Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 300 Challenge?
“The conversion has begun,” Rowan said, a hint of excitement in his voice. “Now we need to channel the converted energy into the protective shield system.”

He entered the final set of commands on the console, connecting the converter to the spacecraft's main protection system. A few seconds later, good news came through the spacecraft's broadcast system:

"The protective shield's energy is increasing; current energy level: 56% 62% 70%"

The three looked at each other, and victorious smiles appeared on their faces.

"We did it!" Thor excitedly pumped his fist. "We did it!"

“Don’t get too excited,” Hong cautioned. “We need to maintain this state until the spaceship passes through the edge of the chaotic galaxy.”

Rowan continued monitoring the converter's operation: "Everything is normal so far, with energy conversion efficiency stable at around 85%. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to safely traverse the chaotic star system."

However, just as they breathed a sigh of relief, the equipment bay door was suddenly flung open. Ying stood in the doorway, his face terribly grim, followed by two fully armed security personnel.

"I knew it was you!" Shadow roared, pointing the energy gun at Rowan. "Activating unauthorized equipment without permission—do you know the consequences?"

Thor immediately stepped in front of Rowan: "Shadow, are you crazy? We just saved the entire ship! Didn't you see the shield's energy has been restored?"

Ying remained unmoved: "This is not something you should decide on your own. This converter is still in the experimental stage and has not undergone sufficient testing. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable."

“If we don’t do this,” Rowan retorted, “the ship’s shields will collapse within ten minutes, and we’ll all be torn apart by the spatial turbulence of this chaotic system. We’re saving lives, not risking them!”

Shadow sneered, "Help? Or to get closer to that stone box? Don't think I don't know your purpose, Rowan. From the moment you appeared in the cargo hold, I knew you had ulterior motives."

Hong frowned. "Captain Ying, you seem overly concerned with that stone box. Logically, we're only responsible for escorting it; we don't need to know the specific contents. Unless..."

“Unless what?” Shadow asked warily.

“Unless you know what’s in that stone box, and you’re extremely concerned about its safety,” Hong looked into Ying’s eyes, “even more so than the safety of the ship and its crew.”

Shadow's eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure: "Nonsense. My responsibility is to ensure the successful completion of the mission, including protecting the cargo and maintaining the spaceship's safety. Your unauthorized actions constitute a serious violation and must be punished."

At this tense moment, the spaceship's public address system sounded again:

"Attention, the intensity of spatial turbulence has weakened. The spacecraft has successfully passed through the edge of the chaotic star system, and the shield's energy has stabilized at 85%. Thank you for your cooperation. The emergency has been lifted."

Thor looked at Shadow triumphantly: "Did you hear that? We succeeded. If we hadn't activated this converter, we'd all probably be space junk by now."

Shadow seemed to hesitate briefly before finally lowering the energy gun: "Regardless, your actions still violated regulations. I'll let it go this time, but I'll document this incident in my report. Also," he stared intently at Rowan, "don't go near that cargo hold again, or you'll face the consequences."

After saying that, Ying left the equipment bay with his security personnel. Once the door closed, the three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong with that guy?" Thor said, annoyed. "We saved everyone, and he didn't even offer a single word of thanks."

Hong said thoughtfully, "Ying's behavior is indeed very suspicious. His attitude towards that stone box far exceeds the level of attention required for a normal mission. I suspect he might know some unspeakable secret hidden inside."

Rowan nodded. "Besides, he seems to be targeting me specifically, as if I'm a thorn in his side. But strangely, I do feel some connection to that stone box, even though I have absolutely no recollection of ever seeing anything like it before."

“Anyway,” Thor patted Rowan on the shoulder, “the crisis is over now, we should all go back to our posts and rest. This turbulence has taken a toll on our energy.”

Hong agreed, "Yes, and we must remain vigilant. Although Ying has let us off the hook for now, he certainly won't give up. We'd better take turns resting and keep at least one person on alert."

After reaching an agreement, the three decided to return to the living quarters first. The spaceship was sailing smoothly, and the crew was checking all the systems to ensure everything was functioning properly. As they passed the main control room, they could see through the transparent bulkhead that Ying was talking to several crew members, his expression serious.

“Looks like he’s still angry about what happened earlier,” Thor muttered. “What an ungrateful bastard.”

After returning to their rest pods, the three decided to take turns resting. Hong volunteered to be on duty first, while Thor and Rowan went to rest and recover their strength.

Back in his sleep pod, Rowan lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. Everything that had just happened kept replaying in his mind: the mysterious stone box, Shadow's unusual reaction, and the voice echoing in his head. It was all too strange, as if an invisible net was weaving around him, and he couldn't see the whole picture.

