Chapter 449: Inevitable War! VII
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
What they saw was a whole jungle of purple fleshy columns, criss-crossing one another. It was like entering the human body, watching the blood vessels in the human system.
On the holographic screen, the mech pilot tried to use his holographic scanner, but to no avail. In the end, he switched back to optics. However, without the purple gas cloud obscuring the view, he could see a lot clearer here.
The purple fleshy columns here were much thicker than the ones they had seen earlier. The spaces between them were also larger, allowing the mech to fly more easily across.
Huh, what's that?
On the holographic screen, they saw many large vesicles protruding from the purple flesh columns. These vesicles hung from the columns, enveloped in a layer of semi-transparent skin. Something seemed to move inside. Through the semi-transparent barrier, one could see that the black threads inside the purple columns all converged in the vesicle, ultimately connected to the creature that rested inside.
The mech pilot braced himself and ramped up the intensity of his sodium lamp. The light was offensively bright, and lit up a larger area around the mech. However, what it revealed shocked the people who were now intently watching the recording. Just as the lamp turned brighter, one could see the vesicles growing all over the purple columns. It was eerie sight.
The Collision mech carefully approached one of the vesicles. Everyone in the meeting room leaned forward unconsciously as they watched the holographic screen with undivided attention. They were all curious about the vesicles, eager to know what was inside.
The mech pilot was very skilled. He approached a very huge column, and kept his mech suspended without moving around.
The sodium lamp's bright light shone onto the nearest vesicle, illuminating its every detail.
Within the semi-transparent envelope was a crystalline fluid. Thin, black threads connected to the creature that lay curled up inside. The threads seemed to be suspended in some kind of liquid. The creature inside was the kind that they saw earlier, the strong ones.
The creature lay peacefully inside the vesicle with its eyes closed, with no traces of the violence and menace that it showed earlier.
However, this black colored creature was slowly changing. Its exposed tail was slowly turning red.
"Heavens! It's evolving!" Someone in the meeting room cried out.
At that moment, the creature inside the vesicle opened its eyes without warning. Its maroon red eyes gleamed coldly under the sodium lamp's illumination.
The mech pilot was surprised. However, before he could react, it was already too late. The holographic screen's view turned into static. It wasn't hard to figure out that the mech pilot was attacked. The attacker must be the unknown lifeform. Some of them could even make out the moment when the creature burst out of its vesicle.
"Is it evolving?" Ye Chong asked Mu.
"Calculations indicate that the probability for that is at 72 percent," Mu presented his opinion.
72 percent. That was a very high probability, coming from Mu. Ye Chong thought over the situation. He could see the vesicles popping out all over the purple columns just now. If every vesicle contained one of those creatures … That was a line of thought that Ye Chong could not follow.
Basically, from the battle earlier, Ye Chong could discern that the unknown lifeforms were just as strong as Collision mechs when in battle.
"Mu, do you have any suggestions?" Ye Chong asked.
"It will have to be up to you. There is not enough information for me to make a reliable recommendation." Ye Chong felt helpless with Mu's reply.
Time passed, minute by minute. The meeting room was silent. The people inside had long stopped discussing, and were now looking to Ye Chong.
Indeed, as Mu said, they had too little information to work on. However, Ye Chong was weighed down by the decision he was contemplating. If the creatures were really still evolving, then it would be a good opportunity for all of them.
However, that was only a conjecture. What if they were not evolving? Even if they were, could they still fight while evolving? What if they had finished evolving?
The thought made Ye Chong shiver inside. Those numerous vesicles must number more than five thousand. If all the creatures inside them had completed their evolution, they would become a threat of apocalyptic proportions for Yi Ju. The five thousand mech pilots of the Sang Tribe would not win against these creatures.
Yes. If that's the case, why not make his gamble now?
Ye Chong was extremely opposed to making gambles in his decision making process, since it was an unreliable methodology. He was more used to arriving at a decision after careful calculations. However, the current situation had forced his hand. He knew too little about these mysterious creatures, and Ye Chong believed that he knew more about the creatures than anyone else in the meeting room. However, whatever more he knew would not make a difference.
