Lesser Ancient God Lifeform

Emperor Star, your uncle!

Yang Ming shook his slightly numb left hand, glared at the researchers and soldiers he had just knocked unconscious, spat viciously, then bent down and stripped a soldier of his helmet and jacket.

That bastard Brother Ji had already modified him, and he was still supposed to stop the Valkyrie?

The only reason Yang Ming wasn't offering the Valkyrie a cigarette or a knife was that she'd cut him down along with everyone else!

The ship's hull kept shuddering.

The Valkyrie's second rampage had begun.

Yang Ming searched himself all over and found that the body he'd inherited from Hanton was unharmed. It had only become a little stronger.

He didn't dare waste any more time. As he put on the helmet and jacket, he thought about Gene Modification and the strange bond that had formed between him and the Valkyrie.

Assuming the Valkyrie was a lower lifeform of an Ancient God;

Yang Ming was now a lower lifeform of the Valkyrie.

The Ancient God exterminated by the Sherman Empire had transformed into the Valkyrie with Geglov's "help." The Valkyrie's original personality had already vanished. The being she was now couldn't be understood through the way Carbon-based lifeforms thought.

Most deadly of all, after Yang Ming fused with the Valkyrie Gene Fluid and accepted it perfectly, the Valkyrie had sensed his existence too!

The connection went both ways!

Now she wanted to devour Yang Ming, reclaim her genes, and complete herself!

[Selfishness] was the primary trait of an Ancient God Lifeform!

Yang Ming cursed that perverted Brother Ji under his breath, his movements growing more and more frantic.

Explosions continued to rumble through the hull, and evacuation orders played throughout the ship. Things looked grim.

As Yang Ming rushed out of the Backup Lab, an explosion caught his attention. He turned toward the end of the corridor and happened to see a burst of flames surge up from the passage below.

In the flames, a burly Imperial soldier screamed as he flew backward and slammed into the wall, a broken alloy panel lodged in his chest.

It was a death with absolutely no artistic merit.

Yang Ming backed up a few steps, then shot toward the Emergency Passage like a gust of wind. A few seconds later, he came back out and headed for the elevator.

The Emergency Passage was blocked by a Safety Gate!

The elevator had stopped running too, but there was still a way to travel straight up and down here.

The Elevator Shaft.

The explosions at the end of the corridor grew more frequent.

The Research Ship continued to shake.

Yang Ming swiped the Identification Card he'd taken from someone to open the elevator doors, then slipped inside the disabled elevator.

The simulated gravity quickly vanished. With a light leap, Yang Ming reached the elevator ceiling. He braced his left foot against the handrail and his right against the corner, then fumbled beside the recessed light fixture overhead. A small screen lit up, displaying a numeric keypad.

A maintenance code...

Seriously, why did some lousy elevator need a maintenance code?

Yang Ming punched the silver-gray panel without thinking. The light in the fixture began to flicker.

The punch had only been meant to vent his frustration, but it left Yang Ming staring up at the obvious dent in stunned silence.

When did I get this strong...?

As if he'd discovered a whole new world, Yang Ming slowly clenched his fist. He felt the muscles in his arm grow warm. He took a few deep breaths, then drove an uppercut into the metal panel!

Bam!

The twenty-centimeter-thick module shot upward. Its circuit board and warning light shattered, and a piercing alarm rang inside and outside the elevator.

Yang Ming stared at his swollen fist as it quickly returned to normal, then gently rubbed his knuckles. The pain in his bones was fading just as fast.

Uh, and the ones he'd just knocked "unconscious"...

May they rest in peace.

Was this the power of the Valkyrie Gene Fluid?

Yang Ming didn't dare dwell on it. He violently ripped open the panel beside him, slipped out of the elevator like a fish, then stood firmly on top of it under the weak force field.

He looked up. The deep Elevator Shaft seemed to lead all the way into space. The indicator lights for each deck flickered gently, like signposts guiding the ship forward.

Go to the bridge?

No, he couldn't go to the bridge.

If he went straight there, he might lose his chance to escape. Geglov wouldn't let him go.

Yang Ming understood now why Geglov had insisted on modifying him—his proposal had hurt the Valkyrie, Posa.

The three escape pods were stationed in the outer bay by the bridge, the outer bay by the Crew Lounge, and the Tail Hangar. The Tail Hangar also held a squadron of Shipborne Aircraft, seven or eight Combat Mechs, and two landing craft. Any of them could serve as makeshift escape vehicles.

