The purple light on the high cliff was still rising, like a pressure cooker heated to its limit, ready to explode at any moment. Ye Mo sat on the pile of rubble, his hands supporting him on the ground, his knuckles white. He could feel the remaining warmth in his palms dissipating, like the last breath exhaled in winter, not warming him for long.
Star-Lord leaned against the crooked rock, his pistols resting on his knees, humming an off-key melody, the rhythm fluctuating, as if testing something. Rocket lay at his feet, his shoulder cannon display glowing green, its tail coiled around the battery pack, occasionally clicking its tongue, whether complaining about low battery or disliking Ye Mo, it was unclear.
"If you keep sitting there pretending to be so profound, Ronan will use the scepter like a barbecue grill until it's all used up." Rocket turned and glared at him. "Either fight or get out of the way. Don't stand in the middle like some kind of bodhisattva in a temple."
Ye Mo ignored him and looked down at his hands. The Healing Factor used in the treatment hadn't been replenished yet. The system remained silent in his mind, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer.
"I'm not waiting for anyone to agree," he said, his voice hoarse but loud enough. "I'm afraid that if you guys start fighting, one of your own will blow up first."
Gamora stood to the right, her dagger still sheathed, fingers resting on the hilt, her eyes fixed on the entrance to High Rock. "We don't have time for a meeting formality," she said. "Tell me, how do you want to fight?"
Groot's trunk stood tall, a new branch buried in the ground, stretching towards Ronan's feet. He didn't speak, but the branch swayed gently, as if nodding.
Ye Mo took a breath and raised his hand to wipe his face. The dust and sweat mixed together, forming a muddy mess, and even after wiping, he wasn't much cleaner than before. He took out his silver half-rimmed glasses from his breast pocket, glanced at them, and then put them back.
"Okay," he said. "Then let's have a short meeting, five minutes, and then we'll get started."
He drew a line on the ground with his hand, from the triangular area to the bottom of the high rock.
"First, we can't wait for him to finish charging." Ye Mo pointed to the line. "I memorized the rhythm of that attack just now. Before Ronan unleashes his ultimate move, his arm stiffens for three seconds, and a purple light flashes at the shoulder joint, like an electrical overload."
Star-Lord stopped humming. "I didn't even notice until you pointed it out, but there was definitely a momentary pause when he swung his hammer."
"I detected the energy peak." The Rocket activated the small projection from its shoulder cannon, displaying a waveform diagram in the air. "Here, here, and here—there are slight breaks after each of the three attacks, lasting less than three seconds, but they definitely exist."
"That's the opportunity." Ye Mo tapped the ground. "Not to make him stop, but to move the instant he stops."
"But how can you guarantee he'll stick to this pace?" Star-Lord frowned. "This guy isn't a tape recorder that automatically pauses after the third take."
"He needs to maintain his energy output," Ye Mo sneered. "No matter how powerful the Power Stone is, it's still being pumped into his body; it's not like a power bank that can discharge indefinitely. The fact that he's standing still right now is a way to prolong his life; otherwise, he would have already charged down and attacked us."
The Rocket grinned. "So he's all bark and no bite, just putting on a brave face."
"More or less." Ye Mo nodded. "Moreover, there's a crack in his right shoulder armor. Gamora open a hole last time, and now it's a weak point for heat dissipation. High temperatures or electromagnetic interference could cause that area to collapse first."
Gamora her eyes. "You want me to get closer again?"
"No rush." Ye Mo waved his hand. "Let others draw the fire first. Star-Lord, how many rhythmic songs do you have in your music library?"
"More than thirty songs." Star-Lord raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning to do? Play DJ music for him?"
"Pretty much." Ye Mo smirked. "Find a song with a steady drumbeat, around 90 beats per minute. Play it when he starts to build up his energy, using the spaceship's speakers, at full volume. If he follows the rhythm, we'll know he's being influenced by external factors; if he forcibly interrupts us, it means he's suppressing discomfort—either way, it's a weakness."
Rocket scoffed, "You really treat this battle like esports."
"Who talks about martial ethics on the battlefield?" Ye Mo shrugged. "You're in charge of long-range suppression. Once Star-Lord starts the music, immediately use EMP to disrupt his left knee joint. Last time you used the electromagnetic net gun to make him limp for two seconds; this time, go all out and try to make him kneel on one knee."
