Ch. 6..10: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 6-10
Chapter 6: Lavaberry
Lyra's clinic stood out like a diamond in the rough against the grim backdrop of Voidstar's worn-down streets.
The moment Cohen's guards arrived, they switched into high alert. They surrounded the nutrition pod, weapons drawn, ready for anything.
Cohen was a mystery to the public eye, his identity a tightly held secret. Yet, on his first mission, a young woman from Voidstar instantly recognized him.
The situation screamed suspicion.
People gathered, murmurs and pointed fingers adding to the tension in the air.
Snakehead stepped up, trying to calm things down. "She used to live on Eden Prime. Maybe she saw your young master there."
Not only did Snakehead have to fork out money to save Cohen, but now he was dealing with trouble here too. It was enough to give anyone a headache.
"Snakehead, the admiral trusts you with the young master, but this woman is suspicious..."
"Suspicious how?" Snakehead's tone shifted from friendly to menacing. "Everyone knows 'Sister Marvel.' I'm helping out of respect for Admiral Sparks, not for you small fry. Understand?"
He spat in the guard's face. The guard, unaccustomed to such disrespect, turned pale and nearly pulled the trigger. Thankfully, a comrade held him back.
After all, they needed these Voidstar ruffians to save the young master first.
With a click, the healing pod opened.
The guards tensed. "Who allowed you to open the pod?"
Once opened, the pod was useless, and treatment had to be immediate. There wasn't time to replace the healing solution. If this woman couldn't help, Cohen was done for.
Lyra, preparing her tools, remarked, "With the healing solution left, you wouldn't have made it back to Eden Prime. That's why you came to this miser."
Cohen's injuries were severe. His right arm was missing from shoulder to ribs, with much of the surrounding skin and flesh torn away.
His legs were twisted, hardly looking human.
Broken ribs, exposed lungs, liver, and even his heart, all marked with savage claw scars.
Against high-level beasts, humans were fragile, no match for a single swipe.
Lyra frowned. "Weren't you hunting Stellarcrabs? Crabs don't have claws like these."
These were Dark Wolf claw marks.
An impulsive guard snapped, "If it weren't for that damn Lavaberry, we wouldn't have..."
"Ned!" Someone cut him off. "Shut your mouth for now."
Lavaberry was a rare, ninth-level plant, often used to improve individual's physical strength.
Bounty hunters on Voidstar were like hyenas, always sniffing out the scent of profit.
The admiral's situation was already a mess, and adding more people to the mix could only make things worse. Unfortunately, it was too late to stop that now.
Snakehead's eyes gleamed as he exchanged a glance with Todd, his secretary. Todd immediately went out to gather more help. The guards could only glare helplessly, but soon their faces lit up with joy.
"Look, he's recovering!"
A soft green light fell on Cohen, and his gruesome wounds began to heal. New skin, as delicate as that of a six or seven-month-old baby, formed over the injuries, looking fragile and tender.
Seeing the healing effect, the guards finally relaxed a bit. But, they insisted on staying by the door, discussing Lyra among themselves.
"I just checked her information. She's only a level-3 healer. Can she really save Cohen?" Ned, the most arrogant guard, still couldn't get over the shabbiness of this place.
"Her healing power seems a bit special," the team leader whispered.
A normal level-3 healer's power wouldn't have such a rapid recovery rate.
While they were talking, Todd had already left with his men. Such movements was surely to attract the eyes of the other forces on Voidstar.
A bearded man wearing an eyepatch, upon hearing the news, patted the woman in his arms. "Liliana, take some people and follow Todd. If he's personally involved, he must have found something good."
"Sure thing, Daddy." The red-haired woman wriggled out of his arms, her body covered in bruises, and started getting dressed.
It wasn't just the other two big factions; even some bold bounty hunters were on the move.
"The admiral's situation is already messy enough. Can you all just not add to the chaos?" The team leader, seeing these bounty hunters swarming like bees, couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Snakehead chuckled and waved his hand. "You military guys handle your own business, we'll handle ours. None of us wants to mind your f-f-f-reaking business."
