Translator: Sean88888 Editor: Elkassar1
So, after chasing down two unlucky fellows, would the mothership and sub-ship of the Predators still be able to catch up to the other four?
Everyone knew that it was probably impossible.
The technological gap between the two sides was not that great, and they were “only” 2.7 million kilometers away from the Kitty Hawk base – 2.7 million kilometers was really nothing in terms of intergalactic travel. A Porsche Cayenne was no doubt much faster than a Honda 125cc motorcycle, but if the Porsche Cayenne had to drive a few kilometers in the opposite direction first before it was allowed to chase after the 125cc motorcycle, and the travel distance was limited to only 10 kilometers, even the Porsche Cayenne would find it impossible. After all, a Honda 125cc motorcycle was not a horse carriage; both sides were in the same era technology-wise.
Sheyan obviously knew this, so why did he propose to seize the sub-ship of the Predators before this? That was because he wanted to show the team that he considered all of them his comrades.
What was the difference between Sheyan’s plan and the plan of “each person returning individually in his own Wasp”?
The biggest difference was that Sheyan’s proposal was the only one that would allow all of them to return safely with the team’s collective effort. However, the drawback of this proposal was that it may also cause the whole team to be wiped out.
On the other hand, the latter plan contained the flavour of “each man for himself in the face of great danger”. Two unlucky people were bound to die, while the rest had a great chance of escaping.
After they had satisfied their greed, there was no doubt that all of them had had a change in mindset. The solid team that had been gradually taking shape collapsed in an instant, becoming scattered sand. It was easy to brave hardships together, but hard to share fortunes; we could see many such examples throughout history.
Sheyan may be good at making schemes, but he still could not predict the most complex thing in the world – the human heart. Sheyan did not waste any effort to convince them otherwise because he could already see from their eyes that they had made up their minds.
Therefore, he simply said, “Let’s go back to the mushroom rock.”
As Sheyan said that, his mind darted to the special Wasp spacecraft in his storage space. A smirk appeared on his lips, and a thought flashed in his mind.
“I’m the core of this team, the most dominant force. You think I won’t survive when we go our own way?”
Paul was surprised by Sheyan’s decisiveness. He could not help asking, “Didn’t you propose to capture the Predator sub-ship before this?”
“Doing that alone is as good as suicide,” Sheyan smiled wryly.
But right then, Aldaris asked, “What if there are two of us?”
Sheyan was about to answer when Ronnie suddenly said a little rigidly, “Three.”
Sheyan shrugged.
“Both the plans of capturing a sub-ship and returning in our own Wasps shared many common risks. If we choose the Wasps, two people will be caught for sure, so the death rate for each person is 33%. If we try to seize the sub-ship with three people, the death rate is over 80%. There’s no need to hesitate. Let’s go.”
***
The next step was simple. According to the labels and route marked by Cyborg No. 1 on the map, the team safely came to the migratory path of the Sturmbeests, giant hoofed sheep and wildebeests.
As long as these giant creatures with fairly mild personalities were not attacked, they did not mind being the humans going along for the ride, especially when the passengers could drive away the annoying blood-sucking insects. The beetles, ticks and other parasites here had mutated into pretty formidable creatures and caused a lot of trouble for these giant herbivores.
Therefore, when the wildebeest herd stopped for a drink, they did not feel like they had been taken advantage of at all. Instead, they looked at their fellow wildebeests with vigilant eyes, lest the others would try to steal the “prey” from their backs.
The wildebeests traveled through the flat plain so fast that they might as well be flying. Less than five hours later, the contestants could already see the abrupt protrusion in the ground that was the plateau. The rugged and steep rock walls were an extremely difficult test even for professional climbers, but not for a team with Pokan. He needed only to flick his fingers and a path that could be climbed would be formed.
Less than ten minutes later, the familiar scenery of the mushroom rock plain emerged in front of them. Thinking back to the confusion and chaos when they first arrived here just a few days ago, it felt like a lifetime had passed since then.
