The warship shuddered violently in the warp tunnel like a can being thrown into a washing machine. Ye Mo was pressed against the back seat, the steel Steel Bone in his right leg completely unresponsive, making a creaking sound with the slightest movement, like a rusty hinge. His left hand was still inserted into the main control interface, the needle-like structure at the end of the Steel Bone stuck in the data port, cold sweat trickling down his forehead and drilling into his eyes like electric current.
"System, stop playing dead," he growled in his mind. "Hold on for two more seconds, the coordinates aren't locked yet!"
[High-frequency energy disturbance detected, heading deviated by 3.7 degrees, attempting compensation]
"It's not an attempt, it's a necessity!" Ye Mo gritted his teeth, his left arm 'Steel Bone burning hot, almost melting the joint. "I didn't buy insurance, if I fall to my death in outer space, there won't even be anyone to collect my body."
Thor, in the driver's seat, gripped the throttle with one hand and pressed the other hard against the edge of the control panel. The golden warp tunnel twisted and contorted before his eyes, and the readings on the dashboard jumped wildly. " Emma Frost! Can we even hold on? This godforsaken place is turning my GPS into a toaster."
At the secondary control panel, Emma Frost rested her hands on the brainwave receiver, her fingertips twitching slightly. Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembling violently, and the veins on her forehead were faintly visible. "The shielding is too strong... My Mental Scan is suppressed to only three layers... Any further, and I might not even remember who I am."
"Then don't bother remembering." Ye Mo took a breath, then twisted his arm sharply, the Steel Bone scraping against the joint making a harsh metallic sound. "Anyway, you're ' Mr. X's' partner now, nothing else matters."
Emma Frost didn't open her eyes, but her lips twitched. "Your mouth will be sewn shut sooner or later."
"We'll have to wait until I can stand firmly." Ye Mo stared at the main screen, finally seeing the fluctuating coordinates begin to stabilize. "Got it! Target star locked, distance to the jump endpoint is still... uh, wait, is this number wrong?"
Thor squinted. "How much?"
"0.6 light-minutes." Ye Mo grinned. "That means we'll see our destination in another 36 seconds. Malekith is quite thoughtful; his hometown is built so close to the highway exit."
"Don't relax." Emma Frost suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils gleaming with a pale silver light. "There's something ahead... not a spaceship, but a planet. The entire planet is shrouded in black mist, like a rotten grape."
Thor activated the optical magnification system, and the image switched to the main view. A huge, dark planet slowly emerged, its surface covered by thick, inky clouds. Occasionally, purple arcs of electricity would explode within the clouds, illuminating the jagged mountains and bottomless ravines below. The entire planet was devoid of light, like a forgotten ulcer in the universe.
"This is his hideout?" Ye Mo leaned closer to the screen. "He knows how to pick a location; even a food delivery guy doesn't dare come here."
"It's not just an environmental issue." Thor pulled up an energy map. "The entire planet is surrounded by a high-density shield, with a frequency identical to the Dark Elves ' magic circles. Regular scans will be reflected, and forcibly approaching may trigger an alarm."
"On patrol?" Ye Mo asked.
"Yes." Thor zoomed in on the right wing. "At three o'clock, two small cruisers are circling, rotating every twelve minutes. The helipad is in the Northern Hemisphere and can accommodate at least fifty combat boats."
Ye Mo touched the crack in the Steel Bone of his left arm; a small piece of reflective film was still stuck there, slightly reddening with his pulse. "Looks like they really intend to stay here long-term; they've even built a parking lot."
"What do we do now?" Emma Frost turned to look at him. "Should we charge in directly? Or retreat first and come back when we've recovered?"
"Withdraw?" Ye Mo laughed. "You just said you were afraid I'd take the fall for you, and now you want to run away?"
"I'm not afraid, I'm just being rational." Emma Frost rubbed her temples. "The three of us combined are no match for a single Hulk. Your right leg is practically falling apart, Thor's Mjolnir isn't even 70% charged, and I can't even unleash a basic interference attack. Going up like this isn't an attack, it's surrendering to the authorities."
"But you also know that the Aether can't stay for long." Ye Mo lowered his head, rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a faint red light from the crack in his Steel Bone. "It's still resonating, which means Malekith hasn't completed the fusion yet. As long as I can still sense it, there's a chance to snatch it back."
"But that doesn't mean we have to act now." Emma Frost's voice turned cold. "You can wait, I can wait, and Thor can wait. But we can't gamble with our lives."
"I'm not gambling with my life." Ye Mo stared at the planet on the screen. "I'm betting that they're not ready yet. Look at those turrets—they're too densely packed, but the energy nodes aren't connected, which means the defense system is still being tested. The landing pads have empty spaces, which means the main force hasn't returned to defend. They're like a group of people who just moved into a new house; the furniture isn't even in place, and the locks haven't been changed."