In reality, he was deliberately causing this commotion. The more people that gave the military trouble, the greater the chances to make a profit in troubled situation. As for the military's mission, it was none of their concern.
The air at the door was tense when Lyra, removing her mask, came out.
"How is he now?"
The guards didn't wait for her response. Instead, they rushed past to check on Cohen's condition and soon were furious.
"This is your treatment result? His wounds aren't fully healed!"
Lyra leaned against the door, breathing heavily, her pale face covered in sweat.
Sorren, noticing her state, quickly pulled out a white cloth to wipe her sweat. He cast a fearful glance at the angry guards and hoped he wouldn't suffer unjust punishment; he regretted not convincing Lyra to refuse this job from the start.
"Look, I'm only a level-3 healer. You should be thanking your lucky stars that I kept him alive," Lyra said, coughing. She could treat him further, but she saw no reason to risk her life for someone she didn't care about.
Only then did the guards realize Cohen's vital signs had stabilized. Fresh healing solution had been injected into the pod, buying them more time.
The panicked guards finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Ned was still dissatisfied and shouted, "If you knew you couldn't fully heal him, you shouldn't have promised! What do we do with him now?"
Lyra didn't care about his rude attitude; on Voidstar No.2, politeness was a rarity.
"You have two options. First, get him back to Eden Prime within ten days and find a Level 4 healer or install a bioprosthetic limb. Second, cough, cough..."
Her face flushed from coughing. "Find a Hemoplant to pair with my superpower, and I can restore him completely."
Everyone, including Snakehead, looked shocked.
Hemoplant, as the name suggests, could quickly enhance the body's blood production, but it was a level-4 companion plant of Lavaberry.
The team leader turned to Snakehead. "Does your association have any Hemoplant?"
Snakehead blinked and glanced at the expressionless young woman, spreading his hands. "Unfortunately, we're out of stock."
In matters of tricking the military and officials, Voidstar folks had an eerie sense of unity as long as there was no conflict of interest.
As for Lyra also eyeing the Lavaberry, Snakehead didn't really care. 'Seeing her in that loose white coat, looking like she might be blown over by a breeze, who can she outcompete?'
In the end, the guards took Lyra on a ship heading to Planet Bionysus, along with the now-conscious Cohen. Even the fastest military ship would take twenty days to return to Eden Prime, which was too long.
The massive spaceship stirred the thin clouds, broke through the atmosphere, and plunged into the vast, boundless universe.
Chapter 7: Reaching Bionysus
Sorren leaned against the window, shouting excitedly, "First time on a battleship, this is way too thrilling!" But the crowd passing by had blank faces, ignoring his excitement.
Cohen lay in the healing pod, connected through a voice system.
"Have we met before? Your name sounds very familiar." His calm, composed voice belied the fact that he was on the brink of life and death.
While injecting superpower into the healing pod, Lyra replied, "Sir, your pick-up lines are so outdated."
Cohen glanced at her slight, slender figure. He wasn't that desperate yet, and seeing that she had no intention of chatting, he fell silent.
Eleven years ago, they were the hottest talents in the Alliance. They had never officially met, but they had heard of each other.
Over the years, the name 'Lyra' had faded into obscurity.
Nearby, Ned scoffed, "Who would be interested in a mean girl like you?"
Lyra wasn't one to argue with fools. She turned to the team leader and said, "I'll go with you to get the Hemoplant."
The team leader refused. "OK, Sis Marv, you should listen to my advice. The medical team usually stays at the rear for support." He tried to dissuade her with humor, but it was like a small flame hitting an iceberg.
"Once the Hemoplant is harvested, it needs special handling, and only I know how to do it. If you still want to save him, do as I say and protect me well." Lyra's large, expressionless Bambi eyes, along with her delicate nose and lips, made her look much younger than she really was, yet she was surprisingly serious and calm. No one thought she was joking.
In the end, the team leader agreed to take her along, but only after emphasizing that she must not act on her own or leave the team.