The escape pod outside the Crew Lounge would definitely be crowded, and it was too close to the Lower Deck Lab...

The Tail Hangar!

Yang Ming bent his legs slightly and pushed off from the elevator ceiling, drifting diagonally upward until he caught a protrusion on the inner wall of the shaft.

His field of vision suddenly seemed to shiver. Yang Ming couldn't see the change in his pupils, but the pitch-black Elevator Shaft had turned grayscale to his eyes, every detail clear.

He even had Night Vision.

Half a minute later, Yang Ming forced open the third elevator door. Drawing on Hanton's memories, he began weaving through the maze-like corridors, eventually slipping into the passageway that ran through the ship's central section and heading straight for the Tail Compartment hangar.

Safety doors blocked off various sections, but the fast route was still open.

The war between the Valkyrie and the Empire continued.

As he ran, Yang Ming noticed the changes taking place in him.

His organs seemed to have been greatly enhanced. He could hold his breath for a long time without feeling uncomfortable. His brain seemed able to control every muscle directly, and his strength and speed continued to increase. His reflexes were sharper, and he could process the information in his field of vision in an instant.

Yang Ming was starting to understand why those modified-warrior players loved showing off their biceps.

Feeling his body grow stronger really was pretty great.

The passageway ran through the spacious Outer Engine Room.

Through the thick glass lining the perimeter, Yang Ming could clearly see the complex machinery inside, along with the ship's heart—the Inner Engine Room, glowing with pale blue light.

Beyond this long passage lay the rear half of the ship.

Yang Ming turned a corner, intending to detour to the Weapon Bay and find some gear for self-defense. He hadn't run far when he spotted more than ten fully armed Imperial soldiers charging toward him.

Yang Ming was debating whether to make their necks undergo mechanical deformation when their leader greeted him first.

"Captain Hanton! How's the fighting down below? The captain issued the Evacuation Order earlier. Everyone's already headed for the escape pods."

Yang Ming immediately realized that word of his modification hadn't spread yet.

"It was brutal." Yang Ming raised a hand to his forehead, his expression full of lingering fear. "I don't recommend joining the fight. Get out of here, boys. Go find an escape pod."

The leader frowned. "But, Captain! The only thing we need to do is follow orders."

"You're right," Yang Ming said firmly. "So I'm going to find some equipment and then take on the Valkyrie! The Empire's honor must not be sullied! The Weapon Bay is this way, right?"

The Imperial soldiers looked at him with undisguised admiration and respect.

"By the way, could I have one of your Radio Equipment units?" Yang Ming pointed at the tiny Earpieces in their ears. "I want to receive orders from above as they come in."

"Take mine, Captain. I have a spare!"

"Thanks!"

"It's my honor!"

Yang Ming took the Earpiece. It was still fairly clean.

The squad raised their fists in salute in unison, then lowered the transparent visors on their helmets. Carrying Laser Rifles and wearing compact flight-assist packs, they ran toward the hell ahead without looking back.

Yang Ming returned their Imperial Salute and watched the squad disappear around the corner. Only then did he put on the Earpiece and continue toward the Weapon Bay.

For now, there was only a little static in his ear.

The armory was usually guarded by soldiers, but when Yang Ming arrived, he realized the squad from earlier must have been its guards.

Now, the only thing in his way was a pair of ordinary ten-centimeter-thick doors.

Yang Ming shouted to build up his courage, then unleashed a flurry of punches on the alloy doors. He clutched his swelling right fist, grimacing, then kicked open the cracked panels.

Inside were two neat rows of Laser Rifles, while several racks on either side held standard infantry equipment.

Yang Ming pulled a Tactical Pack off the wall and headed straight for the grenades.

High-Frequency Flashbangs, Electromagnetic Shock Grenades, Quick-Acting Hypnotic Grenades, Individual Thermobaric Grenades, This Side Towards Enemy Mines...

Yang Ming took two of every throwable weapon he recognized from the Abyss game, then grabbed two First Aid Capsules and three spare Laser Magazines. He slung the pack across his chest, fastened the safety strap, and jumped up and down a few times. Then he picked up an unlocked Laser Rifle and registered his biometric data.

Click, click.

He smoothly disengaged the safety and raised the rifle in a standard firing stance.

Yang Ming pulled the trigger at an empty wall. Two purple beams flashed across the room, leaving scorch marks on the hull.

