Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 136: AMAT (6)

Chapter 136: AMAT (6)

In the control room on the island, a few corpses were piled haphazardly in one corner, while a tense group of men and women in black uniforms worked the control panels with laser focus.

"Those Alliance idiots are still trying to wrestle control from us!" one of them grumbled under his breath.

Just then, a woman monitoring the screens spoke up quickly, "General, we’ve located the EPMA and NMA teams. They destroyed their terminals, but the last footage shows them moving southwest."

"Both academies together?" The gray-haired woman, clearly the General, stood from her chair. "How long until the passage reopens?"

"Three hours, ma’am!"

"You two, come with me. We’ll capture them ourselves." She paused and pointed toward two mechas stationed in the corner. "And take those with you."

Stepping outside, she pulled out a crimson mecha from her Space Button and climbed inside. In seconds, it shot into the sky like a comet, blazing bright red against the dark night.

The fiery mecha stood out, easily visible even to the military and onlookers outside the island. Tension rippled through the audience as concern for the students escalated.

"What’s the military doing? Why isn’t the Aegis Shield down yet?!"

"I’m panicking! Our students are still trapped in there!"

Meanwhile, as Lyra and the others moved quietly through the darkness, she was the first to sense something was off. "Get down! Someone’s coming!"

Without hesitation, she dove into the nearby grove, and the NMA team, trusting her psychic abilities, followed suit.

"Is it from the Alliance?" one of the EPMA students whispered.

"Doesn’t matter, hide first!" Elsie hissed, yanking him down beside her.

A loud whoosh suddenly filled the air as a mecha flew past overhead, its sleek silver-gray body clearly belonging to the Alliance military.

Excitement flared in one of the students. "It’s our mecha!"

"The military’s finally here to save us!"

But Lyra’s expression darkened. "Something’s wrong. We should’ve been notified."

Before she could react, two EPMA students broke cover, waving their arms and shouting, "We’re over he—"

They never finished. Two tranquilizer darts hit them square in the chest, and they crumpled to the ground as the mecha sped toward them.

Elsie and the others didn’t hesitate. They opened fire, aiming directly at the cockpit of the approaching mecha.

One mecha went down fast, its pilot barely having time to react. The second tried to ascend, but a green energy strand shot through the air, slicing cleanly through the cockpit and sending it spiraling to the ground in a heap.

Lyra sprinted forward, dragging the corpse from the wrecked mecha and, without a second thought, jumped inside to inspect the controls. Thankfully, her attack had been spot on—the internal systems were mostly undamaged.

Just as the second mecha fell silent, a brilliant red light tore across the sky toward them. The overwhelming wave of psychokinesis that followed felt like a blade at their throats, tightening the air around them.

"Run," Lyra said dryly, casting a glance at the now-humbled EPMA leader.

"But what about them?" one student asked, motioning toward the two unconscious comrades.

Lyra straightened the slightly damaged mecha and swung into the cockpit. "If you feel like dying with them, be my guest and drag them along."

Before closing the hatch, she looked back at the group and added, "I’d suggest splitting up. If we’re lucky, we’ll meet again at the finish line."

With that, and under the wide-eyed stares of the others, she launched the mecha into the night, leaving a trail of flames in her wake.

"Did she seriously just leave us like that?!" one of the EPMA students blurted, pointing at the shrinking silhouette of Lyra’s mecha.

Without missing a beat, Elsie replied, "Lyra always has a plan. We need to split up and run, now."

The NMA team didn’t hesitate, scattering in different directions. The EPMA students, though still rattled, reluctantly followed suit, sprinting into the dark.

Soon after, the crimson mecha touched down by the grove.

The General stepped out, quickly surveying the scene. After confirming her two subordinates were dead, she noticed the unconscious students and sent their coordinates back to the control room.

Without delay, she ordered backup—beasts and plants—to retrieve them.

Then, with a cold focus, she leapt back into her mecha and shot off into the sky once more, hunting her next target.

Human speed was laughably slow compared to an advanced mecha. The general, now soaring through the sky, easily spotted the scattered students below. She sneered, "You little brats, none of you are getting away."