Compared to humans who need detectors to find the plants, beasts are naturally sensitive to the plants' energy.
As soon as the Lavaberry ripened, the beasts of Bionysus went into a frenzy.
Even the Stellarcrab and the Dark Wolf changed their migration routes to stop here. Both groups were large, with high-ranking beasts in charge.
Even the admiral had to avoid them and plan from a distance.
The people from Voidstar didn't dare to be reckless either, so they settled near the military base. If the beasts rioted, they could use the big battleship to draw their fire.
The team leader sent Cohen back to the main ship for safety and reported the situation to the admiral. He also consulted the accompanying medical team leader, "She says the Hemoplant needs special handling. Could she be tricking us?"
The medical staff was sitting in a wheelchair with bandages wrapped around his head and body. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
After checking Cohen's condition, he frowned. "If she can stabilize Lieutenant Commander's vital signs with just a level three healing superpower, it means her abilities are indeed quite special. Besides, Lieutenant Commander can't make it back to Eden Prime in his current state."
He didn't say much else, but confirmed that the young woman did have the ability to save lives, unlike himself. His remaining superpower was just enough to keep him alive.
When the team leader returned in his spacesuit, he ran into Lyra at the door.
"Convinced I'm not lying now?" She knew a few words wouldn't fool these Alliance soldiers.
"We just don't have any other options. We hope you can deliver on your promise." The leader stared at her intently, still seeing only calmness and mystery.
"Tomorrow, we'll start a full-scale beast clearance. Once the admiral gives the order, we'll set off."
He then returned to the conference room to assign personnel.
Lyra coughed lightly against her hand, slowly curling her lips into a smile.
"The admiral's son sure is lucky. Even in such a critical moment, they can still spare manpower to save him," Sorren said jealously.
He rubbed his hands together with excitement as he asked Lyra, "How are you planning to get the Lavaberry? A level nine plant! It could sell for a lot."
Just as she had promised years ago, Sorren had made a fortune following Lyra, his appetite growing larger over the years.
Lyra turned her head and said quietly, "It seems you've been living too comfortably these years, daring to set your sights on a level nine plant."
Sorren sheepishly touched his blonde hair, unsure whether Lyra really didn't want the Lavaberry or just didn't want him getting a share.
The next day, the area around the volcano where the Lavaberry was located was already swarming with beasts.
From a distance, the dense crowd looked impenetrable. There were several towering creatures standing two to three hundred meters high, making the volcano seem like a mere fire pit in comparison.
Suddenly, a bright red particle cannon beam shot through the beast horde.
The explosion that followed ignited the beasts' rage, and their deafening roars filled the air as they began to riot.
The ground trembled, and orange-yellow sand was thrown dozens of meters high.
Countless warplanes and mechas flew out of the battleships, resembling giant birds as they continually strafed and attacked, drawing all the beasts' fire.
The chaotic battle began instantly.
The people from Voidstar cheered as they mixed into the fray, driving cars, piloting mecha ships, or even wearing just light armor, charging straight towards the volcano.
However, some barely got close to the beasts before being swatted away and crushed, ending their journey abruptly.
Lyra and her team, wearing spacesuits and riding in a heavily armed Lev (short for levitation car), were less significant than a grain of sand in the chaos.
Ned was driving the Lev. He swerved constantly to avoid the giant beast feet, cursing, "These damn beasts, brainless stupid creatures!"
"You should be thankful that Bionysus has a thin atmosphere. Otherwise, just that roar alone would have deafened us," Lyra remarked.
After breaking through the outer ring of low-level beasts, the team leader ordered the Lev's cloaking device to be activated.
The five-meter-long Lev vanished, leaving only a faint shadow visible as light refracted off its surface.
"The cloaking device only lasts for two hours. We need to move quickly!"
However, this device, which fooled the naked eye by bending light, couldn't deceive the high-level beasts' psychokinesis.
As soon as they entered the beasts' territory, a powerful pressure descended upon them.
The Lev jolted violently as a giant claw blotted out the sky above them.