"Then I cut in," Gamora continued.
"Yes." Ye Mo nodded. "Your goal isn't to kill him, but to disrupt the energy transmission chain between the scepter and the breastplate. If it's broken even once, the energy within him will surge back, and even if it's only for a second, it'll be enough for us to catch our breath."
Groot then stirred, and a thin branch slowly rose from the ground, pointing towards the rock beneath Ronan's feet.
"What about your side?" Ye Mo asked, looking at him. "Can your roots shake the ground?"
Groot's head.
"Okay." Ye Mo drew a circle on the ground. "The moment the Rocket launches, you create an underground shockwave. The amplitude doesn't need to be large, but it needs to be continuous, and the frequency should be synchronized with Star-Lord's music. The triple interference will force him to adjust his position. Once he moves, the defensive formation will be disrupted."
Star-Lord whistled. "That's called a double whammy, both mental and physical."
"I don't have that many tricks up my sleeve." Ye Mo lowered his head and rubbed his palms together, the heat surging beneath his skin resurfacing. "Finally, I'll keep two trump cards up my sleeve. One is my Self-Healing- healing ability, to save people in critical moments; the other is my Wall Phasing Technique. If the three of them can't subdue him, I'll infiltrate from the flank and try to flank him from behind."
"Aren't you afraid of getting stuck when Wall Phasing?" Rocket rolled his eyes. "Last time you said 'try out a new ability,' and you got stuck in a wall for eight seconds. The patrol almost tore it down like a mural."
"That time it was because the wall contained lead," Ye Mo said without changing his expression. "This time it's a lava zone; the molecular structure is loose, so going through it shouldn't be a problem."
"Your skin is getting thicker and thicker," Rocket shook his head. "Anyway, I'll just focus on hitting his knees; nothing else is my responsibility."
"Then it's settled." Ye Mo looked around at the four of them. " Star-Lord will control the pace, Rocket will provide long-range suppression, Groot will create ground interference, Gamora launch surprise attacks, and I will provide support from the center. Everyone's movements must be perfectly synchronized; even a second off could result in us being riddled with bullets."
Star-Lord flexed his wrist. "How do we send the signal?"
"I'll send a compression command using the Telepathy Fragment." Ye Mo pointed to his head. "Once you feel the 'triple tremor,' the operation will begin. Don't move before then, especially don't expose Groot's roots prematurely."
Gamora nodded. "I'll wait for the right opportunity."
Groot gently shook the branch. "We are Groot."
The translator didn't ring, but everyone understood—they were ready.
Ye Mo leaned back against the rubble, catching his breath. His heart was still pounding, and the ringing in his ears hadn't subsided, but his mind was clear. This tactic wasn't a sure thing, but it could at least drag Ronan down from his pedestal and give him a good beating.
"There's one more thing," he said in a low voice, "Don't expect a one-hit kill. Our goal isn't to take him down, but to disrupt his rhythm and prevent him from clearing the field in one fell swoop. If we can drag it into a second round of attack and defense, we'll have a chance to turn the tide."
The Rocket inspector checked the shoulder-mounted cannon ammunition. "70% energy remaining, enough for me to fire five rounds of high-intensity pulse rockets."
"My dual pistols are fully loaded." Star-Lord patted his belt. "My headphones still work."
Gamora drew her dagger, twirled it quickly, and then sheathed it again.
Groot's roots lay silently in the soil, like a lurking snake.
Ye Mo looked at them without saying anything more. He knew that none of these people wanted to back down, even though they knew they might die the next second.
The purple light on the high rock flickered again, and tiny cracks began to appear on the rock's surface, as if it were being stretched open by internal pressure. Ronan remained standing, his fingers lightly tapping his scepter, thud, thud, the same rhythm as before.
Star-Lord suddenly asked softly, "Do you think... he's also waiting for us to make the first move?"
Ye Mo stared at the ball of light and slowly placed his hand on the ground.
"So we have to make him think we're still afraid," he said. "Once he believes that, we'll show him what it means to take the lead."
None of the five men got up again, nor did they shout any slogans. They simply checked their equipment, adjusted their breathing, and, like a group of hunters surrounding a trap, quietly waited for the beast to step in.
A thin branch of Groot silently pierced deep into the rock beneath Ronan's feet.