Inside the abandoned dock, time seemed clenched in an invisible fist, every second steeped in anxiety. Rocket Raccoon and the hired mechanics had argued until their voices cracked, while the noise of wrenches and laser welding torches echoed harshly beneath the metal dome. Star-Lord and Gamora had disappeared into the dark passage leading to the Void Exiles' guild territory, carrying the team's last bargaining chips and a sliver of hope. Drax stood like a silent statue at the Benatar's open hatch, his muscles taut, his massive blade resting across his knees, his hawklike gaze sweeping every shadowed corner.
Lin Ye stood quietly beside the ship, his eyes half closed. He seemed to be regulating his breathing, but he had actually pushed [Dimensional Energy Perception] and [Thunder Law Insight] to their limits. On the back of his hand, the [Origin Thunder Seal] warmed faintly. Its weak resonance with the [Heart of Ten Thousand Jun] deep within the distant wreckage flickered like a candle in the wind, yet stubbornly persisted, bringing an indescribable hint of warning from the thunder origin.
Beyond the smells of machine oil and scorched metal, a cold undercurrent hung in the air, unsettling as the pheromones of a bee swarm. The port's clamor seemed filtered through an invisible membrane, leaving only the deathly stillness before a storm.
Suddenly, Lin Ye's eyes snapped open, lightning flaring in his pupils!
"They're here!"
Almost at the very instant he shouted-
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
Several nearly silent streams of grayish-white viscous liquid shot like serpents' tongues from concealed ventilation ducts high above the dock and gaps between abandoned shipping containers! They targeted not the people, but the energy nodes scattered throughout the dock, the lighting systems, and the Benatar's exposed engine connections and damaged shield generator mounts!
"Royal jelly solidification rounds!" Rocket