Chapter 524: A Dangerous Welcome

The alien aircraft had barely entered Qinghe Base’s airspace when a red warning light began flashing across the control panel.

A sharp alarm followed.

The alien prisoner sitting beside the control panel stiffened before turning toward the screen. "Something has locked onto us."

Lu Tao leaned forward from the back and stared through the front window. "Is it the zombies?"

"No," Assistant Yao replied as he narrowed his eyes. "It came from the base."

Almost immediately, a streak of fire shot into the sky from the western wall of Qinghe Base.

"A missile!" Blaze shouted.

The aircraft shook as the automatic defense shield activated. A thin blue barrier appeared around the vessel just before the missile struck.

The explosion lit up the sky.

Even though the shield blocked most of the impact, the aircraft was still thrown sideways. Everyone inside grabbed whatever they could to keep themselves from falling.

Janna held onto the side of her seat and yelled, "Are they crazy? We came here to help them!"

"They have no reason to know that," Ouyang Jin replied while steadying himself against the wall. "All they can see is an alien aircraft heading straight for their base."

The alien prisoner quickly moved his hands over the control panel. "The shield lost thirty-seven percent of its energy. If they fire two or three more missiles, it might collapse."

As if Qinghe Base had heard him, another warning appeared on the screen.

A second missile had already been launched.

"Can you avoid it?" Lu Zhen asked.

The prisoner shook his head quickly. "The left engine was damaged by the first impact. I can turn, but I cannot move fast enough to escape."

Leng Pan unfastened her seat belt and walked toward the front window.

Lu Zhen caught her wrist before she could move any further. "What are you planning to do?"

"I should be able to redirect it," Leng Pan replied as she looked at the missile rapidly approaching them. "The mist outside is thick enough to give me a medium. I only need to change its direction slightly."

Lu Zhen studied her face for a moment. He knew that stopping her would waste what little time they had left, so he released her wrist and stood beside her. "Then I will destroy it once it turns away from us."

Leng Pan nodded.

She raised her hand, and the moisture in the air outside gathered around the approaching missile. The mist wrapped around it in several layers before pushing against its side.

At first, nothing seemed to happen.

The missile continued heading straight toward the aircraft.

Leng Pan frowned and increased the force of her ability. The mist thickened until the missile’s path finally shifted.

It missed the aircraft by less than ten meters.

Lu Zhen immediately sent a stream of fire through the open energy vent near the front of the vessel. The flames struck the missile, causing it to explode before it could turn around and lock onto them again.

The shock wave hit the aircraft from behind.

This time, the already damaged left engine gave out completely.

The vessel tilted sharply and began losing altitude.

Lu Tao looked through the window at the rapidly approaching ground. "We are falling!"

"We are not falling. We are landing without permission," Assistant Yao replied as he tightened his seat belt.

Lu Tao turned toward him with disbelief. "How is that any better?"

"It sounds better."

Even in such a dangerous situation, Leng Pan could not help glancing at Assistant Yao. She had always known he could remain calm under pressure, but she had not expected him to make jokes while they were about to crash.

The alien prisoner fought with the controls while the aircraft descended toward a barren field outside Qinghe Base.

"Hold on!" he shouted. "The landing will not be gentle."

"That much is obvious," ZaiZai muttered as he grabbed Su Yan’s seat with one hand and his own restraint with the other.

The bottom of the aircraft scraped against the ground.

Metal groaned as the vessel slid through the field, throwing up dirt and broken stones. It knocked over several dead tree trunks before finally stopping less than a hundred meters from the outer wall.

For a few seconds, no one spoke.

Shade was the first to move. The wolf crawled out from beneath Lu Hao’s legs, shook its body, then looked around as if it were wondering why the humans had made such a simple journey so complicated.

Lu Tao slowly released his seat belt and touched his chest. "I think my heart stopped for a moment."

Lu Hao glanced at him. "You are still talking, so it must have started again."

"Thank you for your concern, Second Brother."

"You are welcome."

Leng Pan checked the others and confirmed that no one had suffered a serious injury. There were a few bruises, but their enhanced bodies could handle that much.

Outside, soldiers were already surrounding the aircraft.

Several armored vehicles stopped in a wide circle around them while ability users gathered near the front. Every weapon was aimed at the damaged vessel.

A voice came through a loudspeaker. "Everyone inside the aircraft, come out slowly with your hands visible. If you make any sudden movements, we will attack."

Lu Zhen looked at the alien prisoner, who had gone pale. "Stay here. If you try to escape, Little Vine will know."

A thin green tendril curled around the prisoner’s wrist as if it were confirming Lu Zhen’s warning.

The alien stared at it and nodded quickly. He had already watched Little Vine swallow the queen’s parasites. He did not want to discover what else it could eat.

Lu Zhen opened the hatch and walked out first with Leng Pan beside him.

The rest of the group followed, leaving the alien prisoner inside with Vanish and Sonny watching him.

A middle-aged man in a military uniform stepped forward. He had a tired face, but his back was straight and his gaze remained sharp.

"I am Commander Han of Qinghe Base," he introduced himself without lowering his weapon. "Who are you, and why are you flying an alien aircraft?"

"My name is Lu Zhen, and this is my wife, Leng Pan," Lu Zhen replied calmly. "We captured the aircraft from an alien recovery unit. We came to warn you that a zombie army is heading toward Qinghe Base."

Several soldiers exchanged uneasy looks.

Before Commander Han could reply, another officer stepped forward. He was slightly younger and had the insignia of a colonel on his uniform.

Colonel Deng looked at the damaged aircraft before scoffing. "Commander, we should not believe them so easily. They arrived in an alien vessel and survived two missiles without suffering any serious injuries. They could be working with the aliens."