Outside lay the deadly surface of planet G-173c. The dim red light of the star cast long, twisting shadows across the gray rock. In the distance, a series of craters and a boundless wasteland stretched. The air (a near vacuum) was icy and biting.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, finding no signs of crystal activity. His landing capsule rested on a relatively flat surface a few hundred meters away, its solitary metallic sheen reflecting under the red dwarf's radiance.
But where was the Nightingale?
He immediately tried to activate his communicator. "Nightingale! This is Kane! Got it!"
The communicator was filled with only static. The signal was severely jammed. Was it the planet's environment? Or... the effect of that thing beneath the surface?
A sense of foreboding washed over him. Had Rex and Leah successfully returned to the ship? Had the ship been attacked?
He had to get to the landing capsule immediately! The landing module had more powerful communications equipment, perhaps able to contact the Nightingale in orbit.
He took a deep breath of cold "air" and leaped from the tunnel, landing on the soft lunar dust with a soft puff. Crouching low, he used the shadows of the rocks to quickly move toward the landing module. His optical vision constantly scanned the surroundings, alert for any possible threats.
All around him was dead silent, with only his simulated heartbeat and footsteps, transmitted through his bones in the vacuum, making them remarkably clear. This silence was even more oppressive than the previous battle.
Suddenly, his feet stopped! The sensors picked up an unusual vibration!
Not an earthquake, but... some kind of regular, underground tremor! And the tremor was rapidly intensifying!
Kane turned sharply, looking towards the ventilation duct exit he had just climbed out of!
The rocks around the duct began to tremble and crack violently! A rich gray-white light erupted from the depths of the duct! Immediately, a flood of living crystals, mixed with shattered rock, erupted from the pipe like a bursting flood!
They were no longer slowly growing veins or aggregates, but rather a flowing wave of crystals! Wherever they passed, even the solid rock was rapidly coated and transformed, emitting a teeth-aching sizzling sound as it became part of the grayish-white crystalline structure!
The crystal consciousness was clearly enraged by Kane's escape! No longer content to remain entrenched in the underground laboratory, it aimed to devour the entire planet! This erupting pipe was the first breakthrough point for its expansion toward the surface!
"Damn it!" Kane cursed, no longer caring about concealment. He increased his speed to the limit and broke into a run! The wave of crystals behind him, like a living creature, pursued him relentlessly, moving at breakneck speed and continuously extending forward, attempting to engulf him!
This was a race against death!
His armor's thrusters had been damaged in the previous battle, unable to launch high-speed jets. He could only rely on the power of his bionic muscles to run. The roar and sizzling sound of crystal proliferation behind him grew closer and closer. He could even feel the cold, transforming energy field touching his back!
The landing capsule was within reach! He could already see the outline of the closed hatch!
Fifty meters! Thirty meters! Ten meters!
Just as his finger was about to touch the landing capsule's door-opening button—
Boom!
The ground beneath him suddenly collapsed! A massive crack appeared without warning, and beneath it surged a gray-white light! Crystal consciousness not only erupted from the pipe opening, but also seeped directly up from the ground!
Kane reacted with incredible speed, lunging forward at the moment of collapse! He narrowly clung to the edge of the crack! Looking down, he saw a bottomless, seething abyss of crystals beneath him!
And the wave of crystals had already surged behind him, like a gaping maw, ready to swallow him and the landing capsule together!
Is it over?
At this moment of despair—
Swish!
A thick, familiar dark blue energy beam, like a divine whip, slashed down from the sky! With incredible precision, it struck the leading edge of the crystal wave behind Kane!
Bang!
The violent explosion shattered the leading edge of the crystal wave! The scorching energy and shockwave temporarily slowed the wave's advance!
It was the Nightingale's main gun!