Chapter 163: Encounter (Part Two)

"Send the communication signal!" The captain's tone was evidently much lighter.

A communication signal is an action taken when two starships meet to exchange information and express goodwill, which essentially means transmitting an unencrypted message indicating one's identity. In the vastness of the universe, even along fairly bustling space routes, the probability of encountering another starship is quite low. Therefore, whenever two starships cross paths, experienced captains will send out such a communication signal.

Once the signal was sent, the captain noticeably heaved a sigh of relief. He clearly believed that no further emergencies would arise. The reason he sent the signal to the other party was simply to avoid a conflict with the Black Horn. On one hand, the ship was carrying someone to whom absolutely no accidents could happen; the captain still clearly remembered the serious tone and immense importance the elder had attached to this mission when giving him the orders, which had startled him and immediately made him realize the profound significance of this individual.

Engaging in a war with the Black Horn, by any measure, was a grave matter. Regarding the relationship and dynamics between the Research Institute, the Black Horn, and the Mecha Master Association, there was likely not a single member of the Institute who was unaware. If this directly led to an all-out war between the Institute and the Black Horn, the captain had no idea whether he could bear that responsibility. Fortunately, Lord Mu was still aboard the ship—the captain inwardly rejoiced.

Mu Fei's expression also relaxed at this moment. According to usual custom, both sides should have exercised restraint and passed each other by. However, even if a conflict were to break out, Mu Fei was not worried. There were four standard combat squads aboard, whose combat effectiveness was not weak, not to mention his own presence as commander; no problems should arise.

It was simply that this was by no means a good time to start a war. He certainly did not want any unexpected accidents to befall the talented youth beside him, whom the Institute would never let go. For days, he had approached this person in the capacity of a guide. No one could feel the power of this talented youth more directly and vividly than he did! Moreover, the other party must still be concealing his true strength! Driven by intuition, Mu Fei did not believe that the all-bone Black Bird crafted by Ye Chong represented his peak capability. Mu Fei held an attitude of absolute support toward the Institute leadership's unwavering determination to keep Ye Chong. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he had even volunteered to join this mission, which originally had no connection to him.

Everyone on board relaxed. They believed this was merely a false alarm, and some even laughed and scolded the crew member who first raised the alarm for making a fuss over nothing and purely torturing everyone's nerves.

A thread of chilling laughter flashed briefly across Ye Chong's half-closed eyes, bearing a striking resemblance to the slender, leaf-like blade on the prow of the Black Horn ship.

"Ah!" The crew member who had just been mocked by the others let out an involuntary scream of terror!

"Ha, Ada, are you trying to scare us again this time?"

"That's right, Ada. This is too unkind of you! Look at my poor little heart, pounding away because of your scare just now, and it still hasn't stopped..."

A wave of laughter and banter drowned out the crew member's voice.

Mu Fei, with his eyes slightly closed, could not help but reveal a trace of a smile as well.

"Hurry and look! I'm not lying to you! Look!" the crew member defended himself desperately, his face turning beet red. Only then did everyone detect the genuine panic in the crew member's tone. They immediately realized something was wrong; every crew member on the ship possessed strict discipline and would never joke about such a matter.

Mu Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he snapped his eyes open.

Dozens of black mecha, arranged in standard combat formation, were closing in on them. The captain's expression changed drastically; the optical brain verified the number as fifty. Flame Stars—the standard combat mecha of the Black Horn, which Mu Fei was quite familiar with. The Johnson who had previously died at Ye Chong's hands had also piloted a Flame Star.

Fifty Flame Stars! What on earth did the Black Horn intend to achieve by dispatching such a formidable force? Mu Fei was filled with deep suspicion.

"We have received a reply from the other party!" reported a crew member.

"Put it on screen!" the captain ordered coldly. Since the other party showed hostility, there was no need for him to be polite. Although he harbored considerable apprehension toward the Black Horn, fear was entirely absent; members of the Institute were astonishingly unanimous on this point, and the captain was no exception.

"We suspect that a member of ours is aboard your vessel. Please open the cargo bay and submit to our inspection!" The concise phrasing bore the distinct style of the Black Horn.

In an instant, apart from Ye Chong, the expressions of everyone in the captain's cabin changed! The arrogant tone of the other party severely wounded the self-esteem of every member of the Institute! Even Mu Fei, who was usually unflappable and possessed exceptional composure, could not help but twitch the muscles in his cheek!

This was sheer bullying! When had the Institute ever suffered such humiliation?

The enemy's mecha were approaching aggressively, and several laser beams had already struck the starship. If they did not retaliate now, they would find themselves at a severe disadvantage!

Although he knew well that striking now was the best choice, it also meant a high probability of plunging into an all-out war with the Black Horn. Such a decision, with its potentially far-reaching consequences, made the captain hesitate slightly.

"Attack!" Mu Fei commanded decisively. He saw the battlefield situation much more clearly than the captain; if the enemy was allowed to close in any further, their side would be placed in an extremely passive position! Though he did not know why the other party had taken such an entirely counterintuitive action, the situation no longer permitted hesitation!

The dignity of the Institute could not be trampled upon!