Thor nodded. "That makes sense. Dark Elves excel at raids, but not at holding their ground. They chose this place as their base either as a temporary foothold or because they haven't fully taken control of the planet yet."
"So the opportunity lies in the next few hours." Ye Mo patted the armrest of his chair. "Once they've completed their defenses, it'll be hell mode."
Emma Frost was silent for a few seconds, then finally sighed, "You're always like this, even though you're the one who's hurt the most, you're the first to say 'go'."
"Because I'm shameless," Ye Mo grinned. "And I know you won't let me go alone."
Thor glanced back at him. "You're right. Even though your idea sounds like a script written by a madman, I still have to play along."
"Then it's settled." Ye Mo stretched his still-usable left shoulder. "We won't land, we won't force our way in, we'll figure out the layout first. Thor will continue monitoring the patrol route, Emma Frost will try to expand the scanning range, even if it only adds fifty meters, it's still a gain. As for me—" He glanced at the Steel Bone interface, "I need to fix the data system on this wrecked ship first, so it doesn't fail at a crucial moment."
"Are you sure it can still be operated?" Emma Frost frowned.
"I don't make a living with my legs," Ye Mo shrugged. "I make a living with my brains, and incidentally, I use the system to take the blame."
[A slight energy resonance was detected, originating from within the target planet, with a 41% match rate, suspected to be residual fluctuations of Aether.]
"Did you hear that?" Ye Mo chuckled. "Even the system supports me, and you call that a coincidence?"
"The system only analyzes data, it doesn't make decisions for you." Emma Frost stared at him. "It's your own fault for not wanting to back out."
Ye Mo didn't reply, but instead looked down at the red light emanating from the crack in his arm. The light was weak, flickering on and off, like some kind of response. He knew Emma Frost was right, and he knew that his current state was not suitable for any action. But for the first time since he transmigrated, he felt that he wasn't running for his life, but chasing after something.
"I used to think the biggest risk of being transported to the Marvel Universe was dying at the hands of the villains," he said softly. "But then I realized the biggest risk was choosing to hide in the background when you could actually do something."
There was a moment of silence in the cabin.
Thor gripped the joystick tightly, his voice low and menacing. "I remember my father saying that a true warrior isn't someone who isn't afraid to die, but someone who, knowing they'll die, will still take that step forward."
"Your dad is truly a talent." Ye Mo looked up. "Next time we meet, please give him a compliment."
"Wait until we get back alive." Thor smirked.
Emma Frost looked at the two of them and finally stopped objecting. She closed her eyes again, her fingers lightly sliding across the control panel, trying to bypass the dark energy's shield and capture more signals. "I will try my best to expand the scanning range, but I cannot guarantee safety. In the event of a mental backlash, I may be temporarily out of contact."
"Understood." Ye Mo nodded. "If you can't hold on, just shout. Don't force yourself."
"You too." Emma Frost opened her eyes and looked directly at him. "Don't always treat yourself like a expendable commodity."
"Don't worry," Ye Mo laughed, "I value my life above all else, how could I be a expendable resource? If I'm going to be one, I'll be the protagonist."
The spaceship continued forward, the jump portal gradually narrowing, and the dark planet ahead grew larger and larger in view. Its outline became clearer, mountain ridges cutting through the black mist like Blade, and a huge array of runes faintly visible on the surface, like the remnants of some ancient ritual.
Thor brought up the tactical projector, and a 3D model of the planet appeared on the main screen. "The northern hemisphere is the main building area, with a central spire about 800 meters high, possibly the command center. The energy core is on the east side, and barracks and armories are on the west side. The southern hemisphere has complex terrain; no obvious facilities have been found yet."
" The Aether are most likely in the spire," Ye Mo pointed to the projection. "That kind of place is perfect for rituals; it's conspicuous and sinister."
"How do we get close?" Emma Frost asked.
"No rush." Ye Mo leaned back in his seat. "Observe first, wait for their shift changes, and find a weak point. I don't believe Malekith can weld the entire planet into an iron barrel."
"Remember when we said we wanted a ride?" Thor suddenly laughed. "Looks like we actually got one."
"Yeah," Ye Mo said, gazing at the endless starry sky outside the window, "And it's still a beat-up car that's not under warranty."
The spaceship shuddered, the warp drive began to crumble, and the eerie blue light gradually faded. Ahead, the dark planet hovered silently in the void, like a lurking beast, awaiting unsuspecting visitors.
The hunter slowly detached from its warp drive, entered outer orbit, switched its engines to silent mode, and carefully avoided the patrol route.
"Location locked," Thor whispered. "We've arrived."
Ye Mo unbuckled his seatbelt, slowly stood up, and felt a slight hum from the Steel Bone in his left arm. He walked to the main viewing window, looked at the planet shrouded in black mist, and spoke softly, without the slightest hesitation.
"Then don't be shy, let's see what kind of welcome package this landlord has prepared."