The island, designed specifically for AMAT, wasn’t large by air standards—less than 500 kilometers across. Anyone could cover the entire island in under an hour by Lev.

However, for the students on foot, it was a completely different story. The rough terrain, thick forests, and countless obstacles made the journey to the center seem nearly impossible. They had no idea where the enemy was or how close danger actually was.

As one of the third-year EPMA students ran, he muttered, "She could’ve at least taken a couple of us along in that mecha." He glanced over at his silent companion, trying to mask his jealousy. "I mean, she’s your cousin, right? She should’ve taken you."

But it was obvious what he really meant—he wished he’d been the one to get a free ride.

"Bringing others would slow her down," Robin replied flatly. "In situations like this, the faster you move, the better your chances."

Before his companion could pick up on the cold calculation in his voice, Robin suddenly darted in another direction, speeding up.

Confused, the student tried to follow, but a tranquilizer dart hit him before he could even react. He crumpled to the ground, and as consciousness slipped away, the truth sank in: Robin had set him up. That traitor!

Meanwhile, Robin made a clean jump into a deep pit, where a Carniflora lay in wait. The creature swallowed him whole, and the pursuing red mecha, thinking Robin was done for, moved on to hunt down another group of students.

Moments later, a burst of lightning erupted from the pit.

Robin, now coated in slime, emerged from the Carniflora’s belly. He spared no glance at his unconscious teammate and immediately sprinted off, heading for the finish line.

Elsewhere, Lyra had already reached the finish point, only to discover she wasn’t the first to arrive.

"Who’s there?!" A young man with silver hair was crouched, examining something. As she approached, he snapped around, and light-blue tendrils of energy shot toward her.

Lyra swiftly raised a green barrier, blocking the attack. She jumped out of her mecha and tucked it away into her Space Button.

"Your Highness, I’m an NMA contestant," she said, calm despite the fact that he had just attacked her, even though she’d been in an Alliance mecha.

The young man, Aurelius, withdrew his tentacles, though his posture remained tense. His superpower particles lingered in the air, ready to strike again if needed.

Lyra, however, was unbothered by his caution.

"Are you the last one from the Royal Military Academy?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Yes."

In the moonlight, his silver hair glimmered faintly, casting a pale glow on his otherwise striking features. However, his face was shadowed by a deep, brooding expression.

Lyra noticed the terminal still strapped to his wrist but chose not to say anything.

A low, eerie sound filled the cave. Chains clanked and scraped against rock, followed by a slow, raspy hissing that sent a chill down her spine.

"I take it you’re here for the same reason I am," she said, stepping beside him and switching on her flashlight.

The beam cut through the darkness, revealing a massive metal pillar embedded in the rock. Thick metal cables, designed to suppress superpower particles, stretched from the pillar and disappeared into a deep pit, where a level-seven ancient Python was bound.

Unlike a level-eight wyrm, which had gills and a more dragon-like appearance, this creature was distinctly snake-like. His blunt snout, smooth scales, and streamlined body marked him as a pure serpent. Despite his smaller size compared to a wyrm, the snake exuded raw, deadly power.

Heavy metal rings, engineered to suppress his abilities, were locked around his body. These rings connected to the thick iron chains that kept the python tightly bound to the pillar. His movements were sluggish, his breathing labored under the weight of its restraints.

This was the final challenge.

The live broadcast audience sat in stunned silence as the military’s latest move unfolded on screen. For many, it was their first time seeing a high-level beast outside of a movie.

"Oh my god, they actually put a high-level beast in the competition!" someone typed in disbelief.

"And this is Elden Prime! If that thing breaks loose, how many people could die?" another chimed in, panic creeping into the conversation.

"But look at it! It’s incredible," one viewer commented, unable to hide their awe. "It’s clearly restrained, though, and with the advanced Aegis Shield up, it can’t be that mdangerous, right?"

The chat buzzed with a mix of excitement and concern as viewers processed what they were seeing. Some were captivated by the power of the massive creature, while others couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that things might take a dangerous turn.