Phantom's warning echoed in Qianlong's mind: "Attacking will compromise camouflage. Advise against engagement."
He hesitated—just as the crushing weight against his Reaper suddenly lessened. The system alert flashed:
"All Reapers return immediately! Mission accomplished!"
The Leviathan's corpse tumbled away from the now-stable iceberg as Qianlong's mech shot upward toward the Mushroom's open hangar bays. Around him, surviving Sentinels formed a protective cordon for the retreating miners.
Those left behind were already counted among the dead.
In high orbit, the Hyperion's launch bays yawned open.
"Clear their escape path," the captain ordered calmly.
A storm of fragmentation warheads (Note: Specially designed with shrapnel-filled cores to shred insectoid swarms) and plasma beams lanced past the returning fleet, detonating into glittering death blossoms behind them.
Qianlong emerged from his Reaper to a triage nightmare—medical teams sprinting between crippled mechs, extracting bloodied pilots. A medic grabbed his arm.
"Stop gawking! Help us!"
For the next twenty-four hours, he assisted in the grim aftermath until cleared to rest.
In the recovery ward, Aina studied Qianlong as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Her wristband chimed with the mission payout report.
Jones whooped. "We're rich! Time to celebrate!"
"Try not to die between some woman's legs," Aina muttered before checking her own earnings.
"Kid, you gotta see this!" Jones projected Qianlong's staggering payout:
Mission Summary:
- Survey Operation (V42-52): 1,000cr (Excellent)
- Titanium-Chromite Mining: 6,000cr (Excellent)
- Emergency Water Extraction (3x Bonus): 12,000cr (Excellent)
Combat Bonuses (+20% Sentinel Endorsement):
- Spined Flutterer Elimination: 1,200cr
- Otur Soldier Kill: 6,000cr
Total: 27,200cr
Aina's eyes narrowed. Oturs were elite threats even Sentinels feared—how had a rookie in a mining mech taken one down?
Jones whistled. "With this much, you could buy—"
"I'll save it," Qianlong interrupted.
"For what? You're what, eighteen?"
"Future plans," Qianlong replied vaguely.
As a medic called his name for discharge, he waved goodbye, stepping into the corridor where Phantom whispered:
"Funds secured. Next objective?"