Chapter 66: Escaping from Zel Star

The moment Kyle stepped into the intelligence station of the Interstellar Federation on Zel Star, an inexplicable sense of unease welled up in his heart like a tide. Ever since he obtained the power of the stars, he had formed an indissoluble bond with the Interstellar Federation. The experience of being pursued by the agent, Ryan, was deeply engraved in his memory like a nightmare. Although he had managed to escape successfully, that sense of fear and vigilance had always lingered and had never truly dissipated. At this moment, the cold metal walls and the flickering lights inside the intelligence station seemed to be wordlessly watching them. It made him even more convinced that this operation to search for clues about the "Elemental Sphere" might have fallen into the trap of the Interstellar Federation from the very beginning.

Kyle's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly welled up in his heart. He instinctively exchanged a glance with Elsa and saw the same alertness in her eyes. In this split second, countless thoughts flashed through Kyle's mind. Why was the Interstellar Federation suddenly so interested in their inquiry? Could this be a trap? But on the surface, he remained calm, nodded slightly, and put on a polite smile. "Okay, please lead the way." At the same time, he subtly bumped Morgan's elbow with a small gesture that only his companions could notice, which was the warning signal they had agreed upon in advance.

Inside the intelligence station, the cold light spilled down, and the metal walls reflected a frigid sheen, filling the entire space with a oppressive atmosphere. The staff around were in a hurry, and conversations rose and fell, but it seemed as if they were all cut off by an invisible barrier, further emphasizing the isolation and helplessness of Kyle and the others in their current situation. Morgan understood immediately. His eyes rolled around, and suddenly he clutched his stomach, wearing a pained expression on his face and groaning, "Ouch, I can't take it anymore. My stomach hurts so much all of a sudden!" As he spoke, he crouched down halfway, tightly covering his stomach with one hand and casually grabbing the arm of the staff member with the other, as if seeking support. A trace of annoyance flashed across the staff member's face, but he didn't want to make a scene, so he could only say helplessly, "What's wrong with you? How about going to the infirmary first?" While continuing to pretend to be in pain, Morgan observed his companions out of the corner of his eye and mumbled indistinctly, "I might have eaten something bad. I'll be okay after a while. Please don't worry. Just give me some water first." As he spoke, he deliberately tugged hard on the staff member's arm, forcing the other person to stay where he was. At this moment, Morgan could hear his own violent heartbeat, as if it was about to burst out of his chest. Every second of delay was like a race against danger. He was afraid that the staff member would see through his disguise at any moment and cause more trouble.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Kyle quickly pulled everyone aside and said in a low voice, "Something's not right. This is likely a trap. We have to find a way to escape." Elsa frowned, gripping her ice staff tightly, and nodded solemnly. "Kyle, I think you're right. So what should we do now?" Cavin pushed his glasses, his eyes revealing calmness and wisdom. "We should first figure out the layout and defense situation of this intelligence station and find a weak point to break through." Alicia narrowed her eyes slightly, looked around, and said, "I know some of the Interstellar Federation's conventional defense mechanisms and might be able to help."

On Morgan's side, he was still stalling the staff member. While moaning and chatting with the staff member about all sorts of trivial topics, he said, "You know, this intelligence station is so big. How many people are needed to maintain it usually? I heard that the technology of the Interstellar Federation is really advanced. Is the security system of this intelligence station particularly powerful..." The staff member's patience was gradually wearing thin, and his smile became stiff. He kept urging Morgan, "Can you walk or not? If not, I'll call for help." But Morgan still pretended to be confused. "Almost, almost. Just give me a little more time. This stomachache is really killing me." Morgan felt that his palms were already full of sweat, and his back was soaked with cold sweat. He stole a glance at Kyle and the others and silently prayed that his companions could find a way as soon as possible. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up the act.

On Kyle's side, they quickly divided the tasks. With his proficiency in technology, Cavin found a hidden terminal nearby and began to try to hack into the security system of the intelligence station. His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, and his eyes were fixed on the code flashing on the screen. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The air around seemed to have solidified, and the sound of each keystroke was particularly loud in the silence. Cavin was worried that the slightest mistake would trigger the alarm and plunge them into a desperate situation. Elsa used her ice magic to create some subtle noises around to attract the attention of the people around and also prepared for the possible battle at the same time. The chill emanating from the ice magic intertwined with the oppressive heat inside the intelligence station, creating an eerie atmosphere. Alicia spread her wings and flew to a high place, observing the layout of the entire intelligence station and looking for potential exits and areas with weak defenses. She circled in the air, and the surging crowd and the guards rushing around below were all like dangerous factors that could explode at any moment, making her not dare to relax for a moment.

