The stalker hovered in outer orbit above the dark planet, like a pill stuck in its throat, caught in a dilemma. The lights in the main control cabin were dimmed to their lowest setting, casting heavy shadows on the three men's faces, shadows so deep they seemed to crush the floor. Ye Mo leaned back in his seat, his left Steel Bone still inserted into the data port, the interface glowing faintly red, like a heated wire. He didn't move, his eyes fixed on the three-dimensional star map on the projection screen—the planet shrouded in black mist was slowly rotating, its surface crisscrossed with grooves, its runes arrayed like snakeskin patterns.
"Patrol route confirmed." Thor swiped his finger across the screen, bringing up a trajectory line. "The shift changes every twelve minutes, with a ninety-second gap between each handover. At the three o'clock position, around 47 degrees North latitude, the shield frequency will decrease by three percent."
"Three percent?" Ye Mo scoffed. "That's not even the sound of a mosquito bite. You expect it to call the police?"
"But it's enough for us to get through." Emma Frost's eyes were closed, her fingertips resting on the brainwave receiver, her voice slightly weak. "I just scanned it; the command system is at the bottom of the spire, and there's a data stream running. It's not an automatic loop; it's real-time scheduling."
Ye Mo turned to look at her. "Can you cut in?"
"I can, but not for long." She opened her eyes, her pupils still retaining a lingering silver-gray hue. " The Mental Barrier over there is too thick, like wearing three layers of bulletproof vest. If I try to force my way through, I'll probably suffer a backlash within half a minute."
"That's enough." Ye Mo grinned. "Just give me a thirty-second window to disconnect. I'll handle the rest."
Thor frowned. "Your right leg is still usable?"
Ye Mo glanced down; the Steel Bone leg was completely twisted, a crack at the joint revealing the dark alloy skeleton underneath. "I have to use it, even if it's unusable. I don't walk on legs, I walk on brains." He slapped his forehead. "Besides, the system says this thing can last another two hours, with a margin of error of no more than ten minutes."
[A slight energy resonance was detected, originating from within the target planet, with a 43% match rate, suspected to be residual fluctuations of Aether.]
He added in his mind: Look, even the system supports me.
Thor didn't reply, but slammed Mjolnir onto the ground, the handle striking the metal floor with a dull thud. He stared at the star map for a few seconds, then suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the western ridge. "I can flank from here. It's higher up there, with cover, and the emplacements are sparsely distributed. I'll make my move as soon as your signal is cut off."
"A pincer attack?" Ye Mo stroked his chin. "Alright, old trick, but it works."
"It's not the old trick," Emma Frost corrected. "It's the only trick we can use. We have no manpower, no equipment, and no time right now. A frontal assault would be suicide. We can only rely on information asymmetry to launch a surprise attack."
"So we need to divide the work more finely." Ye Mo pulled out the Steel Bone from his left arm, the interface making a soft "click." He took out a piece of Vibranium Alloy from his tactical pouch, bent it into an arc, and stuck it to the crack in his right leg, then wrapped it tightly with insulating tape. "I'll go in from the front, using my Wall Phasing ability to infiltrate through the ventilation duct. The Steel Bone is highly resistant to interference and not easily detected. Once inside, I'll make some noise to attract the guards' attention."
"Then I infiltrated their consciousness network," Emma Frost continued, "Disrupting the command chain, cutting off communications, and paralyzing part of their automatic defenses. When you see all the alarm lights go out, that means I've succeeded."
"I'll attack from the west," Thor stood up, stretching his shoulders. "Head straight for the base of the spire, aiming to smash their stronghold in one blow."
"Perfect." Ye Mo bit through the tape and pressed hard on his right leg. "The three of us combined aren't as strong as a conscious Hulk, but we have the advantage of good teamwork. Forget the fancy moves, just go for the safest approach."
"Are you sure you want to rush ahead by yourself?" Emma Frost looked at him. "You're in the worst shape."
"That's why I went to the front." Ye Mo smiled. "If you two fall, I can still drag myself out and call for help. If I fall, you can still come back alive. That's called strategic sacrifice, understand?"
"That's not sacrifice, that's courting death," Emma Frost said coldly.
"It's all the same, I'm not writing a will anyway." Ye Mo moved his left shoulder, the Steel Bone humming softly. "Besides, I have thick skin, I'm invulnerable, even the system says I have a tough fate."
[Warning: The weight-bearing capacity of the right leg has been reduced to 37%. Strenuous movement is advised.]
"Shut up," he mentally snapped.
Thor checked his watch. "There are seven minutes left before the next defensive switch. If we miss this, we'll have to wait another twelve minutes."
"There's enough time." Ye Mo stood up, his right leg creaking as soon as it touched the ground. He frowned but didn't sit down. " Emma Frost, for the final scan, could you dig out a little more tunnel?"
Emma Frost closed her eyes, her fingers lightly sliding across the control panel. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. "Two concealed routes found. One leads to the barracks ventilation shaft, the other to the armory's exhaust duct. The latter is closer, only three hundred meters from the spire's core."
"That's it." Ye Mo nodded. "I'll crawl in from there; it'll save me energy."
"After you go in, you have a maximum of three minutes," Emma Frost, staring at him. "If I don't make a move after three minutes, you leave. Don't be greedy."
"Understood." Ye Mo patted her shoulder. "Don't force yourself. If something feels wrong, disconnect immediately. We're not competing to see who's braver, we're competing to see who survives the longest."
Thor checked his armor, gripped the hammer handle. "Wait for the signal."
The three fell silent and began their final preparations. Ye Mo off his jacket, revealing the scars and Steel Bone seams on his back. He pulled a pair of tactical gloves from his backpack and put them on, then stuffed his glasses into his pocket—those things were just a burden in this situation. He crouched down, tapped the Vibranium patch on his right leg, tested its weight-bearing capacity, and found he could barely walk.
Emma Frost put the brainwave receiver back on, interlaced her fingers on her knees, and her breathing gradually calmed down. She didn't speak again, but her eyes had changed, like water flowing beneath ice.
Thor stood before the hatch, Mjolnir hanging at his side, his blond hair rippling slightly in the draft of the airflow inside. He glanced back at Ye Mo: "Are we really going to go?"
"Otherwise what?" Ye Mo stretched his neck. "Are we supposed to hold a tea party here and wait for Malekith to invite us for afternoon tea?"
"Then let's go." Thor smirked. "But if you die on the way, I won't be collecting your corpse."
"Don't worry, if I die, the system will notify you immediately." Ye Mo straightened up, his left arm 'Steel Bone slowly unfolding, the end transforming into a flat probe. "Remember to delete my chat history then."
The cabin was silent for a few seconds.
Emma Frost suddenly spoke up, " Ye Mo."
"Um?"
"Don't be a expendable resource." She looked at him. "You said you're the protagonist, so survive to the end."
Ye Mo paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I promise you."
The time on the projection screen jumped to two minutes before the shift change. Thor walked towards the side door, preparing to board the external jump platform. Emma Frost closed her eyes and entered a ready state, her fingertips trembling slightly. Ye Mo checked the equipment one last time and turned off all system alarm sounds—those things would only give you a headache in a critical moment.
He walked to the main cabin door, glanced back at the dilapidated ship, and then at the dark planet floating in the void.
"Alright," he said in a low voice, "Time to get to work."
As soon as he took a step with his right leg, a slight tremor came from the ground. It wasn't a problem with the spaceship; the planet itself was moving—the light from the rune arrays seemed to be a little brighter than before.
The resonant frequency of the Aether is rising.