Faced with the imposing presence of Fang Senyan and Jiao Shi, the woman holding the bow shrunk back to the side, frustrated and annoyed, daring not to speak much. Jiao Shi was not the type to press an advantage relentlessly; he gathered everyone, allowed them a moment to recover their condition to about eighty percent, and then hurried toward the location of the Illuminati.

It had to be admitted that Jiao Shi possessed a strong sense of the overall situation. Despite having clashed with the Illuminati several times, now that both parties were in the same boat, he naturally looked out for the other side. However, this was also his weakness; a person too upright and selfless finds it difficult to survive in this space. As the saying goes, "Water that is too clear yields no fish." If one's methods deviate too far from the majority, then no matter how capable they are, elimination is the likely outcome.

The reason Fang Senyan had come to the southern battlefield first was, naturally, to inflict more casualties upon the Illuminati. Having only recently been among them, he understood the terrifying nature of that faction, estimating them to be the greatest adversaries in the subsequent struggle for the Golden Branch Quest. Fang Senyan didn't expect his delaying tactics to cripple the Illuminati's main force—at the very least, he hoped to wipe out the majority of their periphery members—much like one must first peel away the rind to taste the sweetness of a tangerine!

When Fang Senyan arrived at the southern battlefield with Jiao Shi, he finally beheld the Thanator, a creature hailed as the apex predator of Pandora's surface food chain. It generally resembled an enlarged black panther, but its smooth black skin was overlaid with yellow and red stripes, giving it an exceptionally ferocious appearance.

Around its mouth were ten whisker-like external sensory bristles; these acted as powerful amplifiers for scent and hearing, magnifying the Thanator’s senses several dozen times. When opening its jaws, the upper lip of this savage beast folded upward to maximize the extension of its teeth, ensuring the most horrific lacerations possible when biting an enemy. Furthermore, chitinous armor covered its entire back.

At this moment, this powerful Legendary Creature was still rampaging through the crowd; however, its movements were no longer agile. It was plainly visible that its actions seemed as if it were being moved through glue; the hunting techniques it usually employed as easily as breathing or eating now required immense effort. As a result, its fierce claws and teeth could only contend with summoned creatures. The other Contractors, meanwhile, unleashed a furious barrage of damage, eliciting continuous, piercing cries from the beast.

Because Yu Ze had been hesitant to approach the battlefield too closely, he couldn't transmit the Thanator's data immediately. But now, he diligently fulfilled his duty.

Juvenile Thanator (Tier Two Legendary Creature) English: THANATAN (Phonetic translation: Shǎnléishòu) Na'vi: PALULUKAN Scientific Name: THANATOFENAX Height: 25 meters, over 5.5 meters long. Weight: Over 2 tons. Description: Top-tier land predator on Pandora. Travels on six legs. Even the Na'vi, renowned for their bravery, feared this creature; the Pure Na'vi never sang songs or danced praises for it. Strength: 30 Agility: 50 (MAX) Stamina: 25 Spirit: ?? Intelligence: ?? Legendary Creature Ability: Skin of the Earth LV4. Grants the owner an additional 15,000 HP / LV4 grants an additional 6 HP regeneration per 5 seconds. Legendary Creature Ability: Iron Will LV1; most slow effects are severely diminished against creatures possessing this ability. Creature Ability: Lightning Speed (Passive): Creatures with this ability gain significant boosts to both movement and attack speed. Creature Ability: Ferocity (Passive): Creatures with this ability are extremely prone to inflicting Bleeding, Fractures, and other negative effects upon attack. Furthermore, the Thanator gains a 10% attack bonus when striking enemies afflicted with abnormal status effects, stacking up to a maximum of 50%. Creature Ability: Bristle Touch (Passive)... Creatures possessing this ability have extremely potent foresight regarding danger, reducing enemy critical hit chance by 30% and increasing their own evasion rate by 15%. Creature Ability: Long Tail Lash (Active): The Thanator’s tail is also a formidable weapon, capable of whipping out like a lash against an enemy’s body, dealing Strength-based damage and causing the enemy to become dazed for 5 seconds. Space Battlefield Additional Buffs: Grants this creature an additional 200,000 HP / Grants the owner an additional 30 HP regeneration per 5 seconds.

Suddenly, the Thanator lashed one contractor aside with its tail, turned toward the ship's internal passage, and let out a piercing howl. The fleshy flaps beside its mouth abruptly flushed and swelled... revealing an exceptional brutality. These flaps served as a warning or display, very similar to the behavior exhibited by mating reptiles or the fanning display of a peacock!