'Dark Wolf!' Ned's eyes widened in terror as he yanked the power lever to the max, but the claw was too fast.
With a loud bang, the Lev was swatted away.
It tumbled through the air, the cloaking device flickering and revealing their position intermittently.
The team leader grabbed a handle and shouted, "Activate the particle shield!"
A blue, honeycomb-like energy shield enveloped the Lev, softening the impact until it finally came to a stop.
"Is anyone hurt?" The team leader immediately checked on the weakest member, Lyra.
"I'm fine, but it seems we're under a Stellarcrab," Lyra replied calmly, looking out at the enormous crab legs surrounding the car like colossal pillars.
Chapter 8: Falling in Danger
"These beasts are treating us like a ball, kicking us around!"
Before the words could fully settle, a heart-pounding pressure wrapped around the group, like a heavy, chilling wave sweeping over them.
It was the psychokinesis of the Stellarcrab.
These beasts use their psychokinesis to command their groups and other lower-tier creatures. This power marks their rank, far stronger than any human's.
"Ned, drive now!"
No matter how much the team leader urged, Ned was pale and sweaty, his hands slipping on the control lever. He was clearly paralyzed by the psychokinesis.
Lyra's eyes flashed—here it comes!
The Stellarcrab released a powerful stream of hot air from its lower abdomen, blasting the Lev away.
Lyra clung to the handrail tightly, thinking to herself, 'Maybe this is what riding a roller coaster feels like?'
The temperature inside the vehicle shot up abruptly. Red warning lights buzzed to life, and then they crashed heavily at the foot of a volcano.
Suddenly, they were within the range of several high-tier psychokinesis fields.
These beasts didn't care about them at all, their focus entirely on the ripening Lavaberry.
In about ten minutes, the real disaster would begin.
Once the high-tier beasts started fighting, if they got caught in it, there would be no way they'd survive.
"Captain, what do we do now?" Ned asked, his face a mask of regret.
The team leader gritted his teeth, "Get out and pilot the mechas in!" He turned to Lyra, "Sis Marv, you come with me."
"May I ask, what level are your mechas?" Lyra asked bluntly.
"Mine is level six, the others are level five, all combat types."
"Then I refuse to go out," Lyra said almost mercilessly. "Even a level six mecha can't withstand a high-tier beast's attack. I'm safer hiding in Lev while you all draw their fire."
Ned glared at her in disbelief, "How can you be so cold-blooded?!"
The cold-blooded young woman spread her hands, "You pay me to heal, not to die alongside you."
Not just Ned, but the other guards also gave her subtle looks.
"If it wasn't for you saying we needed the Hemoplant, we wouldn't even be here..."
"Enough! Cuss will stay and drive Lev. The rest of us will split up and meet at the volcano's crater."
The leader cut off Ned's outburst, and then he glared at the emotionless young woman, "Sis Marv, I hope once we get the Hemoplant, you can heal him just as you've promised."
Lyra didn't seem to care about his half-threatening.
When the Dark Wolf let out a terrifying roar, the ground began to tremble.
The beast's ray shot at the volcano, creating a huge breach, and scarlet lava started pouring out!
"Move out!"
The guards, pale-faced, piloted their mechas into the thick smoke.
A massive crab claw descended from above, and the leader screamed hysterically, "Retreat!"
At that moment, a dazzling railgun shot from the sky, piercing through the crab claw.
"The admiral's team is here to support us!"
Everyone shouted in surprise, then rushed into the volcano's crater.
Meanwhile, the bounty hunters of Voidstar were also riding the waves and rushing in, swarming into the volcano.
"Let's go too," Cuss said, pulling the power lever.
Lyra's eyes flickered as she said, "Our target is the Hemoplant. Let's go in last."
Cuss thought that made sense; he didn't want to compete with Voidstar's hyenas for the Lavaberry. He started up the Lev and followed them in.
As soon as they entered the crater, the temperature soared. Without their spacesuits, they would have been roasted alive.
"The lava below is acting strangely," Cuss said, maneuvering the Lev to hover in the air, a hint of fear in his voice.