Kyle stood aside, keeping an eye on Morgan's situation while thinking about the escape plan. He tightly grasped his stardust long sword, and the sword body shimmered with a faint starlight, as if echoing the tension and determination in his heart. At this time, scenes of being chased by the agents of the Interstellar Federation before kept emerging in his mind. The sense of crisis at the brink of life and death made him even more cautious. He knew very well that if they couldn't escape successfully this time, not only would they be in danger themselves, but the hope of saving the Colorful Spirit Tree Star Domain would also become even slimmer.

After a while, Cavin looked up, and a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes. "I've found it! The guards change shifts every half an hour, and there will be a few minutes of vulnerability in the defense near the landing pad during the shift change. We can break through from there." Kyle nodded, his eyes determined. "Okay, we'll wait for this opportunity. After Morgan stalls for a while longer, we'll take action."

On Morgan's side, the staff member had become quite impatient and was about to break free from Morgan's grip and call for help. Seeing this, Morgan knew he couldn't delay any longer. He suddenly pulled the staff member hard. While the other person lost his balance, he sidestepped and tripped the staff member to the ground. The staff member fell to the ground with a cry of surprise. "What are you doing!" But Morgan pretended to be innocent. "Oops, I didn't mean to. I'm really out of strength because of this stomachache."

When Kyle saw that the time was right, he shouted, "Let's go!" Elsa immediately launched her ice magic, and ice walls rose up from the ground inside the intelligence station, blocking the way of some of the guards. Morgan stopped pretending to be in pain and fully activated his illusion ability. Countless illusory figures appeared in the hall, confusing the guards' vision. Kyle held his stardust long sword and took the lead, rushing towards the direction of the landing pad. Alicia circled in the air, closely watching the surrounding movements and providing early warnings for everyone. Cavin, while running, continued to pay attention to the security system to ensure that their actions would not trigger new alarms.

However, their actions still caught the attention of some guards. A sharp alarm sounded suddenly, and the entire intelligence station was instantly thrown into chaos. The red warning lights flashed continuously, adding to the oppressive atmosphere. Some guards quickly reacted and chased after them.

"Hurry up, speed up!" Kyle shouted. Everyone quickened their pace and rushed towards the landing pad in the chaos. Along the way, Elsa continuously used her ice magic to create obstacles to block the pursuers; Morgan's illusions confused the guards in front and cleared the way for everyone. Kyle brandished his stardust long sword, and the star power of the sword body shimmered with a dazzling light, repelling many guards who tried to stop them.

Just as they were about to reach the landing pad, a group of guards rushed out from the side and blocked their way. These guards were dressed in black uniforms, holding energy weapons, and their eyes revealed fierceness and vigilance.

"Stop! You're not going anywhere!" A guard captain-like person shouted. He pointed his weapon at Kyle, his eyes full of threat.

Kyle's eyes turned cold, and he gripped his stardust long sword tightly. The sword body shimmered with star power. He took a step forward and stared at the guard captain. "Get out of the way. Don't force us to fight!" Kyle's voice was firm and resolute, and his eyes revealed fearless courage. At this moment, he was no longer the teenager who could be dominated by fear but a warrior who dared to challenge a powerful enemy.

The two sides were at a standstill, and the atmosphere was highly charged. Suddenly, Elsa launched her ice magic, and an ice cone shot towards the guard captain. The guard captain quickly dodged to the side, and the ice cone flew past his body and hit the wall behind him, instantly freezing the wall into an ice sculpture.

Kyle took the opportunity to lead everyone in a charge. As the stardust long sword waved, light flashed, repelling some of the guards. Morgan's illusions continuously interfered with the guards' actions in the chaos, making their attacks miss the mark. With great difficulty, everyone broke through the guards' obstruction and finally reached the landing pad.

On the landing pad, the spaceship was quietly docked there, like a silent guardian. Kyle and the others quickly boarded the spaceship, and Kyle started the engine. The engine roared in a low voice, and the spaceship slowly lifted off. However, the defense system of the intelligence station had already been activated, and several energy beams shot towards the spaceship. The energy beams traced bright paths in the night sky, like shooting stars. Kyle maneuvered the spaceship to dodge the attacks flexibly, and Elsa assisted by using her ice magic to block some of the energy beams. The shield formed by the ice magic shimmered with a dark blue light around the spaceship, deflecting some of the energy beams.

"Hold on, we'll be out of here soon!" Kyle shouted. His voice echoed inside the spaceship, bringing confidence and strength to everyone. With everyone's efforts, the spaceship finally broke through the defense range of the intelligence station on Zel Star.