Chapter 107: The Enchanted Night Ablaze

“Captain, look! Something is approaching us at an incredible speed. It’s now less than a million kilometers away,” the observer said excitedly. “Shall we activate the defense systems and move to intercept?”

“Intercept, my foot! When have we ever had enemies around here in all these decades? Even if there were enemies, they wouldn’t come to this godforsaken place! Let’s see if it’s a lost spaceship—maybe it’s full of beauties!” Shooting Luo said with a grin. Based on his experience, the object’s speed wasn’t that fast at all; it certainly didn’t resemble a warship.

The fastest attack ships in the Shark Fleet could reach light speed, covering this distance in the blink of an eye. But this object seemed more like a small civilian vessel, traveling at a speed that would bring it near the space station in about a minute.

The patrol ship’s lights suddenly blazed to life, shining like a beacon in the pitch-black starry sky.

“Captain, connection attempts have failed. This isn’t a spaceship—it’s a meteor. Should we shoot it down?”

“Damn it! Not a spaceship? What a letdown. Shoot it down then! If the space station gets damaged, we might never make it back in our lifetime,” Shooting Luo’s enthusiasm vanished instantly. The meteor was clearly burning intensely, which was why it had been detected by the patrol ship’s sensors. But for him, a burning meteor held no interest.

“It’s coming! Fire!”

A bright dot appeared on the screen, gradually growing larger as it rapidly approached.

A soldier tapped a few times on the controls. “Locked on. Ready to fire at any moment.”

“Don’t rush. Let it get closer. It’s so dark and lonely out here—we might as well put on some fireworks to cheer up those repair crews,” Shooting Luo chuckled. With the patrol ship’s most advanced cruise missiles, shooting down a small meteor was a piece of cake once locked on.

“Hahaha! This dark place will soon be illuminated by us!”

The group, finding humor amid their grim task, burst into laughter.

“Less than a hundred thousand kilometers now. Fire!” Shooting Luo waved his hand like a battle-hardened general giving orders. The soldier operating the weapons pressed the launch button with a grin. He fondly recalled the times in the Shark Fleet when they exterminated pirates, watching massive fireworks explode in the starry sky—such thrilling moments were unforgettable.

Whoosh!

A trail of sparks erupted from the cruise missile mounted beneath the patrol ship as it tore through the darkness toward the meteor. The group watched with keen interest, knowing the missile would collide with the meteor in about twenty seconds, creating a dazzling explosion—a bit of entertainment in the void of space.

Ten seconds… five seconds…

Boom!

The missile exploded precisely, sending a huge burst of sparks soaring across the starry expanse. Though invisible to the naked eye, the patrol ship’s large screen made it feel as if the spectacle was happening right before them. The group shouted excitedly, their exhilaration rivaling the thrill of sinking pirate ships.

But the next moment, all their cheers abruptly ceased, replaced by expressions of disbelief.

“How is this possible? The meteor dodged the missile lock at the last moment and is still moving forward! Oh my God! It’s… alive!”

All nine aboard the patrol ship were gripped by terror.

“Shoot it down quickly! We absolutely cannot let it get any closer.”

Shooting Luo shouted, leapt to another chair in a flash, and his wristwatch lit up. He furiously tapped the virtual screen. “Damn it! What the hell is this thing? We can’t lock it! No matter—we’ll unleash every missile we have and seal off the entire area ahead. I refuse to believe it can breach our blockade.”

An unshakable unease rose within Shooting Luo. Gritting his teeth, he made a snap decision. Blind firing reduced the chance of hitting the target, but this meteor’s trajectory was terrifyingly precise: it was heading straight for the space station. If the station were destroyed, could he ever rise again in this life? Building a space station wasn’t difficult, but the core of the receiving tower—the Electronic Crystal—was another matter.

