Detonate the explosives!"
Lei realized what was happening and immediately pressed the detonator in his hand!
"boom!!!"
"boom!!!"
Two loud explosions rang out almost simultaneously. The explosives at the energy core and the second support point detonated at the same time, causing the entire facility to shake violently. Debris and pipes fell from the ceiling, and red warning lights flashed wildly, emitting a piercing hissing sound.
A gap appeared in the alloy gate of the sealed hall due to the power outage.
"Quick! Break through!" Night Owl shouted, rushing over to help the injured Vegeta up. "Don't just stand there! Go!"
The team members reacted quickly and followed Night Owl towards the gap. The thick smoke from the smoke grenades blocked Mirror Lin Ye's vision, and the EMP jamming grenades temporarily disabled the surrounding surveillance and robots.
Lin Ye, observing the smoke around him, watched the fleeing crowd, a flash of anger in his eyes. But he didn't immediately give chase. Instead, he turned and walked towards the laboratory where the fragments were stored. To him, the safety of the fragments was more important than hunting down a few "rats."
"Run, run as fast as you want." Mirror Lin Ye's voice echoed in the empty hall, tinged with coldness. "One day, you will all become nourishment for the Observers."
Night Owl and the others ran frantically, the passage behind them constantly collapsing, with rubble rolling down at their feet. Several times, Vegeta nearly fell due to his severe injuries, and Night Owl and his team members had to support him as they ran forward.
"We're almost at the cargo ship!" Lei pointed to the docking bay ahead, his voice filled with hope.
Just then, they heard a series of hurried footsteps behind them. It was the Observer's pursuers, and their numbers were increasing. Bullets from energy guns whistled past them, hitting the walls and sparking.
"You guys go first! I'll cover the rear!" One of the team members suddenly stopped, turned around, raised his energy gun, and opened fire on the pursuers.
"Stop talking nonsense! Let's go!" Night Owl shouted.
"No time!" The team member turned around and smiled, then abruptly pressed the explosive device in his hand. "Tell Lin Ye, you must stop the Observer!"
"boom!"
The passageway was destroyed, temporarily blocking the pursuers. Night Owl gritted his teeth and led the remaining men into the docking bay, jumping onto the cargo ship.
"Start the engine!" Night Owl shouted into the cockpit.
The driver immediately pressed the start button, the cargo ship shuddered violently, and then slowly sailed away from the docking bay, heading towards the vast sea of stars.
Inside the cargo ship, Vegeta leaned against the bulkhead, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with humiliation and resentment: "That bastard... what's with his power? Why is he so strong?"
Night Owl's face was pale. He counted the number of people, his heart heavy... They had lost three team members in this operation. He picked up the communicator and tried to contact Lin Ye: "Lin Ye? Can you hear me? This is Night Owl, there's an emergency!"
There was only static on the communicator; it was impossible to make a connection.
Night Owl frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart: "What's going on? Is the communication being jammed?"
Lei walked over, checked the communicator, and shook his head: "It's not interference, the signal just isn't going through. It seems... something is blocking our signal."
Vegeta looked up, his eyes serious: "Could it be the Watchers' fleet?"
Night Owl didn't speak, but walked to the porthole and looked out at the dark universe. He had a bad feeling... Lin Ye was probably in trouble too.
At that moment, on the cargo ship's radar screen, a small red dot was rapidly approaching and growing larger. The pilot suddenly shouted, "Damn it! It's an Observer's pursuit ship! And there's more than one!"
Night Owl's heart sank instantly.
A new desperate escape has just begun.
Chapter 494: Convergence and the Cruel Truth
The Starship's engines were still churning, the charred marks on its hull starkly against the faint glimmer of the asteroid belt. Trunks stared intently at the control panel, his fingers flying across the evasive maneuvers. Finally, he yanked the lever, and the ship skimmed past a football-sized boulder before gliding into a dense rock formation, managing to regain its footing.
"Phew...finally shaken them off." Trunks wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to look at Number 18. "How's the ship?"