He didn't notice Lyra's hands shaking as she gripped tightly.
"Let's stick close to the cliff and look for the Hemoplant," Cuss suggested.
The molten lava below grew brighter and more turbulent, roiling violently.
Others began to notice the abnormality.
Todd was standing at the cockpit window. He nervously adjusted his glasses, "Something's not right."
"Why aren't the Dark Wolf and Stellarcrab coming in?" Liliana, from another ship, muttered.
Suddenly, her face changed as she shouted, "Retreat quickly!"
"Roar—"
A giant scarlet lizard emerged from the lava.
With ferocious bone spurs and a gaping maw, it instantly crushed a nearby fighter.
The lizard perched at the crater, swiping its claws and tail, turning countless mechas and Levs into dust.
Cuss pulled the Lev tightly to the cliff wall, his face twisted in fear. "Dear God, it's a level-eight Pyrodrake! I wonder how the captain and the others are doing?"
Just as they were about to retreat, the light from above was blocked—Stellarcrab and Dark Wolf, along with other level-seven beasts, had arrived.
The real nightmare had begun.
Facing the wild energy rays, the devastating fangs, and claws, it was almost impossible for Lyra and Cuss to find any space to survive among the roiling lava.
As they were caught in the explosive shockwaves of the energy collisions, Cuss felt a cold chill in his heart, "Sis Marv, you need to..."
A sharp pain hit the back of his neck, and he passed out.
Lyra unbuckled her seatbelt. She grabbed the steering and power levers, and then she piloted the hovering Lev through falling boulders, diving into a cave in the cliff.
The level-eight Pyrodrake was originally the overlord of Bionysus, maintaining a truce with the passing Stellarcrab clan.
But with the Lavaberry ripening, the relationship between the innkeeper and the guests had broken down.
The Stellarcrab planned to unite with other level-seven beasts to eliminate the Pyrodrake.
This way, the energy core of the level-eight beast and the Lavaberry would be enough to share.
The warships continued to clear out other beasts, while the crater had descended into chaos.
The number of people from Voidstar had already significantly reduced. Todd, steering his ship away from the high-level beasts' battle zone, contacted Liliana's ship with a grim face, "Do you have any extra medical units? I need five."
The situation on Bionysus was worse than anticipated. If they didn't heal the wounded quickly, they wouldn't stand a chance against the other two groups.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. We do sell medical units, but... who would bring such goods on a mission?" Liliana said, one hand on her slender waist. "But if it's you asking, it'll be a hundred thousand credits, per level-three unit."
Todd felt his heart bleeding. "I remember your products only cost thirty thousand each."
"But this is a special situation."
Todd almost smashed the communicator. He should have known these robbers excel at exploiting desperate situations. Yet, he had no choice but to accept the extortion.
He swore he must get the Lavaberry! Otherwise, his boss would kill him.
The next second, a thunderous roar from the Pyrodrake echoed through the volcano.
"What's going on? Has the Pyrodrake been taken down?" Todd rushed to the monitor screen.
A bright, silvery arc moved impossibly fast among the beasts, falling rocks, and lava. It took a moment for everyone to realize it was a person!
"Who is that?!"
Not just Todd, but everyone who had temporarily retreated was equally shocked.
This person seemed to be performing an elegant and thrilling dance, with their target being the highly coveted Lavaberry!
Chapter 9: Fighting For The Fruit
"Todd, what do we do now?" Todd's subordinates were bleeding out, and a massive beast was on the rampage.
Todd slammed the control panel in frustration. "I'll handle this myself!"
As a Level 6 Peculiar, his survival odds were decent, even if he couldn't secure the item.
While suiting up, he bumped into Liliana and the deputy leader of the Caesars, a Mercenary Group.
Clearly, they all wanted to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure in the flames.
"Damn it, Todd, if I knew it was a Level 9 plant, I wouldn't have told our leader to stay back. You're leading us to our deaths!" The deputy leader's anger was palpable. "Our boss has no intention of facing the admiral."
