The instant her feet touched down, Sylvia unleashed a massive burst of flame beneath her. The heatwave and concussive force from the fire drastically slowed her descent.
Then, landing in a classic superhero pose, she crashed headfirst into the starskiff.
As the flames dissipated, her casual clothes had been replaced by white armor, with embers dancing across the drape of synthetic skin trailing from her back.
Upon landing, the cargo hold—which should have been neatly storing goods—was a complete mess.
Almost all the cargo had been thrown from the starskiff during its fall.
Amidst this chaos, within the dark confines of the hold, low growls echoed, accompanied by the sound of animalistic footsteps.
"Grrr…"
With a flick of her right hand, a greatsword materialized from rising flames, blazing red.
A familiar tune began to play softly in the air.
As the firelight illuminated the hold, Sylvia saw two Abundance Sprites, Wooden Lupus and Golden Hound, lurking within.
Lying on the floor were the unconscious forms of crew members, likely already beyond saving.
"Groooowl—!"
As the flames brightened the cabin, the two canine-like monsters lowered their heads to avoid the direct light, then howled and charged at Sylvia simultaneously!
Attacking from both flanks, Sylvia responded instantly. She shot forward like a crimson meteor, straight towards the Golden Hound on her left.
Her explosive speed far surpassed that of the two Abundance creatures, instantly shattering their attempt to pincer her.
Seeing her approach, the Golden Hound lowered its head and charged! aiming the blade-like horn on its skull at Sylvia.
But faced with such a straightforward attack, Sylvia simply shifted her weight. As if dancing to the music, she pivoted gracefully on one foot, her body turning sideways.
The greatsword, wreathed in raging flames, followed the motion of her body, carving a searing arc through the air before—CRASH!
It slammed diagonally into the beast's lower back—as vulnerable as soft tofu.
"Yeeeooowww—!!"
The sharp blade sliced through the Golden Hound's hide, and savage flames instantly engulfed the monster's body.
The tremendous force of the blow hurled it hard against the floor, the impact even shattering the tough plating beneath.
With that single strike, she had nearly cleaved the Golden Hound in two.
Just as Sylvia moved to deliver a finishing blow, a foul, bestial wind whipped from her side.
The other Abundance creature, the Wooden Lupus, had crept up silently from her other flank! Its claws and fangs aimed straight for Sylvia's head and neck.
Yet Sylvia didn't panic. Gripping the greatsword with her right hand, she used it as an anchor, pivoting at the waist, spinning on her feet—and lifting her leg—
THUMP—!
A sharp, sideways kick, trailing flames stretched taut by the motion, smashed squarely into the Wooden Lupus's chest.
The bulky creature was sent flying, faster than it had arrived, and an instant later it slammed hard into the surrounding walls.
Landing lightly after the kick, Sylvia wrenched her greatsword free and, following the momentum, drove it down hard into the Golden Hound's skull!
The surging flames instantly turned its head to charcoal, utterly ending the Abundance creature's life.
Another swift strike dispatched the remaining Wooden Lupus. Sylvia simply waved at Acheron and then sprinted towards the cargo bay door.
Acheron, who had never intended to step in, merely smiled and followed at a leisurely pace.
Sylvia led the way forward.
The starskiff, being a cargo vessel, had a simple layout, and directional signs were posted on the walls.
She quickly found the path leading to the cockpit.
Even before getting close, the sounds of combat from the end of the corridor reached her ears. She immediately quickened her pace.
--+--
Meanwhile.
In the starskiff's cockpit.
Tingyun clutched her fan, and with help from an ally, brought it down hard on the head of a Illumination Dragonfish, forcing it back.
"Miss Tingyun, this is bad. Why are even the Artisanship Commission's constructs under their control?" her colleague asked, kicking another Illumination Dragonfish away, his face etched with anxiety.
Just then, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus's assault eased slightly, and a figure emerged from behind their ranks.
"The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus's methods are truly impressive. I am in awe," Tingyun suddenly stilled her movements, hiding the lower half of her face behind her folded fan as she regarded the Shape Shifter of the cult approaching them.
The Shape Shifter wore armor similar to the Cloud Knights, but branches sprouted from his body, adorned with the signature golden leaves of the Mara-struck.
With one hand held behind his back, the Shape Shifter gestured with the other in a 'please' motion.
"Haha, Miss Tingyun. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus merely wishes to invite you to a secret location. I wonder if you would grace us with your presence?"
A smile played on Tingyun's lips, and she gently fanned herself, but her eyes were cold as ice.
"My, I am but a mere merchant, weak and incapable of even tying up a chicken. To receive such grand attention from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus is quite overwhelming. Why don't we all sit down and have a proper discussion?"
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus members seemed utterly confident, even content to drag out the conversation.
Though puzzled, Tingyun was happy to play along—whether they were waiting for reinforcements or just buying her allies time to catch their breath, it was a welcome delay.
The Shape Shifter, for reasons of his own, watched Tingyun stand motionless yet showed no urgency.
He simply waved his hand. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus forces abruptly surged forward.
The merchant guild members were already wounded, and the tide began to turn decisively against them.
"They say Miss Tingyun of the Sky-Faring Commission is astute and silver-tongued. It seems now, however, you are being somewhat unappreciative," the Shape Shifter didn't join the fight himself, merely directing his subordinates to press the attack on the merchants.
Strangely, Tingyun herself wasn't facing the brunt of the assault for the moment.
The Shape Shifter watched her resistance, calculating the optimal moment to capture her.
Their mission specifically demanded that Tingyun be taken alive, and in as intact a condition as possible.
Otherwise, he would have acted already, instead of wasting time here.
Just then.
From the depths of the corridor connecting to the cockpit, a melodious singing voice suddenly drifted in:
"Life blooms like a flower…"
"far away or by the road…"
The song grew closer, and with it came waves of blistering heat rolling out from the passageway.
"Who's there?"
The sudden singing not only gave the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus members pause, but even Tingyun and her allies were taken aback.
Were there others on this ship?
And what kind of situation was this, where someone would show up to a battle with what sounded like speakers?
As everyone stared in confusion.
A figure in white shot out like an arrow shot from its bow!
"Rain falls a thousand times…"
In the blink of an eye, the song arrived right before the Shape Shifter, accompanied by crimson flames and a sharp greatsword!
The girl, wreathed in raging fire, spun through the air. Her red greatsword became a scythe of death, crashing down upon the Shape Shifter with thunderous force!
His hardened armor was torn open, the branches on his body cleanly severed.
Flames devoured the enemy, coalescing into a fireball that shot upwards and smashed into the distant ceiling.
Landing nimbly on her booted feet, Sylvia casually tossed the ponytail and bangs behind her head.
Her blue eyes met Tingyun's gaze—a look filled with both curiosity and wariness.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.