Number 18 had already walked to the engine compartment door with the testing equipment, her brows furrowed: "The engine is severely overheated and will need at least two hours to cool down before it can be restarted; the shield generator is 40% damaged and can only barely withstand the impact of debris. If we encounter another attack, it won't be able to withstand it at all." She paused and added, "And the energy reserves, we used too much emergency energy to shake off the pursuers, and what's left is only enough for short-distance travel."
Lin Ye stood by the porthole, looking out at the dense, almost seamless pile of rubble, his face grim. "We can't stay here any longer. The Scavengers' mercenary ships definitely have trackers; they might already be searching for us nearby." He took out the data chip Old Cat had given him from his pocket and handed it to Trunks. "Let's see if there's anything usable in here, especially any clues about the 'Temple'."
Trunks took the chip and inserted it into the spaceship's interface. A jumble of information quickly appeared on the screen, mostly blurry log fragments and a few incomplete star maps... The location of the "Temple" marked on the star maps was covered by a layer of encrypted code, only showing that it was roughly at the edge of the Milky Way; the exact coordinates were impossible to decipher. The "broken wing" symbol, however, was much clearer; obvious knife marks could be seen on the edge of the wing, as if it had been deliberately severed.
“Not much useful information,” Trunks frowned. “However, we can confirm that the ‘Guardian’ is related to this symbol. The log mentions ‘the Guardian’s wings will eventually be repaired,’ but we don’t know what that means.”
Before Lin Ye could reply, the spaceship's communicator suddenly started buzzing, followed by a series of intermittent sounds, in which words like "Lin Ye" and "meet up" could be vaguely heard.
"It's Night Owl's voice!" Trunks' eyes lit up, and he immediately turned up the communication volume. "Night Owl! Can you hear us? This is the Star Shuttle!"
The static in the communicator gradually subsided, and Night Owl's tired yet anxious voice came through: "Lin Ye! Trunks! I finally got in touch with you! Are you alright?"
"We're alright, just the spaceship is a bit damaged." Lin Ye took the communicator. "How are things on your end? Did the infiltration go smoothly?"
"Smooth my ass!" Night Owl's voice was filled with lingering fear and a hint of gritted teeth. "We've fallen into a trap! That bastard Mirror Lin Ye is in the research facility! His target is the fragment in your hands! And Vegeta... Vegeta was injured by him, he couldn't even withstand one attack!"
Lin Ye's heart sank. He had long guessed that Mirror Image Lin Ye would be difficult to deal with, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong—he knew Vegeta's strength; even if he couldn't beat him, he shouldn't be unable to withstand even one move.
"What about the other two fragments?" Lin Ye pressed, as this was what they were most concerned about.
"It's in the Observer's hands!" Night Owl's voice deepened. "We saw it in the facility, inside an energy shield. They're probably researching how to activate it. Lin Ye, the situation is much worse than we thought. Mirror Lin Ye's strength is terrifying. We must regroup as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures."
Where are you now? Are you safe?
“It’s safe for now. We’ve seized an Observer cargo ship and are hiding near the Z-73 navigation beacon on the edge of the ‘Grey Dust’ nebula,” Night Owl reported the coordinates. “Can you come over? Our communications are being jammed and could be cut off at any moment.”
Lin Ye turned to look at Trunks, who immediately pulled up a navigation map and swiped his finger across the screen: "The distance isn't far, about an hour's journey. However, given our current spaceship's condition, it might be a bit slower, and we'll have to avoid a few areas of debris."
"Okay, let's set off now." Lin Ye said into the communicator, "You guys wait near the beacon and stay alert. We'll talk in detail after we meet up."
After hanging up the call, Lin Ye took a deep breath: "The fact that Mirror Lin Ye personally took action means that the Observer's plan is almost complete. We must meet up with Night Owl as soon as possible and find out what they are up to."
Number 18 had already started packing his repair tools: "I'll go fix the engine first, so we can leave as soon as possible. Trunks, you keep an eye on the energy reserves for me, call me anytime if there are any problems."
For the next hour, the three people on the Star Shuttle each did their own thing—Number 18 was busy in the engine room, sweating profusely, Trunks occasionally handed him tools, and Lin Ye stood by the communicator, listening vigilantly to the sounds around him, afraid that the Scavenger's mercenary ship might suddenly appear.