Voidstar No.2 was crawling with wanted criminals, many of them S-class fugitives. No way were they risking an encounter with the admiral.
"Let's hope those high-level beasts are fierce enough to stop her. Otherwise, we're all in deep trouble."
Amid explosions, the group moved swiftly toward the volcano's crater. The battle there was at its peak.
The beasts, though injured, attacked the small human with a united front, outraged by her audacity.
The figure, however, jumped from rock to rock like a flash of lightning. She dodged Pyrodrake's fireball, which instead struck Dark Wolf.
A chaotic storm of beams and rays rained down, but she edged closer to the volcano's base. There, a twenty-meter-high stone pillar rose amid the glowing lava.
Crimson flame crystals, like blood vessels, absorbed the volcano's energy to nurture a small scarlet fruit at the top.
A Lavaberry!
The silver-clad figure landed on the stone pillar.
"Roar—"
Pyrodrake, realizing the intruder was about to succeed, roared and swung its massive tail. The force shattered the cliffside, creating lava waves that even Stellarcrab had to avoid.
But the figure ignored all this. In a bizarre twist, her armor morphed into a straw and sucked up the fruit. Then, Pyrodrake's tail sent her flying into the lava.
Everyone, beasts included, stood in shock.
"Can that armor withstand this heat?"
Only Pyrodrake dared to investigate further.
As it dove in, the silver figure suddenly erupted from the lava. She had outwitted Pyrodrake!
With metallic wings unfolding, she soared into the sky.
Todd and his team tried to intercept her, but a massive wave of psychokinesis pinned them down, making them feel like they were wading through mud.
Pyrodrake's final desperate act was to use its psychokinesis to crush the thief who stole the fruit. The pressure from an eighth-level beast was unbearable, even for a Peculiar of the same level.
Todd and the crew were frustrated. As they prepared to retreat, they noticed the figure below charging against Pyrodrake's psychokinesis.
"How is that possible?" The deputy leader hit the ground in despair. "Who on earth is that?!"
Todd and Liliana exchanged glances and then they locked eyes with the armored figure. The figure made a hand gesture, and they turned and ran without looking back.
She dodged beams and claws, flapping her wings and soaring higher. At ten thousand meters, she accelerated, then dove down like a meteor.
The volcano erupted, collapsing as the ground cracked and scorching lava burst forth.
Beasts roared and fled, humans ran in panic, and chaos ensued.
Among the fleeing were Ned and his team.
"Damn it! What's with that woman? This is insane!"
"With this eruption, at least one-fifth of Bionysus's surface will change."
"It's an uninhabited planet anyway, don't worry about that. I wonder how Cuss and the others are doing?"
They piloted their mechas to the main ship and spotted the heavily armored Lev nearby.
"Cuss, it's a relief you're still alive!" The team leader was delighted as he boarded Lev, glad there were no casualties.
Cuss rubbed his sore neck with a sheepish grin. "I got knocked out by the tremors. Thank goodness Sis Marv knew how to operate Lev, or we'd be done for."
Everyone turned to Lyra, and the sight shocked them.
"Sis Marv, are you okay?"
Their concern was justified. The young woman looked incredibly weak. She leaned against her seat, trembled and gasped for breath.
Her hair and collar were soaked with sweat, and she clutched her mouth tightly to prevent a severe coughing fit.
Her face was flushed red, eyes bulging.
"Honestly, you look a bit scary," Ned muttered.
Cuss quickly added, "Sis Marv said this happens when she has an illness attack. She'll be fine once her breathing stabilizes."
When Lyra calmed down, she lay in the rest room's bed, her body aching as if it had shattered. Despite the battle lasting less than seven minutes, she felt utterly drained.
"You're awake?"
Sorren, who was keeping watch, joyfully helped her sit up. But the next second, Lyra grabbed his neck.
"Boss, what are you doing?" He stared at her in terror, completely baffled.
A murderous look appeared on Lyra's pale face. "My psychokinesis tells me you touched my Space Button."