Mu Fei's command was equally authoritative; not a single mecha master raised any objection to his order, nor did anyone even hesitate! The mecha masters of the four standard combat squads launched into action at top speed, charging forward to meet the enemy!

The curtain officially rose on this high-level, initial clash between the Institute and the Black Horn!

Everyone stared intently at the imagery transmitted on the holographic screen, and Ye Chong was no exception. Although Ye Chong had seen a Flame Star before, Johnson had died from his sneak attack before he could react, leaving Ye Chong equally full of curiosity about this model of mecha!

Engaging in close combat with the Black Horn was the most foolish thing one could do! This was a consensus shared by both the Institute and the Mecha Master Association!

Therefore, the moment the enemy Flame Stars entered the range of the Morning Star mecha, virtually all of the Morning Stars opened fire!

Countless laser beams intersected across space! However, in terms of long-range attacks, the Black Horn was at an absolute disadvantage!

Unlike the precise marksmanship of the Mecha Master Association, the Institute still employed its unique group-tactics approach. Several Morning Stars would frequently target the same Flame Star, but their impact points were coordinated with such ingenuity that Ye Chong, watching from the side, was filled with amazement. The surrounding laser beams effectively sealed off the enemy's most likely escape routes!

The extraordinary dodging skills of the Black Horn likewise opened Ye Chong's eyes! The irregular waveform dodging most familiar to Ye Chong could be seen everywhere here, alongside an array of even more bizarre, diverse, and unexpected evasive maneuvers, which left Ye Chong's blood boiling and his eyes shining with excitement!

Shang continuously rattled off critical data points in Ye Chong's mind!

The Institute's combat style dealt a severe blow to the Black Horn. In less than half a minute, fifteen Flame Stars had already been destroyed, demonstrating the remarkable efficiency of the Institute's attacks.

However, Mu Fei's face bore no trace of joy, for he knew the real battle had just begun!

The physique of the Flame Star itself was quite petite and slender, which to a certain extent reduced the probability of it being hit. Although fifteen Flame Stars were destroyed, the remaining thirty-five successfully closed the distance with the Institute's Morning Star mecha!

The formation of the Morning Star mecha suddenly scattered, splitting into groups of three mecha, and charged forward unyieldingly.

Once a mecha was cornered in close quarters by the Black Horn, it spelled the beginning of a nightmare! This saying was verified once more, but this time, the victims were the Institute!

For the first time before Ye Chong's eyes, the Flame Star bared its true fangs!

The superb piloting skills of the Black Horn masters and their savage, bloody fighting style allowed Ye Chong to appreciate for the first time the terrifying nature of the Flame Star, the standard combat mecha of the Black Horn!

The trio of Morning Star mecha covered and supported one another, displaying admirable coordination and tactical proficiency, yet they were still smashed to pieces by the rampaging Flame Stars!

The Black Horn's combat style was spine-chilling! Utilizing the immense momentum generated by high-speed flight, they crashed directly into the embrace of the Morning Star mecha. The barbs located across their shoulders and elbows were sufficient to inflict fatal damage upon a Morning Star, while the one-and-a-half-meter curved blade on the outer right arm would instantly dismember the Morning Star! The mist of blood expelled by the mecha master within would freeze into ice crystals in a very short time, suspended in space, losing the vibrant color it possessed mere seconds ago. The long chains, moreover, emerged unexpectedly, entangling and binding their targets, even leveraging one another with extreme cleverness. Furthermore, the material of these chains was unknown, yet astonishingly durable!

The Institute's group combat tactics similarly inflicted massive casualties upon the Black Horn!

The battle between the two sides was devoid of any dragging hesitation, agonizingly tense and breathtaking! Both sides possessed exceptionally high tactical proficiency and ruthless execution; once hit, there was basically no possibility of survival! Damaged mecha had no opportunity to retreat from the battlefield before an enemy mecha would step forward to deliver the fatal blow!

The entire battle process was agonizingly fierce!

Yet within a mere ten minutes, only seventeen or eighteen Flame Stars remained on the field, while the Morning Stars were even fewer, numbering only twelve! The situation on the field was extremely unfavorable for the Institute; close combat was inherently the strong suit of the Flame Star, and fighting with superior numbers against fewer opponents, the number of Morning Star mecha had plummeted while the Flame Stars suffered virtually no losses.

Fought to this extent, despite heavy casualties, not a single mecha retreated. Both sides fought to a dead heat in terms of the tactical competence of their mecha masters!

However, the disparity in overall strength caused the balance of victory to tilt rapidly toward the Black Horn, while the remaining Morning Star mecha continued to struggle desperately!

The complexions of everyone in the captain's cabin turned pale with horror, and even the usually resolute captain wore an extremely grim expression. It was the first time they had encountered such a brutal battle!

Mu Fei could no longer sit still. He sprang to his feet, dropped the sentence, "I'm going to support them!", and whirled around to walk out of the captain's cabin!

Hearing this, everyone in the cabin except Ye Chong brightened up. It seemed they possessed immense confidence in Mu Fei!

The cabin door of the captain's cabin closed automatically behind Mu Fei just as it usually did.

Yet, he could never have imagined what kind of scene was unfolding inside the captain's cabin at that very moment!