Chapter 512: The Recovery Unit

The recovery unit had already arrived.

Three red lights hovered high above the village. They looked small from the ground, but they were getting larger with every passing second.

A faint humming sound filled the air.

It soon became loud enough to make the windows and doors rattle.

"Everyone, get away from the open area!" Ouyang Jin shouted.

The villagers did not need to be told twice.

Those who could still walk supported the injured and rushed towards the nearby houses. Others remained on the ground because their bodies had not yet recovered from the parasites.

Old Chen tried to lift his granddaughter, but his arms were too weak.

Blaze hurried over and picked her up.

"Which house?" he asked.

"Mine is the last one over there."

"That one looks as if it could collapse if someone sneezes."

"It has survived until now."

"Fair enough."

Blaze carried the girl away while Old Chen followed.

Chief Gao watched them from inside Leng Pan’s mist barrier.

"Release me," he said. "I can help."

"No, you can’t," Leng Pan replied.

"I know how they fight."

"That might be true, but I also know that you could run away the moment I release you."

"Where could I go?"

Leng Pan glanced at the damaged village.

"That sounds like your problem."

Chief Gao opened his mouth to argue, but Lu Zhen looked at him.

He immediately became quiet.

The red lights descended below the clouds.

Only then could everyone see that they came from three flat, silver aircraft.

The crafts did not resemble aeroplanes. They had no visible wings or propellers, yet they moved smoothly through the air.

One was much larger than the other two.

"They brought quite a welcoming party," Lu Tao said.

"You should go inside," Lu Zhen told him.

Lu Tao’s face fell.

"Again?"

"You are still injured from dealing with the villagers."

"It is just a small cut."

Lu Tao raised his arm to prove it. Unfortunately, his sleeve was soaked with blood.

He slowly lowered it again.

"It looked smaller before."

"Go."

Lu Tao sighed.

He knew his brother would not change his mind.

"Fine. But don’t destroy all the aircraft. We should keep at least one."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"What?" Lu Tao asked. "Don’t you want to know how to fly one?"

Lu Zhen thought about it.

His younger brother had finally said something useful.

"Try not to damage the largest aircraft," he instructed the others.

Ouyang Jin stared at him.

"Do you really think the aliens will hand it over because we ask nicely?"

"No. That is why we will take it."

"Of course."

Ouyang Jin should have known better than to ask.

Lu Tao smiled proudly before helping Janna and Su Yan move the injured villagers into the houses.

Shade remained with them.

The wolf stood near the entrance of the nearest house and raised its head towards the sky.

Its fur stood on end.

A low growl came from its throat.

"Keep everyone inside," Lu Zhen instructed through their mental connection.

Shade gave a short howl.

It would not allow anything to get past it.

Leng Pan looked around.

Most villagers were now under cover, but the houses might not protect them for long.

The blue crystal had been strengthening the village.

Now that Lu Zhen had taken it, the effect might gradually disappear.

If the aliens attacked with heavy weapons, the buildings could collapse.

"I will create a barrier around the occupied houses," Leng Pan said.

"Will you still have enough energy to fight?" Lu Zhen asked.

"I should."

"That answer doesn’t sound convincing."

"I have crystal cores and spiritual spring water. Besides, I could always sit at the side and cheer for you."

Lu Zhen glanced at her.

"You would never sit at the side."

"At least you know me well."

Leng Pan released her mist.

It spread across the village before wrapping around the houses sheltering the villagers.

She did not make the barrier too dense because that would consume a lot of energy. It only needed to stop falling debris and weaken incoming attacks.

The aircraft stopped descending.

They hovered about a hundred metres above the village.

A beam of red light shot from the largest one.

It swept across the ground, passed over the well, and moved towards the guest house.

[Experiment site located.]

A mechanical voice came from the black device in Lu Zhen’s hand.

[Primary organism: no response.]

[Purification core: missing.]

[Target Leng Pan: confirmed.]

"Your little toy is giving them too much information," Leng Pan said.

Lu Zhen covered his hand with fire.

The black device began to melt.

[Warning.]

[Do not destroy the locator.]

[Warning.]

"Too late."

The device turned into molten metal.

Lu Zhen dropped it onto the ground and burned what remained.

The red beam above them flickered.

Then it locked onto his body.

"It seems they know you have the crystal," Leng Pan said.

"That saves us the trouble of getting their attention."

The two smaller aircraft moved apart.

Hatches opened beneath them.

Figures dropped from the sky.

They wore fitted silver armour that covered their bodies completely. Transparent helmets concealed their faces, and unfamiliar weapons were attached to their arms.

There were fifteen of them.

They landed around the village without making much noise.

The ground barely shifted beneath their feet.

The last person to descend wore black armour.

He was taller than the others, and a faint blue light moved along the surface of his suit.

His helmet opened.

The face beneath it looked human.

However, the skin was almost transparent, and dark veins could be seen beneath it.

His silver eyes settled on Leng Pan.

"We have finally found you."

Leng Pan frowned.

"Do I know you?"

"No."

"Then you sound far too excited."

The alien looked at her for a moment.

Maybe he was trying to decide whether she was mocking him.

"You should have died in the previous cycle," he said.

"So I have been told."

"Your presence has damaged the recorded timeline."

"That sounds like your problem."

Lu Zhen moved half a step in front of her.

He had heard enough people discussing his wife as if she were an object.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The alien looked at him.

"Lu Zhen."

"So you know me too."

"You were not supposed to recover your memories."

Lu Zhen’s expression did not change, but the flames around him became hotter.

The aliens knew that both of them had returned with memories of the previous apocalypse.

This meant their rebirth might not have been as secret as they believed.

"What do you want?" Leng Pan asked.

"You will come with us."

"No."

"We did not come to negotiate."

"Then why are you still talking?"

The alien commander raised his hand.

Every soldier pointed a weapon towards Leng Pan.

Lu Zhen released a wall of fire before they could shoot.

Bright beams struck the flames.

Instead of passing through, they scattered in different directions.

Several hit the ground and created deep holes.

"Those weapons are stronger than the last ones," Ouyang Jin said.

"Then we will take them too," Lu Zhen replied.

Ouyang Jin almost choked.

Were they fighting or shopping?

However, he could not deny that alien weapons would be valuable.

"Try not to damage the equipment," he told the others.

It seemed Lu Zhen’s habits were contagious.

The alien soldiers attacked.

Blaze and Lu Hao moved from opposite sides.

Lightning struck the first soldier before he could aim again. His silver armour flashed, absorbing most of the energy, but the force still threw him backwards.

Blaze sent a concentrated attack towards another soldier.

Silk released several threads at the same time.

The threads wrapped around the weapons and pulled them away from their targets.

The alien commander did not join the fight.

His eyes remained on Leng Pan.

"You have become stronger than the final records predicted."

"Thank you."

"That was not praise."

"I decided to take it as one."

The alien’s face stiffened.

Leng Pan could understand why he relied on mechanical soldiers and parasites. His conversational skills were terrible.

He raised his arm.

A pulse of blue energy spread from his armour.

Leng Pan’s mist barrier shook.

More importantly, the mist around the village began thinning.

"He can interfere with abilities," she said.

"Can he stop yours completely?" Lu Zhen asked.

"Not yet."

The alien heard her.

"The suppression field is only at twenty percent."

"Why are you telling us?"

"You should understand that resistance is useless."

Leng Pan looked at Lu Zhen.

"He talks too much."

"I agree."

Lu Zhen disappeared from where he stood.

He appeared in front of the alien commander and punched him in the chest.

The commander’s armour released a blue shield.

Lu Zhen’s fist struck it.