35: Dead End

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three massive S-Class Star River Beasts plunged into the artillery coverage zone. Dense laser cannon fire bombarded them, producing intense sounds, yet it did not inflict even the slightest damage.

They withstood the continuous attacks and charged toward Leios simultaneously.

"Well played!"

A dazzling white light ignited on the lightning weapon in Leios's hand. Three golden arcs composed of electric light suddenly tore through the void, reaching the monsters in an instant.

Like the Immortal-Binding Rope from mythology, they immediately wrapped around their massive bodies.

He actually intended to restrain three S-Class Star River Beasts single-handedly!

"Roar~!"

This arrogant display instantly enraged the three powerful Galaxy Beasts.

One of them, about a hundred meters long and resembling a mantis magnified ten thousand times, raised its sharp front pincer and slashed down violently.

The biting air blade almost solidified, and even a sliver of its dissipated power was enough to cut a momentary gap in the rain of laser fire.

However, these arcs composed of violent thunder power were not so easy to deal with.

As one of the top Transcendent abilities in terms of attack power, the destructive force of the lightning element was unquestionable.

Under the approach of the air blade, the golden thunder seemed provoked; it jumped madly and grew volatile, and instead of avoiding it, it surged forward.

"Crackle—!"

Amidst the intense collision, an almost imperceptible cracking sound rang out. The air blade formed by sharp force shattered upon impact, and the chains composed of thunder took the opportunity to cover and bind the opponent's entire body.

The other two Galaxy Beasts met a similar fate.

"Die!"

A fanatical light flickered in Leios's eyes as endless thunder power surged into the weapon in his hand, and he roared:

"Thunderstorm!"

In an instant, countless electric lights descended from the void, striking the three monsters simultaneously.

"Howl~!"

Their eyes were blood-red, and they struggled with all their might, but it was too late.

An unimaginably terrifying voltage coursed through their entire bodies. Their fur and barbs stiffened almost instantly, and large patches of flesh turned charred and burst open in an instant.

"Hmph, no matter how much beasts evolve, they remain beasts in the end."

Leios's expression was cold and stern; set against the golden electric light, he looked like a deity.

He was not at all surprised by this result.

Although in terms of pure Transcendent power, he might not be stronger than these few monsters.

But a battle is not just about power; more importantly, it is about equipment.

The lightning-shaped weapon in his hand was the work of a Grandmaster Star Mechanic from the Imperial Research Institute.

It could add two hundred percent of his thunder power's effect and also carried the power of destruction.

The specially made combat suit he wore could also enhance energy recovery and boost combat power.

However, at this moment, the army of monsters that had previously relied on the three S-Class Star River Beasts to withstand the artillery gap also approached. They charged one after another at the golden arcs binding the S-Class Star River Beasts, using their lives to erode the remaining power of the thunder.

Although their strength was negligible compared to an S-Class Transcendent, their massive bodies and sheer numbers still caused the power of "Thunderstorm" to deplete rapidly.

The three severely injured S-Class Star River Beasts took the opportunity to break free from the thunder chains and fled backward without looking back.

"Damn it!"

Leios cursed angrily, but he dared not pursue them too deeply.

The battle just now seemed easy, but in reality, dealing with three monsters of the same rank simultaneously took a significant toll on him, and he no longer had enough energy to launch another attack like that.

"Mr. Leios, you have done well enough. Please withdraw for now."

Viscount Kane's voice rang out from the communication device.

Leios glanced unwillingly at the three monsters that had already fled beyond his perception range and could only helplessly return to the waiting starship.

Without the S-Class Star River Beasts acting as meat shields, the remaining Galaxy Beasts that had penetrated deep into the artillery coverage zone were soon vaporized in the laser rain.

Judging from the results, at least the objective had been achieved.

At this moment, the many defenders who saw this scene through the video transmitted back by the detectors felt their morale surge.

"Is this an Imperial Transcendent? It's too terrifying!"

"With Mr. Leios here, let alone holding out for two months, I even feel like we could wipe them all out!"

Everyone's faces revealed relaxed smiles, and some were even in the mood to joke.

Since the S-Class Star River Beasts had been blocked, as long as there was sufficient energy, the beast horde could not break through the orbital defense system, and victory would ultimately belong to them.

"This is an S-Class Transcendent... the gap is too huge."

In the East Sector 3, Qin Mie could not help but exclaim.

He was also a Double A-Class Transcendent, just one step away from S-Class.

But that one-level difference was everything; he asked himself if he could even withstand the air blade released by that mantis-like monster, let alone severely injure three of them at once.

"It's not just the difference in strength; the gap in equipment is also significant."

"Lady An Yu" nodded in agreement.

He also had Transcendent equipment, but it was forged by an ordinary Master-level Star Mechanic he had paid a high price to find, and a comprehensive boost of twenty percent would be considered good.

"Regardless, it's good news. It seems the situation is much better than I imagined."

Several high-ranking officials smiled simultaneously.

"Zhang Huaiyuan, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so worried and serious?"

An Yu turned her head inadvertently and saw that this chief Researcher had taken off his tactical helmet at some point, his head lowered, appearing disheartened.

"It's nothing... It's my first time seeing a Galaxy Beast horde of this scale, so I was just a bit scared."

Zhang Huaiyuan forced a smile, but his hand hidden behind his back could not stop trembling slightly.

"Is that so?"

An Yu frowned, looking into his eyes thoughtfully, but she did not continue to press him.

Zhang Huaiyuan was in no mood to hide it anymore.

Just now during the battle, he had activated his ability to examine those three monsters, which left his heart ice-cold.

[Ghost Blade Giant Mantis]

Classification: Carbon-based lifeform.

Rank: S (In evolution, estimated time 43 days.)

Ability 1 · Wind Soul: Significantly enhances agility and reaction capabilities, and allows for some control over the power of the wind element.

Ability 2 · Annihilation: Attacks can release air blades with powerful sharpness characteristics.

[Six-Eyed Flying Fish]

Classification: Carbon-based lifeform.

Rank: S (In evolution, estimated time 46 days.)

Ability 1 · Inspiration: Significantly enhances the courage and stamina of friendly units within range.

Ability 2 · Phantom Heart: Can create an illusionary realm and launch mental attacks.

[Merman Nightstalker]

Classification: Carbon-based lifeform.

Rank: S (In evolution, estimated time 41 days.)

Ability: ...

That's right, the three S-Class monsters, just like the "Bone-Eroding Giant Lizard" from before, were all in the process of evolving.

After forty-some days, they would all evolve to SS-Class. By then, even with the assistance of high-level Imperial equipment, Leios would not be a match for any one of them.

Not to mention, looking around, within that massive beast horde, there were countless others also in the state of evolution.

This was a dead end.