The blue diamond pendant on her neck glinted coldly.
"It's a misunderstanding... I just wiped your sweat," Sorren pleaded, eyes full of desperation.
After scanning his trembling body, Lyra slowly released her grip. "Is that so? My apologies then."
Sorren wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'll get you something to eat, boss."
As he reached the door, Lyra suddenly called out, "Sorren, have I given you enough benefits over the years?"
She didn't ask if she'd been good to him, but if the benefits were enough.
Sorren swallowed hard. "In the past few years, I've earned more than I did in the previous twenty combined."
"That's good." She leaned against the bed, placing her feet on the floor. "I want some plain bread. Bring it to me in an hour. Tell the guards I'm too weak right now. I'll treat Cohen tonight."
Sorren hurried out, only to be intercepted by Todd and Liliana around the corner.
"Did you find out? Did Sis Marv take the Lavaberry?"
At this moment, the admiral's main forces were still battling the raging Pyrodrake. Todd and Liliana couldn't wait any longer and used the excuse of checking on Lyra to investigate.
Sorren, still shaken, stomped his foot in frustration. "I don't know! Please, give me a break!"
But knowing he couldn't afford to offend them either, he reluctantly added, "I'd love to help you find out, but even when Lyra is unconscious, her psychokinesis doesn't let up!"
He suspected the Lavaberry was indeed with Lyra, but he didn't dare say anything.
After dodging the inquiries from the Voidstar crowd, Sorren still had to face Cohen's guards. He was nearly pulling his hair out in frustration.
Chapter 10: One Spike Removed
Lyra stood up, grabbed some black tape from her backpack, and covered each camera in the room.
Watching the feed, Ned slammed the table in frustration. "She's awake! And Cohen still hasn't received treatment. Something's definitely off! Is she hiding something?"
Suddenly, Lyra's voice came through the surveillance.
"Hmph, an admiral's guard, spying on a woman while she bathes and changes. Either you're hiding something or just shameless!"
Her words halted Ned from knocking on her door.
"Captain, are we just going to let her walk all over us?" He paced like an angry gorilla trying to grab something.
On the desk in front of him lay plants with small, bright red fruits.
"Cohen said to wait until tonight, because if she hasn't fully recovered, it could harm him instead."
Meanwhile, Lyra sat naked on the bed, examining a cherry-sized red fruit in her hand.
The energy from the fruit's skin filled the room with warmth.
Finally, she had the first level-nine strength-enhancing plant!
Years of experimenting on countless injured bodies had shown her that, the more damaged bodies had a better chance to get rid of all its previous malfunctions after receiving her treatment.
Thus, she now needed this level-nine plant, which was powerful enough to make her body explode. It would break down every nerve and muscle of hers, then bring them to reassemble and heal.
Before the explosion happened, a mad glint flashed in her eyes as she swallowed the fruit whole.
Instantly, the erupting energy surged through her organs and spine, straight to her brain.
This energy was uncontrollable.
All Lyra could do was grit her teeth and endure.
Her pale skin cracked open. Blood seeped out, yet only to be healed rapidly by her superpower. That process repeated over and over again...
When the energy peaked, a cold gleam flashed in her eyes. A pitch-black mechanical spike shot out from her right arm.
A crisp sound echoed in the room.
After everything was over, Lyra swung her right arm and picked up the Soul Spike. "The second one, done."
She could only extract one at a time, she still smile gladly when feeling the surge of her superpower and the lighter body. After all, having a way out was better than dying.
She walked into the bathroom naked. The hot water washed away the sticky blood and sweat. Just as she was about to get dressed, the door opened from the outside.
Her silk-smooth, lean back was covered with thin muscles.
Ned's breath caught for a moment. He quickly turned around, cursing angrily, "You took two hours to shower? Got eaten by the tub?"
Lyra didn't show any embarrassment or panic. She calmly put on her clothes and taunted, "Big news: an admiral's guard barges into a young woman's room after being told she's taking a shower. That's at least a dismissal and two years of confinement, right?"