Sheyan told the team very seriously at this time, “If I’m not mistaken, this place should’ve become the territory of another powerful creature. We need to be more careful now. After all, we’re no longer hidden among thousands of wildebeests. Even though our scent has been masked, let’s try to keep a low profile.”
The team was still quite willing to listen to Sheyan. They nodded one after another.
However, at this moment, a strange yet familiar feeling washed over their bodies again. They grunted and held their arms at the same time. Blood could be seen flowing down their arms. After that, the mark which they had been relying on as a protective amulet, the mark which branded them as the prey of the Predators, slowly melted down!
“They’ve found us,” Sheyan was the first to recover from the shock. He took a deep breath and said in a serious voice, “Get ready for battle. We’re at least ten kilometers from the place where the spacecrafts are hidden. It’s too late to set sail. The Predators have been searching for us all this while, they must be really impatient and eager by now!”
Sheyan’s decision was no doubt reasonable, but he did notice Paul’s lips curling contemptuously. It may be an emotion that had just developed, or maybe it was an emotion that had been buried for a long time and had only erupted now.
However, because Sheyan’s words were very reasonable, the team that had begun to break down assembled for the last time. Sheyan stood in front as usual, but after looking coldly at the battered Iron Golem next to him, he suddenly turned towards Paul and said, “Do you want to die? ”
Sheyan spoke those words calmly, but everyone felt a terrifying aura from his body, especially Dardanian, whose hands trembled involuntarily.
The muscles on Paul’s face twitched, but his eyes were still as arrogant as a wolf’s.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Sheyan took a step forward. “Do I need to speak more clearly? You’re using this garbage to tank in front? Do you want everyone to die here with you? How ’bout I f*ck you up first?”
Paul sneered. “I don’t have any other robots or golems. Do you have any idea how much they cost?”
Sheyan pointed at his nose and uttered slowly, “I’m an MT, and a damage dealer, and a support, and also a summoner. Do you know how much I’ve spent?”
That shut Paul up, but a brutal light flashed past his eyes. However, at that moment, he saw Aldaris shifting slightly to his left, while Ronnie simply disappeared from his sight.
And his allies, Pokan and Dardanian, also seemed a little dissatisfied with him. So Paul took a deep breath and chanted the magic spell to summon a new Iron Golem. That was how domineering Sheyan was; as long as he wished for it, he could force anyone to bow down to his will!
Less than two minutes after Paul’s summoning spell completed, a spot in the distant sky flashed brightly, and a weird spaceship came flying towards them at high speed.
The ship looked like a beetle with a huge belly, but with tail wings, propellers and other ancillary set-ups. When those on the ship discovered the contestants, the ship approached them and actually crashed down to the ground!
The soil parted like the sea in front of the Predator ship. The ship rushed straight toward the contestants with arrogance and indifference until it stopped ten meters from them.
Following that, a white gas was ejected from the door at the side of the ship, and the door slowly opened. A row of Predators rushed out from the ship. Sheyan noticed that the masks of these Predators were bigger than usual and had markings on them that were made with corrosive Xenomorph blood. The weapons they carried on their waists were similar to Japanese samurai katanas, an exclusive equipment for Blooded Predators. Next, a Predator in a grey cape climbed down the stairs.
Elite Predator Veron!
(TL note: Predator hierarchy: The Predator Queen → The Elders (similar to the status of dukes, the Elders own their own territory and army, and are characterised by the skull they carry on their hand, which is the skull of the greatest enemy in their lifetime) → The Arbitrator (who wear sets of striking red armours) → The Elites (veteran fighters who wear grey capes) → The Blooded (who bear the mark of successfully passing the rite of passage on their forehead).)
Veron’s patience had almost run out by now, so he had to come in person to witness the deaths of these humans. Only in this way could he show his respect for these people.
What he respected may not necessarily be these people, but the wisdom and strength they showed during the run!
“We’re very surprised at your performance,” Elite Predator Veron’s voice reached them after going through the translation function, “Therefore, before you die, you have the right to leave your names behind. Your skulls will be collected by our warriors and treasured among our trophies. Your names will be engraved on the nameplates below them, becoming a part of our glory.”
