Chapter 4: A Strategy to Break the Deadlock
Outside the energy shield, the terrifying unknown creature roared incessantly, slamming into the shield again and again. Each impact sent ripples across the shield, as if it might shatter at any moment. Yang Hao stared intently at the shield, beads of sweat covering his forehead. He knew in his heart that the shield couldn't hold out for much longer.
Li Qiang panted heavily, his iron rod trembling slightly from the exertion. "Hao Zi, this thing's too fierce. We've gotta think of something fast!"
Lin Xiao, while operating her equipment, said, "I'm trying to analyze more functions of the alien relic to see if I can find a way to deal with it." Her fingers danced across the screen, her eyes filled with anxiety and focus.
Suddenly, an idea struck Yang Hao. "Since this monster is attracted by energy, could we use the alien relic to create an energy lure and draw it away?"
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up. "That makes sense! I'll give it a try." With that, she quickly adjusted the device parameters and, through the connection established with the alien relic, began guiding the flow of energy. Soon, a faintly glowing energy sphere gradually took shape on the other side of the room.
The creature seemed to detect the new energy source and hesitated for a moment before lunging towards the energy sphere. As it left the shield, Yang Hao shouted, "Run!" The three of them immediately dashed towards the exit of the corridor.
However, the creature soon realized it had been deceived and turned around in anger, chasing after them again. Its speed was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between them. Just as the creature was about to catch up, Li Qiang suddenly stopped, turned around, and raised his iron rod. "Hao Zi, Xiao Er, you two go first. I'll hold it off!"
Yang Hao urgently said, "No way, you're no match for it alone!"
Li Qiang grinned. "Don't waste time. I'll hold on for a while, and you two find a chance to activate the Ark's defense system." With that, he charged towards the creature and engaged in a desperate battle.
Yang Hao and Lin Xiao clenched their teeth and continued running. Finally, they reached the Ark's control center. Lin Xiao rushed to the console and began activating the defense system. Meanwhile, Yang Hao picked up a weapon and stood guard at the doorway, ready to face any attack from the creature.
A few minutes later, Lin Xiao shouted, "It's activated!" As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire Ark's defense system sprang into action, and laser beams shot out from the turrets all around, raining down on the creature.
The creature was caught off guard by the sudden attack, and multiple laser strikes hit its body, causing it to let out a painful roar. It tried to dodge the attacks, but the coverage of the laser beams was too wide, and there was nowhere for it to escape. Under the sustained assault, the creature's movements grew slower and slower until it finally collapsed with a thud and lay motionless.
Yang Hao and Lin Xiao let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. After a while, they got up and returned to the corridor to find Li Qiang. He was covered in injuries but still alive. Seeing Yang Hao and Lin Xiao, he smiled with relief. "I knew you could do it."
The three of them supported each other and returned to the room where the alien relic was stored. Looking at the relic suspended in the center, they knew that this was just a small episode in their journey to escape the solar system. There were still more unknown dangers awaiting them in the future, but at this moment, they had successfully taken the first step.
After repelling the unknown creature, Yang Hao, Li Qiang, and Lin Xiao returned to the shelter with the alien relic. Yang Hao sat down wearily and tended to the wound on his arm, while Lin Xiao eagerly began studying the alien relic, and Li Qiang stood guard nearby.
Lin Xiao stared intently at the screen, her brow furrowed. "The energy core of this alien relic seems to require a special crystal to be fully activated and unleash all its functions, but we have no idea where that crystal is right now." Li Qiang stomped his foot in frustration. "At a time like this, to have something so complicated. This is a matter of life and death!"
Yang Hao pondered for a moment and then spoke. "The files mentioned earlier that the 'Ark Project' had multiple backup bases. It's possible that one of them stores this crystal." The three decided to set out in search of the backup bases.
They trudged through the devastated city, with debris and ruins lining the streets on both sides. Suddenly, a cry for help came from ahead. Without thinking, Li Qiang was about to rush forward, but Yang Hao grabbed him. "Be careful, it could be a trap." The three approached cautiously and found a group of survivors trapped by a gang of bandits. The bandits, armed with crude weapons, had fierce expressions on their faces, while the survivors, including the elderly and children, huddled together in terror.
Seeing this, Li Qiang's blood boiled. "We can't just stand by and let them die!" Yang Hao was also torn inside. Rescuing them might delay their search for the crystal, but not doing so would go against his conscience. Lin Xiao gritted her teeth and said, "We don't have time to get involved in this, but we can't just watch them be harmed. Let's think of a quick way to resolve it."
Yang Hao surveyed the surroundings and noticed an abandoned building nearby. An idea came to him. "Li Qiang, you attract the bandits' attention from the front, while Lin Xiao and I go to the building and create a disturbance to psychologically intimidate them." Li Qiang nodded, charged forward with his iron rod, and shouted loudly. The bandits were drawn in and turned to face Li Qiang.
Yang Hao and Lin Xiao quickly climbed up the building. They threw some debris from the rooftop, creating a chaotic noise, and lit a piece of tattered cloth, waving the flames. The bandits were thrown into a panic by this sudden turn of events and thought a large group of people were approaching. Under Li Qiang's fierce attack and the intimidation created by Yang Hao and Lin Xiao, the bandits eventually fled in disarray.
After rescuing the survivors, the elderly leader was in tears with gratitude. "Thank you, you're good people. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have survived today." Yang Hao looked at these survivors and, thinking about the uncertain future of humanity, felt a mix of emotions in his heart.
After bidding farewell to the survivors, the three continued on their journey. As night fell, everything around was deathly silent, except for the sound of their heavy footsteps. Suddenly, Li Qiang stopped and said alertly, "Something's not right. I think I heard a sound." The three immediately tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly. In the darkness, danger seemed to be creeping up on them.