Finally, the roar of the engines subsided. Number 18 wiped the sweat from his brow as he stepped out of the engine bay: "We can take off now. Although we can't go full speed, at least we can fly normally."
Trunks immediately activated the ship, carefully navigating out of the rocky outcrop and heading towards the "Grey Dust" nebula. The journey was relatively smooth; they encountered no pursuers, only a few minor impacts from debris, which were deflected by the barely repaired shields.
About an hour later, a gray nebula appeared ahead, with a lone, flashing red navigation beacon—the Z-73 beacon—standing on its edge. Beside the beacon, a cargo ship marked with the Observer symbol was moored, its hull also covered in damage, clearly having been through a fierce battle.
"It's Night Owl and his crew!" Trunks slowed his pace and approached the cargo ship. The moment the two ships docked, Lin Ye eagerly opened the hatch and went over.
The cargo ship's hold was a mess. Several Wings of Freedom members were leaning against the wall, bandaging their wounds. Vegeta sat in a metal chair, his left arm wrapped in thick bandages, from which dark red blood seeped. When he saw Lin Ye enter, he merely snorted and turned his head to the side, his eyes filled with humiliation—being defeated in one move was a tremendous disgrace to him.
Night Owl greeted them, the bloodshot veins in his eyes particularly noticeable: "Lin Ye, you've finally arrived." He pointed to the empty seat next to him, "Sit down, let me tell you about the infiltration."
Lin Ye, Trunks, and Android 18 sat down. Night Owl sighed and began recounting their ordeal—from disguising themselves as support personnel to infiltrating the facility, to discovering the abnormal defense level, to being surrounded by Mirror Lin Ye, and finally blowing up the facility to escape—every word was filled with horror. Especially when he spoke of Vegeta being sent flying by Mirror Lin Ye in a single blow, Night Owl's voice trembled slightly: "That guy's power is too bizarre. Even without transforming, he could easily neutralize Vegeta's Super Saiyan Blue attack, and even absorb energy..."
"Absorbing energy?" Lin Ye frowned. This was different from the mirror image Lin Ye he had encountered before.
“Yes.” Vegeta suddenly spoke, his voice a little hoarse, “The black light at his fingertips can suck away my energy. I feel like the energy in my body is being forcibly drawn out, and I can’t control it at all.”
Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then recounted their encounter with Old Cat and their attack by the Cleaners. Finally, he took out the data chip and showed the "broken wings" symbol inside: "Old Cat said that the person who bought the log recorder had this symbol embroidered on their sleeve. Now it seems that the forces behind this symbol may be more complex than we thought."
Night Owl stared at the symbol for a long time, his brow furrowed: "The mysterious person who warned us it was a trap also used this symbol. Are they friend or foe? If they're friends, why didn't they just tell us Mirror Forest Night's location? If they're enemies, why did they warn us?"
Trunks suddenly realized something: "Right, since the Observer already has two fragments, why set a trap to capture Lin Ye? Why not just activate the 'Origin Ark' directly?"
This question stunned everyone. Night Owl pondered for a moment, then looked at Lin Ye: "Could it be... that activating the Ark requires the complete Key of Creation? Or rather, that your fragment resonates with the fragments they have? Also, could the system within you be one of the activation conditions?" He paused, then added, "Do you feel any connection between your fragment and the fragments in the Observer's hands? Like resonance or something like that?"
Lin Ye closed his eyes and touched the fragment in his pocket. The fragment was slightly warm. He remembered that when he encountered the mirror image of Lin Ye in the abandoned space station, the fragment had reacted similarly, and even had a sense of repulsion. He opened his eyes and slowly said, "There is indeed a faint resonance between the fragments, especially when they are close to the mirror image of Lin Ye, the resonance is stronger. And my fragment seems to repel him. Every time I get close, it gets a little hot."
Just then, the cargo ship's emergency communication channel suddenly beeped, and an unfamiliar communication request popped up on the screen. The requester's identifier was... the Time and Space Administration.
"The Time and Space Administration?" Night Owl was taken aback. "Why would they contact us?"