This crystal was a miraculous and exceedingly precious gem. A tiny piece could support the network connections of several planets. Such crystals were rare and highly sought after throughout the universe. They were installed only in the most vital locations. As luck would have it, Shooting Luo knew this space receiving station housed a fragment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Following the captain’s orders, the crew wasted no time. Regardless of locking status, they pressed the launch buttons.

Several cruise missiles screamed through space, their blazing tails illuminating the entire space station and sending the maintenance staff into a panic.

“Report immediately! Enemy attack on the space station! Activate the shield!”

Larrys, director of the Academy of Sciences responsible for maintenance, shouted hoarsely, eyes fixed on the incoming missiles, his heart turning ice cold.

Meanwhile, on Azure Star, several mayors simultaneously received the space station’s alarm, their faces draining of color.

“Captain, it’s evading! How is this possible? This is terrifying.”

“It’s slipped through our fire net. Damn, it’s accelerating and charging straight at us…”

At that moment, even without the large screens, they could see a bright dot suddenly appear in the distant starry sky, rapidly growing larger as it hurtled toward the patrol ship. Watching the rapidly expanding fireball, Shooting Luo’s face turned ashen. He stood dumbfounded, staring as the massive fireball slammed into the patrol ship.

Though the patrol ship employed cutting-edge shields, the force of the meteor fireball far exceeded all expectations. It was like a mountain crushing a car—no matter how strong the car, it couldn’t withstand such pressure. The ship instantly exploded, setting off brilliant fireworks in space.

All the defense personnel watched the terrifying scene in horror. Though the patrol ship was still some distance from the space station, the visual impact was overwhelming.

The burning meteor, after crushing the patrol ship, continued straight toward the space station. At that moment, a wave of despair swept over everyone. The space station’s defenses were surely weaker than the patrol ship’s!

Director Larrys clenched his fists tightly. “Has the message been sent?”

“Director, our network is down. We cannot contact the outside,” a technician rushed in, breathless.

“What? That’s impossible! The space station is intact; the Cosmic Network cannot be severed. Are you lying?”

“Director, it’s true. The Cosmic Network was completely cut off just now. Internal connections will take at least three minutes to restore.”

“Three minutes… I don’t think we’ll make it,” the director sighed in resignation, watching the red fireball grow ever larger, his face drained of all color.

Boom!

The massive fireball roared in, violently striking the shield and sending flames scattering in all directions. The spectacle resembled a colossal meteor shower.

But no one had the heart to admire the dazzling display. As the fireball struck the space station’s shield, they all tumbled to the ground, rolling in agony. At least half perished on the spot. The technician responsible for the shield let out a despairing scream, eyes glazed with shock as the shield’s energy level plummeted on the screen.

It’s over!

That was everyone’s silent cry at that instant.

The energy reading halted at 2,000.

The survivors could hardly believe their eyes. They shouted with excitement. If the shield had faltered just a little more, the space station would have been doomed. The near-apocalyptic ordeal was still vivid in their minds. Their escape from death was beyond words.

Outside the shield, the fiery rain finally dissipated.

The space station’s lights illuminated the surroundings like broad daylight.

“Director, what… what is that?”

A trembling technician pointed outside, aided by the bright light. More people gathered, all noticing the strange sight approaching the main gate—astonishingly, it was…

“That’s… a person?”

The director’s face turned pale, utterly drained of blood.

Impossible!

How could anyone walk freely in outer space? This defied all scientific understanding. Watching the figure drawing closer—a long-haired man strolling leisurely—everyone was dumbstruck, speechless, their minds filled with one thought: this was no human, but a demon, a ghost!

The long-haired man wore a flowing robe, his black hair reaching his waist. His eyes glowed red like brilliant gems. Though his features were indistinct, those eyes were magnetic, irresistibly drawing everyone’s gaze.

He parted his lips, shattering scientific norms once again. His voice carried through the vacuum, piercing the shield, booming thunderously throughout the space station: “Just the right amount of force. Not all of you are dead yet. Good, very good. Hand over the Electronic Crystal, and I’ll let you dieI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.