Neither the real-time monitoring equipment nor the Valkyrie's early warning system issued any tsunami warnings in advance; in fact, everything still appeared normal until a few seconds before they were engulfed by the tsunami!
The technical priest was stunned, gazing at the exploration team's Captain, who was furious, veins bulging on his forehead, and eyes bloodshot.
He kept muttering, "Impossible, this is impossible—Great Omnissiah, Machine God, what on earth is going on?!"
"FRAK!"
The Captain angrily punched the control panel and glared fiercely at the stunned technical priest.
"We'll settle this account if we manage to live and return!"
The tsunami came too suddenly, leaving them no time to react or escape.
According to the machine spirit's calculations on the Valkyrie, they would need at least 20 to 30 seconds to ascend to a safe altitude above the tsunami.
But... the Captain looked at the terrifying tsunami, nearly ten thousand meters high, surrounding them, and a wave of despair washed over him.
Ascending nearly ten thousand meters vertically in 20 to 30 seconds was almost impossible for the Valkyrie, unless the Omnissiah blessed them and the 'machine spirit was greatly pleased.'
Facing a life-or-death crisis, Topa, as the Captain of the exploration team, his mind raced, and in a fraction of a second, he found the only way out.
"Descend immediately!" He roared at the pilot, "Everyone board the mechanicus ark wreckage and hide inside until the tsunami ends!"
This was their only chance to live!
This Mechanicus Ark battleship was the only 'safe zone' currently available to provide them shelter and the only place that could withstand the tsunami.
"But... Captain, it's very dangerous here." Someone hesitated, looking warily at the wreckage.
After all, just minutes before, members of two exploration teams had mysteriously disappeared, proving that the ruins of this battleship harbored unimaginable dangers.
"Do you have any other ideas?" Topa glared at him, saying coldly, "If you don't want to be smashed into meat paste by the tsunami, this is the only path!"
"Topa's decision is correct." The stunned technical priest snapped back to reality and immediately supported him.
"We have no time to hesitate; the tsunami is almost here. Land on the wreckage immediately!"
The pilot maneuvered the Valkyrie, like a nimble seagull in the raging storm and the roaring tsunami, which resembled a colossal swirling vortex, and landed with extreme difficulty on the Ark wreckage.
To call it a 'landing' would be inaccurate; 'crash' would be more fitting. If not for the Imperial military equipment's robust durability, this single impact would likely have rendered it completely irreparable.
"Quick, quick, quick!"
Seeing the tsunami closing in, Topa immediately led the remaining six members and the technical priest, an exploration team of eight in total, carrying as much equipment as possible, and advanced in the direction the previous two teams had explored.
However, a gigantic wave had already surged onto the wreckage, and its terrifying impact directly swept away the two who were lagging behind.
"Kade! Willie!"
Someone wanted to rescue their companions who had been swept away.
But Topa roared, interrupting them.
"Don't mind them; they're dead. Hurry up, the tsunami is very close!"
Only by being there could one truly comprehend the horror of such a natural disaster; each wave crest of the tsunami was dozens of meters high, its roaring sound like thunder, and a waterfall of water poured down from the sky, washing over their bodies, making every step forward a struggle against immense pressure!
If not for their armor, they would have been crushed to death by the immense water pressure!
Under this immense pressure, they had no time or strength to speak, practically running for their lives, hoping to find an entrance into the wreckage ahead.
"Found it!!!"
One person exclaimed, and Topa and the others looked.
That person had found a crack in the wreckage, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
"Get in quickly!" At this point, Topa had no time to analyze whether the crack was safe; it was better than waiting to die here.
The remaining six people filed in one after another.
They climbed along this crack for a long time, finally reaching the interior of the Ark wreckage.
After the technical priest used his portable welding torch to seal the crack, he unceremoniously, without any Mechanicus dignity, plopped down on the ground.
"Phew... it's safe here now."
"Hoo-whee! Hoo-whee! Hoo-whee!"
Inside the Ark wreckage, filled with broken cables and shattered deck plating, several people, still shaken, were panting heavily.
It wasn't due to physical exhaustion, but rather the intense mental strain they had endured in the face of extreme danger. Now that they were finally safe, they naturally relaxed all at once.
But before they could feel secure for long, one person suddenly screamed.
"Cap-Captain!"
Topa sharply turned his head, only to see that from the cracks in that person's bio-armor, clusters of pink gelatinous substance seemed to be seeping in.
"Cap-Captain—I, I feel like something's wrong, there's a sound!" The person's face was filled with terror; he seemed to be itching all over, scratching himself frantically, screaming in fear.
"Ahhh—there, there's a sound, it, it's it, it's talking!"
In just a few seconds, the person became like a madman, emitting horrifying, shrill screams.
His bio-armor even developed cracks, and pink gelatinous substance continuously gushed out from within, accompanied by Scarlet,Horrifying blood plasma!
"Ahhh!!!"
He wailed in agony, his eyes bloodshot. If one looked closely, they could even see wisps of pink substance, like catkins, gathering towards his pupils.
"Kill, kill me, Captain—it, it's a living thing, stay away—from—it—... Ahhh ahhh ahhh!"
Finally, he seemed to lose control of himself, roaring like a beast, and attacked his nearby companion.
Bang!!!
A bolt round roared, ending his life!
The golden shell casing ejected, emitting a thick pall of gunpowder smoke. Topa's gaze was cold and deep.
"Everyone, get away from him immediately and perform self-checks. Technical priest—burn him for me; leave no hidden danger!"
The technical priest used plasma to incinerate the member's body, while the remaining people began self-checks.
The self-checks were quickly completed; their armor protection was intact and had not been infiltrated by the pink seawater. The deceased person's armor had suffered a severe impact during the escape, causing a tiny crack, which allowed the strange seawater to invade.
However, this also caused the remaining members of the exploration team to show some fear on their faces.
They hadn't expected that merely being touched by the seawater would result in such a terrifying transformation!
Suddenly, the atmosphere became much heavier.
Some even showed expressions of fear, with a hint of retreat.
"Cap-Captain, should we continue the exploration?"
"Of course, we must continue the mission!"
Topa's gaze swept sternly over everyone.
"Our mission is to investigate dangers and provide ample information for subsequent exploration teams and resource collection.
If we retreat now, how can we complete the mission?"
"And don't forget," his tone became more solemn and serious, "if it weren't for Lord Emrys, we would still be slaves. Our treatment in the fleet is the highest among everyone, on par with sailors. If we can't even handle this small matter, how can we face going back?!"
Topa spoke very bluntly.
The once fearful people exchanged glances, mustered their courage again, and gritted their teeth, cheering.
"Captain, you're right. If we go back like this, what face do we have to stay in the fleet? Let's go!"
They say a thousand pieces of gold buy a horse's bones; Emrys was the same way.
He freed these people from the slave market and gave them exceptionally high treatment. Wasn't it all for this very moment?!
If they were to be afraid, terrified, and retreat here, not only would they themselves not be able to overcome it psychologically, but they also wouldn't be able to explain it to the fleet!
Those who lose their value do not deserve to live.
"Can you contact the mothership?" Topa took a deep breath and quietly asked the technical priest beside him, "This seawater is very strange; it seems to be a living entity that can invade our consciousness. We must report this to the subsequent exploration teams."
He had already prepared for the annihilation of this team, so as to provide intelligence for subsequent exploration teams and help them minimize casualties.
"No." The technical priest shook his head, his face grim.
"There's a large signal jamming device here. I don't know why it was activated, but if we want to contact the mothership, we must solve this problem first."