Following the brief skirmish, the atmosphere within the contingent grew even more solemn. Every step was executed with heightened caution; the slick rock surfaces and intense magnetic interference made the advance exceptionally arduous. The roar of the waterfalls and the patter of rushing streams reverberated continuously against the rock faces, drowning out too many potential movements and severely undermining the efficacy of auditory reconnaissance.
Osiris walked relatively near the front of the column, maintaining his position right behind Maine and Dorio. His respiration remained as steady as ever beneath his mask, but his brain was operating at high velocity, constantly comparing and correcting the environmental markers within Celtic's memory fragments against what lay before his eyes. Memories, after all, were fragmented and carried a heavily subjective perspective, creating deviations from reality. He needed to assemble these pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, marrying the fragments with their real-time field survey.
"Hold," Osiris suddenly raised his hand, signaling the contingent to halt the advance. They were currently positioned on a relatively open platform formed by the intersection of several massive suspended landmasses. Ahead lay multiple routing vectors heavily shrouded in dense water vapor, leading to unknown quarters.
"Sir, have you discovered something?" Maine immediately stepped back to his side, monitoring the perimeter with high vigilance.
Osiris did not answer right away. Instead, he walked to the edge of the platform, crouched down, and used his fingers to gently brush away a patch of faintly blue-glowing moss growing inside a rocky crevice. Beneath the moss, an exceptionally inconspicuous, minute melt-scar was etched into the rock surface, as if scorched instantly by extreme heat. Its coloration varied slightly from the surrounding stone; had someone not been scanning for it deliberately, it would have been entirely impossible to detect.
"This is not a natural formation," Osiris stood up, his sharp gaze systematically scanning the surrounding rock walls and water curtains. "Nor is it a trace left by Na'vi or RDA weaponry. The energy characteristics are highly concentrated and were released instantaneously, resembling the residual dissipation or calibration firing of some energy weapon."
"The Predator's weapon?" Dorio inquired in a low voice.
"The probability is high," Osiris nodded. "In Celtic's memories, he indeed conducted adaptability training and weapons testing within this exact sector. These traces are still very fresh, aligning with the timeline of his arrival on Pandora."
Just as they prepared to resume the advance, a succession of resonant cries echoed from the distant sky. Everyone immediately took cover behind the rock formations, holding their breath in deep concentration.
A flock of brilliantly colored Banshees skimmed past through the clouds and mist, their broad wings flapping elegantly against the air currents with a rhythmic beat. Closely pursuing them were three Na'vi aerial warriors riding their respective Ikrans, nimbly weaving between the suspended mountain landmasses. The leading Na'vi held a longbow, his sharp eyes scanning the terrain below, evidently executing a routine patrol.
The Banshee flock traced graceful arcs through the sky, their vivid plumage gleaming with iridescent luster under Pandora's unique light. The Na'vi riders followed closely behind, maintaining a calculated distance that would neither startle the flock nor compromise their ability to react to sudden anomalies. Their silhouettes appeared and vanished dynamically within the mists, resembling spirits thoroughly integrated into this bizarre realm.
The contingent members pressed tightly against the rock faces, easing their breathing significantly. Osiris calmly observed the situation in the sky through a rocky fissure, noting that these Na'vi riders were exceptionally well-equipped—evidently the elite of their clan.
Maine signaled to maintain absolute concealment. The soldiers of the Hellfire squad immediately lowered their profiles and drew their weapons tight against their sides, avoiding the exposure of any component that might reflect light. Only after the silhouettes of the Na'vi riders had completely vanished behind the distant mountain peaks did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief.
Sergeant Reynolds wiped the sweat from his brow, stating in a low voice, "It seems this sector isn't nearly as peaceful as it appears on the surface."
"Maintain concealment," Maine ordered in a low tone through the comms. "Wait for them to pass."
The squad members held their breath, watching the Na'vi riders pursue the Banshee flock further into the distance, until they finally vanished into an entirely different mountain sector.
Once safety was verified, Osiris stood up, directing his gaze toward one of the passages that was nearly halfway obscured by a massive curtain of water.
"Maine, focus your scans behind that path. In Celtic's memories, crossing a similar water curtain is the mandatory route to reach his starship's staging point."
"Falco, Rebecca!" Maine ordered immediately.
The two technical personnel stepped forward at once. Because the magnetic interference was exceptionally powerful, they were forced to repeatedly adjust their equipment parameters. Falco slapped the housing of his scanner while complaining, "The interference in this hellhole is practically driving the machines insane."
Just as the crowd assumed this scan would yield no harvest once more, Rebecca suddenly shouted, "Wait! There is a faint residual energy signal here, pointing toward the second passage on the left!"
The contingent shifted toward the new direction immediately. This passage was even narrower, its rocky walls blanketed with glowing fungi. Osiris meticulously observed the traces within the path, suddenly discovering an inconspicuous metal shard wedged inside a rocky fissure.
"This is an alien alloy," Osiris picked up the shard, examining it closely between his fingertips. "We are heading the right way."
"The interference is too strong—wait!" Falco kept his eyes locked on his screen, suddenly shouting, "There's a faint, non-natural metallic echo! Right behind the water curtain! The signal is weak, but it definitely exists!"
This intelligence galvanized everyone's spirits. Having endured so many hazards, they had finally captured a concrete trace of their objective.
"Sergeant Reynolds, defensive formation," Maine ordered. "Valerie, Jake, Ironclads in the vanguard—let's push through and take a look. Sir, you—"
"I am moving in," Osiris stated placidly, yet his tone carried a decision that brooked no argument. "I require an on-site verification."
Maine glanced at him and offered no objection, merely throwing a look toward Dorio. Catching the cue, Dorio moved significantly closer to Osiris's side to provide close-quarters protection.
The two Ironclad mechs were the first to step into the roaring water curtain, the massive volume of cascading water slamming against their metallic armor and sending a torrent of spray into the air. Immediately following them, Maine and Dorio escorted Osiris through, alongside a portion of the Hellfire squad. Asuka took a deep breath, following closely behind them.
Behind the water curtain lay a relatively dry entrance to a concealed valley embraced by massive rock formations. The lighting inside the valley was dim, with only scattered bioluminescent fungi providing a gloomy illumination. The sight at the entrance caused everyone who crossed the water curtain to gasp.
Etched clearly into the rock face on one side of the valley entrance were several profound gouges, as if ripped open by the claws of a massive, predatory beast, driving nearly half a meter deep into the stone! The edges of the marks were smooth, exhibiting characteristics of high-temperature melting.
"What... what kind of thing did this?" a Hellfire soldier asked, a trace of a tremor lacing his voice.
Osiris walked forward, closely inspecting the claw marks before comparing them against the terror and obsession toward the "Great Leonopteryx" residing within Celtic's memories.
"Toruk," he uttered the name slowly. "The apex predator of Pandora's skies. It appears our 'friend' did not have an easy time after his arrival, either. These marks are very fresh, indicating this beast might still be operating in the perimeter, or perhaps it departed only a short while ago."
His words instantly caused the atmosphere—which had relaxed slightly upon finding the trail—to tighten up significantly once more. They not only had to locate a concealed extraterrestrial starship but also had to remain constantly wary of the ultimate predator of this planet potentially lurking in the dark.
Osiris's gaze swept past those striking claw marks, peering into the deep interior of the dark valley.
"The starship is inside. Heighten your vigilance; we are very close to the objective." His voice came through the mask, calmly dispelling the sliver of unease that had quietly begun to spread. The true challenge, perhaps, had only just begun.