Ned focused on her movements and only turned around after she finished dressing. "If you hadn't been dragging your feet..."
Lyra moved like the wind, landing a hard punch to his gut.
"Ugh!" Ned was furious. Even if it was his fault, it should be up to the military court, not this young woman to insult him.
He roared and raised his fist.
But Lyra grabbed his arm and tried to throw him over her shoulder.
Ned, relying on his size, steadied himself, only to receive a fierce elbow strike.
Then, Lyra spun and kicked him in the side, sending him crashing into the wall.
Ned was stunned—he had actually lost to a woman much smaller than him. 'Such agility and strength—is her weakness just an act?'
While he was dazed, Lyra extended a green light strip from her hand, binding him like a mummy. Then she dragged him towards the medical room.
Realizing his situation, the prideful Ned wished he could bash his head against the wall.
"Damn it, let me go!"
"Shut up," Lyra snapped, glaring back at him. "You don't want me to tell everyone what you just did, do you?"
And so, with his face flushed red, Ned endured the greatest humiliation of his life, being dragged along like trash.
He saw nothing but the boots and shocked eyes of the ship's maintenance crew.
Cohen's healing pod had been moved, and he was discussing something with the team leader. They froze at the sight of Lyra and Ned.
The team leader quickly approached, helping the red-faced Ned up, and finally exploded, "Young miss, what did Ned do to deserve this humiliation?!"
"Nothing serious," Lyra replied without looking up from the Hemoplant on the table. "He barged into my room and spied on me in the shower."
The team leader's face stiffened, recalling Ned's angry steps earlier. Then Lyra delivered a knockout line, "You didn't stop him when he rushed into my room, did you?"
That casual question silenced the team leader completely.
Cohen, unaware of the situation, was furious and started coughing. "You all are too outrageous. What happened to respecting the law?"
If this got out, it would be a tremendous humiliation to the admiral's reputation.
Lyra glanced at him. "What's the point of hindsight? I've already dealt with it, so let's drop it."
Finishing with the Hemoplant, she leisurely approached Cohen. "Let's discuss my compensation first."
The handsome young man looked serious. "Just give me a number."
"No, I don't need money. I need an admission recommendation to the Eden Prime Military Academy."
A back-alley doctor from Voidstar and an admission recommendation to the Alliance's top military academy? That seemed worlds apart.
"Why EPMA?" Cohen asked calmly. "I thought people from Voidstar would want to stay far away from the military."
Lyra didn't flinch under their scrutiny. "I may live in Voidstar, but my background is clean. An admission recommendation to EPMA should be easy for a Lieutenant Commander."
This was her ultimate goal for agreeing to help, the first step in her plan.
"No way, I can't allow someone with an unknown background to enter the top academy."
Known as the "Military Headquarters Pre-school," EPMA was highly prestigious. To Cohen, Lyra seemed too mysterious and dangerous for such a position.
Cohen's refusal was absolute.
Lyra looked disappointed and clicked her tongue. "How about Nagano Military Academy then?"
Planet Nagano was the home base of the admiral's family. It was located at the edge of the Alliance's territory, near the border where conflicts with the Empire often occurred.
Moreover, Nagato was the second-largest habitable planet in the Alliance, rich in resources and with an environment similar to ancient Earth, making it very prosperous.
If Cohen was worried about her causing trouble, keeping her under his family's watchful eyes would surely ease his mind.
Seeing Cohen still hesitating, she sighed, "Despite how I look, my records clearly show I'm nineteen. It's normal to want a higher education."
She really was a teenager, not just youthful-looking.
Hearing the word "nineteen", even the team leader felt they'd been too harsh on her earlier and glared at Ned.
This statement seemed to strike a chord with Cohen. He relented, "Alright." Then, he added, "I'll give you the recommendation letter, but you have to pass the entrance exam on your own."
"Naturally."
Lyra smiled genuinely, her Bambi eyes gently curving, bringing rare liveliness to her usually grim face.
The guards, who had been tired of waiting, were shocked when the healing light appeared.
"She's level five now?!"