Fang Senyan, however, noticed the direction of the Thanator’s fierce, flashlight-like eyes, and couldn't help but glance over. He saw in the dark ship passage, suspended in mid-air, a figure whose feet floated about a meter off the ground. One of the floating rhomboid light spheres beside her had disappeared as she extended her left palm remotely toward the Thanator, holding that posture.

"It seems we are still a bit early," Fang Senyan sighed inwardly. He realized at a glance that although the Illuminati had already suffered nearly ten personnel losses, their strength remained like an iceberg in water: what was visible on the surface was already imposing, but the submerged mass remained a mystery! The entire team maintained an attitude of alarm without chaos.

Fang Senyan also noticed that Jiao Shi and Akafeel seemed to be old acquaintances; they exchanged a look that suggested a spark of understanding.

Faced with this situation, the people from the West Zone dared not act recklessly. They managed only to lure out and kill a few elite Viper Wolves on the perimeter, netting two dark blue keys as spoils. They then retreated back to their West Zone to defend. Of course, this time, without needing orders, the Contractors who had tasted success were already efficiently clearing away all the beast corpses, scrubbing the bloodstains clean. Moreover, three large pits had been dug for burying the corpses this time, clearly a measure to better divert the hunger of more ravenous creatures.

Just then, a vast tide of beasts appeared again in the distance...

...

As twilight descended, the Contractors, who had fought bloody battles for a full four hours, finally heard the massive broadcast emanating from inside the ship: "Please proceed inside the vessel. Please enter the interior of the vessel."

"Ship Power: The single-sided nuclear fusion engine has been restored and will activate the optical camouflage shield in three minutes. This shield possesses powerful concealment capabilities, preventing creatures on Avatar planet from detecting the ship's precise location via night vision after dark. Therefore, you are safe until at least 8:00 AM tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this news, many Contractors collapsed in exhaustion as soon as they entered the ship's passageway. After splashing some water on their faces, they immediately fell into deep sleep. In fact, Fang Senyan had already observed that burying the beast corpses on the battlefield only reduced the number of incoming common monsters; the powerful Legendary Creatures remained completely unfazed.

During the previous wave of attacks, although no new high-tier Legendary Creatures had appeared, the number attacking each time reached two or even three. Even a powerful team like the Illuminati could not sustain such numbers. The saving grace was that the Legendary Creatures did not rush in all at once but were drawn toward the large pits filled with corpses near the battlefield, which gave the Contractors opportunities to pick them off one by one.

Fortunately, the other war zones were not oblivious. After suffering losses twice, they immediately began observing the West Zone to learn why the hordes seemed markedly less interested in their positions. Naturally, the simple task of cleaning up the battlefield was quickly copied. Even so, by the time night fell, the number of surviving Contractors had been reduced by a full half!

Of course, it must be noted that the term used was reduced, not killed. The Contractors who managed to survive this long had surely learned the art of necessary sacrifice. Thus, even if it meant forfeiting three points from their highest attribute score and incurring a deduction of five Merit Points, there were numerous instances of Contractors abandoning the fight upon realizing the situation was untenable. After all, staying alive was the fundamental prerequisite.

At this moment, five RDA staff members emerged from the bridge atop this Valkyrie vessel. They descended via the staircase from the upper deck and stationed themselves near the ship's core area. After exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries, they found spots nearby and sat down.

All Contractors could query information and purchase various medicines, equipment schematics, unknown artifacts, and more via the quick-access handheld computers they carried. It was worth noting that the only valid currency for purchases was Battlefield Contribution Points.

Unsurprisingly, these five individuals were instantly mobbed, making it nearly impossible for even a mosquito to fly near them. Fang Senyan, however, remained focused on the staircase through which the five staff members had descended, lost in thought. He even attempted to climb upward, but as soon as he approached, he received an electronic synthesized warning: this was a restricted zone. If he persisted, all his RDA company Battlefield Contribution Points would be revoked, and he would be targeted by all shipboard weaponry.

Fang Senyan certainly had no intention of forcing his way into the second-floor restricted zone. He nodded thoughtfully to himself and then retreated to a quiet corner. At this point, all Contractors had gathered in the ship's central hall, sitting in distinct clusters, observing one another with vigilant eyes. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian (QUU.C……). Your support is my greatest motivation.)