Ye Chong gritted his teeth and gave his order, "All combatants, prepare for war." If they do nothing now, they could only wait for the inevitable worst outcome. Ye Chong understood this much, at least.
"To think that I'll come to rely on luck," Ye Chong laughed mockingly at himself inside.
Everyone in the meeting room acknowledged the order. The battle hungry Sang Tribe was already eager to move out and fight. Everyone in the meeting room turned excited at once. Even Sang Pu looked flushed with anticipation.
"Ye, your decision is very dangerous," Mu spoke up after a long moment of silence.
"It's the only way," Ye Chong smiled bitterly and said. "Mu, do I have any other choice?" From the beginning, Ye Chong had thought that they were at most two kinds of creatures - the mollusc bristleworms and crustalades. He never expected to discover even stronger enemies. Now, even escaping would be difficult. The purple gas cloud was expanding rapidly. Besides, considering their abilities to evolve, those mysterious creatures would definitely become stronger and stronger! There were seven areas with spatial instability across the entire He Yue Galaxy. Perhaps the day will come that Ye Chong and group will no longer stand a chance against the creatures. Ye Chong had never thought about fighting for world peace, but he believed that if they do not stop the creatures now, they would soon lose their homes to the enemy.
After going through all the trials and tribulations, Ye Chong had gained experience and perspective. No longer was he the little boy who only knew to run away.
"Based on available information, calculations indicate that this is the best decision." Mu's assessment gave Ye Chong confidence. "It's too bad that the creatures seemed to be immune to energy weapons, or I would have been able to help out." Mu's words brought a warm sensation in Ye Chong.
"Mu, don't worry. Oh, right, how's Shang doing recently? I haven't seen him in awhile."
"He is doing some self recalibrations, it will take about three weeks."
Five thousand Collision mechs gathered at a point 300 kilometers away from the purple gas cloud.
Ye Chong's order was simple - destroy! Destroy everything inside! Destroy the flesh columns, the vesicles, and anything new they find inside. Images of the purple columns and vesicles had been transmitted to every mech of the Sang Tribe.
The five thousand Collision mechs were organized into five combat units. Since Collision mechs required a larger space to battle effectively, it would not do to have too many mechs together.
The five combat units accelerated along the edge of the purple gas cloud. Every mech switched on its front sodium lamps, lighting up their way forward. Seen from afar, they look like fireflies flying in the dark starry skies in outer space, circling the purple gas cloud.
Aside from the five combat units, there was another smaller, inconspicuous unit that consisted of 100 Collision mechs. These Collision mechs surrounded a mech in the center. The tiny and beautiful humanoid mech in the center stood out amongst the Collision mechs.
Yi Ju's movements drew the attention of the frontline reporter immediately, and the interest of every viewer around the Galaxy. They had just seen the power of these strange flying vessels a moment ago. To them, the strange flying vessels were even stronger than the mechs produced by the Three Aristocratic Families. Many envied at the chance to command two thousand mechs like these.
However, when another three thousand of them went airborne, the people watched with dropped jaws. This mysterious force was becoming more and more of an enigma for the viewers.
From the looks of it, a large scale war was about to happen.
Just when the audience was glued to the holographic screen, the news channel feed switched, the war in the outer space replaced by a reporter with a grim face.
"Dear audience! Apologies for interrupting you all. I have some unfortunate news to share with you. The news that we received earlier has just been confirmed. Regarding the accident that happened on the famous Hyperbolic Flight Route, more than 39 starships are confirmed missing. The number of missing people is unknown, but estimated to be no less than five thousand.
"Our reporters have arrived at the scene. This is direct feed from them."
The image switched again, and the people watched as a purple gas cloud materialized on the screen, similar to the one they had just seen.
"Ahh!" Many cried out in shock.
The reported spoke grimly, "This mysterious purple gas cloud is very similar to the one we found at Planet Yi Ju. Our guess is they are exactly the same. RIght now, it is expanding very quickly. For now, we have not seen any of the mysterious lifeforms that came out of the purple gas cloud like at Yi Ju …"
Before the reporter could finish, a sharp cry from one of the reporters on the scene was heard. On the holographic screen, a large wave of the unknown lifeforms emerged from the purple gas cloud, their presence looming over like a huge cloud as they flew towards the reporter's starship.