Not bad. He just didn't know if it could hurt the Valkyrie.

Yang Ming slung the rifle over his shoulder and was about to leave when a few crates in the corner caught his eye.

The Valkyrie in the Lost Voice instance wore crimson powered armor and wielded a blackened red Ion Blade. She killed anyone who stood in her way; only high-level Energy Shields could withstand her attacks.

The Valkyrie now was wandering around in a bathing suit, showing off her figure...

Wait, could the Valkyrie's gear be here too?

Yang Ming hurried over to the crates, shot through the locks with his Laser Rifle, and flipped them open. His eyes lit up.

An Ion Blade and an Energy Shield!

Too bad they weren't the Valkyrie's gear.

Yang Ming pulled out the Ion Blade, which looked like a Flashlight. He gripped the handle tightly and pressed the hidden button with his thumb.

Bzz—

A low vibration sounded as Yang Ming's short hair stood on end, one strand at a time. A powerful magnetic field confined high-energy ionized gas into a slender blade.

No way. In the Abyss, it had taken him half a year of grinding to get his hands on this "Lightsaber," and now he'd just scored one for free?

He was taking it!

Yang Ming switched it off, stowed the Lightsaber and the glove-shaped Energy Shield in his pack, and left the armory, satisfied.

A jumble of voices suddenly came through the Earpiece.

It was the squad from earlier.

"The target has broken through the Lower Deck defenses and is heading our way! Find cover! All weapons authorized!"

"Damn it! Did the launch from the lower deck fail? Or did it never launch at all?"

"Target spotted! Fire!"

"Oh my God, is she flying?"

"Fire! Fire!"

"That red shield around her! We can't break through her Energy Shield! Captain!"

"Shock Grenades! Use Shock Grenades!"

"They're useless too! Damn it! No! Don't! Ah! Stay back!"

From the first voices, to the explosions and shouts, to those final terrified screams, less than half a minute passed.

If Yang Ming's guess was right, the Valkyrie seemed to be... flying toward him!

Rumble!

The entire ship shuddered. The lights flickered a few times, then went out, and dim yellow emergency lights came on in the corridor.

The Valkyrie had destroyed the ship's power system.

Yang Ming hadn't stopped running. The temperature around him had dropped by a degree or two, which meant he was already close to the Tail Hangar.

He searched Hanton's memories for information about the Research Ship. As he ran, he tapped the Earpiece a few times and connected to a busy communications channel.

"Captain, the Valkyrie has entered the Weapon Bay! She's looking for weapons... Oh, Emperor Star, she understands our civilization!"

Yang Ming's mouth twitched.

He should've blown up the Weapon Bay with a grenade!

"The Valkyrie is advancing toward the hangar! She's flying too fast for us to put up an effective defense! She's trying to escape our ship!"

"Two squads are assembling in the tail section. There are a few old Mechs there. We can activate their High-Energy Penetration Cannons... but they might punch through the hull."

"Have them aim the Mechs at the Valkyrie!" The captain's voice was no longer calm. "The tail escape pod will seal its hatch and detach from the ship in twenty seconds! The Crew Lounge escape pod will detach in one minute! The bridge escape pod is on standby! Break through the Valkyrie's shield and shoot her with Laser Rifles!"

Twenty seconds?

Yang Ming burst out of the passageway, and the space before him suddenly opened up. A hangar the size of three or four basketball courts came into view.

He also saw soldiers scattered behind cover, as well as two six-meter-tall Guardian Mechs emblazoned with "Imperial Star."

The hatch connecting to the tail escape pod was just ahead on the left!

More than ten people were running toward it, but the hatch was already slowly closing.

The people who'd already boarded the pod couldn't even wait out the final ten seconds!

There was no time!

Yang Ming couldn't spare a thought for how much he'd scare the others. He leapt from the stairway three stories above, the wind whistling past his ears.

He could make it!

Even if he had to slam into the hatch, he'd get through and board the escape pod!

Bzz—

Suspended in midair, Yang Ming suddenly felt time slow, like a scene in slow motion.

He struggled to turn his head toward the bulkhead. The silver-gray metal seemed to blossom into a brilliant flower.

A red sphere of light, two meters in diameter, melted straight through the bulkhead.

Inside the sphere, the Valkyrie's long hair fluttered in the air, her feet suspended above the ground. Her clear eyes fixed on Yang Ming as he fell, and an excited smile appeared on her lips.

I'll eat you.