Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 89: Facing Fierce Beasts

Chapter 89: Facing Fierce Beasts

The rescue team was taking their sweet time, and Zorion couldn’t help but mutter a curse under his breath. Meanwhile, Kogar kept his cool, as if nothing could faze him.

Phillip’s eyes darted around nervously before he finally spoke up, "Let’s head up the mountain. Those beasts don’t have the guts to follow us up there!" Without waiting for a reply, he started barking orders for everyone to gather their things.

"Commander Phillip," Kogar said, his voice steady as his eyes locked onto Phillip. "Do you even know why those beasts won’t climb up the mountain?"

Down below, the beasts were causing a ruckus, their roars and howls filling the air with a foul stench.

The sky wasn’t much better—swarms of flying beasts screeched and snapped at each other like they were in some twisted dance.

It was almost as if an invisible line separated the chaos below from the eerie calm where the team stood.

Phillip shrugged, barely hiding his impatience. "Who knows? But take a look down there, Kogar. Those beasts are just waiting to pounce on us. What choice do we have but to head up?"

Kogar didn’t bite at Phillip’s sarcasm. "Then we need to figure out why first. We’re safe here, for now."

Phillip’s expression darkened. "It’s my responsibility to protect everyone here. In situations like this, you need to trust my decisions."

"I believe these technicians might have a more informed opinion than us on this matter," Kogar said, staying calm.

All eyes turned to the technician, who was a professor in college. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Mr. Kogar has a point. Usually, beasts only fear something more powerful than themselves. If they won’t come up, it means something’s scaring them. We should investigate before making any moves."

"And the size of this beast swarm isn’t normal," the professor added. "We need to tread carefully."

As daylight fully broke, the technical team found a hidden spot to set up their equipment. Then they launched drones to scan the mountains.

The soldiers, exhausted from fighting all night, took the chance to rest or tend to their wounds under the shade.

The growls and howls from below grew louder as the hours ticked by.

When anyone peered over the cliff, the sea of beasts seemed endless, stretching out as far as the eye could see.

The sky was no better—thick with flying beasts, which made it tough for the drone operators to get clear readings.

Around noon, while the leaders were discussing how to ration the remaining supplies, the professor was analyzing the data. Suddenly, he gasped, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What’s going on?" Phillip asked, rushing over.

Kogar noticed Phillip’s reaction, and he started piecing together a plan in his mind. He was no longer as concerned about keeping any secrets.

"We might have found an energy mine down below!" the professor exclaimed. He pointed to the screen. There, a map of the mountains showed a wave-like pattern near the base, suggesting the presence of an energy mine.

Energy mines were a huge deal, as they held the power to produce superpower particles. These particles were essential for creating high-tech weapons like elastic metals and mechas.

The discovery of the energy mine lit a spark of excitement among the group. With it, they could recharge their mechas and particle guns—game changers in a place like this.

"It’s real... and judging by the energy levels, it’s likely a high-grade energy mine! What are we waiting for? Our mission is to analyze the mine, right?" Phillip urged once more, his impatience growing.

But Kogar, ever cautious, didn’t budge. "Yet, why don’t those beasts dare come up here?"

The professor, though tempted by Phillip’s enthusiasm, thought it over before answering. "It could be the energy mine itself. Maybe it’s giving off something that tricks the beasts; they thought a high-level predator is around, keeping them at bay."

This only strengthened the idea that they had stumbled upon a high-grade energy mine.

Zorion wasn’t convinced. "But what if there IS a high-level beast down there?"

The professor shook his head. "Very unlikely. If there were, the energy field would’ve reacted by now."

This seemed to settle the debate, and soon enough, the researchers were on board with Phillip’s plan to head further up the mountain.

"We should move toward this spot," one of the researchers suggested, pointing to a location on the map. "There’s energy leaking out there, and the rock layer is at its weakest."

The technical team, who had been dragging their feet just moments before, suddenly found a second wind. They started chatting excitedly, making plans for what they’d do next.

Meanwhile, Zinnia noticed Lyra struggling and walked over to help. "Lyra, are you alright? Want me to support you?"

Lyra just shook her head. She took a sip of water, and kept moving without a word.

Vivian had been trailing behind. She saw this as an opportunity and stumbled over. "Zinnia, how about you carry me instead?"

Zinnia shot her a distain look. "I’m not carrying a coward," she snapped back.

She couldn’t forget the sight of Vivian scrambling up the ladder earlier—she stepped on a technician’s face just to get up.

Vivian’s face turned red with anger. "What was I supposed to do then? Stay and get killed?" She then shot a pointed look at Lyra. "You all have teammates who would save you. I don’t have that luxury!"

Vivian had seen Lyra ignore the chance to save the Legion Skywalkers’ leader earlier, and the memory still stung.

Before the argument could heat up any further, Cuss, clearly exhausted, shot them a stern look. "Enough! Save your energy for something that matters."

By evening, they finally reached the weak spot the professor had identified. It was on the leeward side of the mountain, where the slope was gentle at first but became steep as it rose. The area was dotted with bushes and jagged rocks, making it a decent spot to set up.

Even here, the distant roars of beasts echoed through the air.

The technical team quickly marked off an area and began preparations to drill.

But then, Lyra stood up, her gaze fixed on a specific direction, her expression sharp.

Kogar noticed immediately. "What is it?" he asked, now fully alert.

"A group of beasts is heading this way," Lyra said, pointing. "We need to hide."

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, but this time, no one, not even Zorion, questioned her instincts.

They hurriedly took cover in the bushes, and soon enough, a loud buzzing sound filled the air. A swarm of bee-like creatures, each the size of a human head, zipped past them.

These beasts were carrying plants back to their nest, and no one dared to peek out and watch.

When the buzzing finally faded, they emerged from their hiding spots, breathing a collective sigh of relief.

"Weren’t we told the beasts wouldn’t come up the mountain? How did these ones make it here?"

"They probably live here and were just returning from foraging," one of the professors explained. "We didn’t find any nests on the surface, so they’re likely living underground."

Despite the surprise, the team still needed to drill the well, but the most effective equipment was still back on the truck.

After a rough night’s sleep, the team woke to find that the drill hole was way smaller than they expected—less than a meter in diameter.

"We’ve hit the underground water layer," one of the technicians reported, "but the drilling equipment isn’t deep enough. We sent a drone down, but it lost signal—probably due to interference from the energy mine’s magnetic field. We need someone to go down there in person."

The technical team had already lined up a few volunteers, but the issue was who would protect them.

"You’ve got to be joking," Phillip said, eyeing the narrow hole. "With all the oxygen and lighting gear, who’s even going to fit down there?" He glanced at the hole again, knowing his own broad frame wouldn’t stand a chance.

"There’s one person who can," Zorion said, his eyes landing on Lyra. "She’s small enough to fit and get the job done."

Vivian, who was about the same size as Lyra, stiffened. ’Am I about to be dragged into this too?’

Kogar’s temper flared. "Lyra’s just an intern. She shouldn’t even be considered for this."

"I think she should," Phillip countered, siding with Zorion. "She’s here to learn, right? How’s she supposed to learn anything if she doesn’t get her hands dirty?"

Thierry and the others started to panic. "Lyra’s not fit for this!" they protested.

Amid all the back-and-forth, Lyra finally spoke up, her voice steady. "I’ll do it."