Lin Ye signaled Trunks to connect the communication. The screen lit up, showing a woman in a Time and Space Administration uniform, none other than the special envoy Aria they had met before. Her background resembled the command center of some outpost, with densely packed data displayed on the screen behind her.
“Mr. Lin Ye, Captain Night Owl,” Arya said, getting straight to the point with a serious tone, “to make a long story short, we have intercepted the Observers’ encrypted communications. Their ‘Origin Ark’ activation program has been initiated, and the final coordinates have been locked on the ‘Void Rift.’ There are less than seventy-two standard hours left.”
"Seventy-two hours?!" Everyone was stunned. They hadn't expected the observers to progress so quickly.
Arya continued, "There's one more thing, about the 'Broken Wings' faction that has repeatedly warned you... We discovered that their encryption method is highly similar to that of 'The Watchers,' a former clandestine faction under the Time and Space Administration. This faction was disbanded by the higher-ups for advocating active intervention in 'Forbidden Relics,' but we didn't expect that there would still be remnants."
"The Watchers?" Lin Ye frowned. "What is their purpose?"
“I don’t know.” Arya shook her head. “But what’s certain is that they’re also keeping an eye on the Key of Genesis. In addition, according to the ancient agreement, if the ‘approved holder’ of the Key of Genesis is willing to go to the ‘Void Rift’ to stop the Observers, the Time and Space Administration can provide limited path support… such as avoiding the Observers’ patrol fleets, but they cannot directly participate in the battle, otherwise it will trigger a time war.”
"A recognized holder?" Lin Ye pointed to himself. "You mean me?"
“Yes.” Arya nodded. “Your fragment compatibility is currently the highest, and you can fight against Mirror Lin Ye’s system, which matches the description of ‘approved holder’ in the ancient records. However, I must remind you that the ‘Void Rift’ is one of the most dangerous areas in the universe. The Observer has definitely laid a trap there, and going there is almost certain death. The choice is yours.”
Communications were cut off, and the cabin fell silent. Everyone stared at Lin Ye; the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Seventy-two hours, a battle that was almost impossible to win. The only hope was that Lin Ye, the "accredited holder," would personally go to the "Void Rift." This was the cruel truth.
"Go! Why wouldn't we go!" Vegeta suddenly stood up, the bandages pulling at his wounds. He grimaced, but his eyes remained resolute. "That Mirror bastard beat me up like this, I'm going to get my revenge! Besides, if the Watchers activate the Ark, the entire universe will be doomed. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
Trunks nodded: "I'll go with you. The Starship is damaged, but it can still fly. I can help you pilot the ship and avoid the traps."
Number 18 looked at Lin Ye, his tone calm but firm: "I'll go too. Although my combat strength is not as good as yours, I can repair spaceships and help you analyze the Observer's defense system."
Night Owl took a deep breath and stood up: "All the members of Wings of Freedom are willing to follow you. We've fought for so long to stop the Observer, and now that we've reached the final step, there's no reason to back down."
Lin Ye looked at his companions; their eyes held no fear, only trust and determination. He touched the fragment in his pocket; it seemed to sense his resolve, warming slightly.
He raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives: "Did Arya tell us the coordinates of the 'Void Rift'? Let's set off now."
Night Owl immediately pulled up the navigation map: "She sent it before the communication was cut off, near the 'Abyss' at the edge of the Milky Way. However, there is a very strong gravitational field there, making it difficult for the spaceship to get close."
“Then let’s find a way to get closer.” Lin Ye stood up. “Trunks, you and Number 18 work together to repair the ship and try to maximize its performance; Night Owl, you contact the other members of Wings of Freedom and have them meet us on the outskirts of the ‘Black Abyss’; Vegeta, you recover from your injuries first. There will be plenty of fighting once we get to the ‘Void Rift’.”
Everyone sprang into action. The cargo ship's engines restarted, and it flew towards the "Void Rift." Inside the cabin, Lin Ye stood by the porthole, watching the increasingly dark universe outside, knowing in his heart... this final battle was either win or die.
Meanwhile, deep within the "Void Rift," a massive black spaceship hovered. At its center, three fragments of the Key of Creation emitted a ghostly blue light. Mirror Lin Ye stood before the fragments, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Lin Ye, I've been waiting for you for a long time."