Just as Rowan was about to fall into deep thought, the spaceship suddenly shook violently, followed by a deafening roar, as if something had struck it. The alarm sounded again:

"Warning: Ship under attack, suspected encounter with space pirates. All combat personnel, immediately take position and prepare for possible boarding intrusion."

Rowan immediately jumped out of bed, quickly put on his combat suit, grabbed his energy weapon, and rushed out of the rest pod. In the corridor, he encountered Thor, who was also fully armed.

“Pirates?” Rowan asked in surprise. “How could there be pirate activity in this area?”

Thor's expression turned grave: "The area around the Chaotic Galaxy has always been a haven for pirates. They like to use turbulence as cover to ambush merchant ships that have just passed through. We were too focused on dealing with the spatial turbulence before, and may have neglected to scan the surrounding area."

The two quickly ran towards the command center, encountering Hong along the way.

"How's the situation?" Rowan asked.

Hong's expression was serious: "This isn't good. According to the initial scan, three pirate ships are approaching us. They are all light attack vessels, extremely maneuverable, and appear to be well-equipped with weaponry."

The three quickly arrived at the command center. Several crew members and security personnel had already gathered there, and Ying was standing in front of the central command platform, issuing various orders.

"Shield operating at full power, energy weapons ready," Shadow calmly commanded. "Communications team, attempt to contact nearby patrol ships and request support."

He noticed Rowan and his companions' arrival, but merely glanced at them coldly before continuing to direct the defenses. The main screen displayed the external situation: three black attack ships were approaching their vessel from different angles. These attack ships had menacing appearances and were equipped with various weapon systems, clearly modified combat-type ships.

“They sent a message on the communications channel,” a communications officer reported.

Ying nodded: "Connected."

The main screen switched to the communications screen, where a burly man with a scarred face appeared. He had a thick beard and fierce eyes, and wore a hat decorated with a skull symbol.

"Hey, look what we've got," the pirate captain grinned, revealing a few gold teeth. "A beautiful transport ship. What do you want to say? Hand over all your valuables and equipment, and I might consider letting you leave alive."

Shadow replied expressionlessly, "This is a legally registered transport ship of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, protected by imperial law. Unauthorized attack will have serious consequences."

The pirate captain burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Law? In this star system, I am the law! You have one minute to consider. In one minute, I will begin boarding. Believe me, you don't want to experience that."

After communications were cut off, the command center fell into a brief silence.

Thor stepped forward: "Shadow, let the three of us go out and deal with them. We are strong enough to repel these pirates."

Shadow shook his head: "No need. The ship has enough defense systems and armed personnel. Besides, I'm not sure of your loyalty, especially after what just happened."

Rowan felt a surge of anger: "You still doubt us? Under these circumstances?"

Shadow replied coldly, “It’s never wrong to be cautious. The three of you stay here and assist the crew with internal defenses. I will handle external threats.”

After speaking, Shadow walked towards the weapons storage room and began equipping himself. He put on a set of black combat armor, which was far more advanced than ordinary protective suits and looked like high-level equipment typically issued to military special forces. He took a large energy rifle and several small explosive devices from the weapon rack with the practiced skill of a seasoned soldier.

Thor whispered to Rowan, "It seems this captain isn't just an ordinary镖师 (bodyguard/escort). That equipment is worth at least several million cosmic coins; it's not something just anyone can get their hands on."

Hong nodded: "Moreover, his movements were very professional, like he had received specialized military training. This escort mission is probably not that simple."

Just as Rowan was about to respond, the alarm sounded again.

"Warning: Multiple intrusion points detected. Pirates have begun boarding!"

The main screen switched to the external camera feed, showing several small landing craft approaching different areas of the spacecraft. These landing craft were covered in cutting tools, clearly designed to forcibly breach the spacecraft's hull.

"All defense personnel in position," Shadow ordered via communicator, "Prepare for a multi-point intrusion."

He turned to Rowan and the other two: "You three stay in command center and assist in defending this place. The rest of you, come with me."

Shadow led several armed men away from the command center and headed towards the planned invasion point.

Rowan, Thor, and Hong exchanged glances, each seeing dissatisfaction and doubt in the other's eyes.

"What's going on here?" Thor complained in a low voice. "The three of us are professionally trained bodyguards, yet we've been assigned to be babysitters here?"

Hong calmly analyzed, "Shadow might not just distrust us; he might also have his own agenda. I noticed he deliberately avoided the defensive arrangements in the cargo hold area, which happens to be where that mysterious stone box is located."

Rowan seemed thoughtful: "You mean, he might be more concerned with protecting that stone box than with the safety of the spaceship and the crew?"

Hong nodded: "Very likely. Considering his previous reaction to the stone box, I suspect it contains something extremely important, perhaps priceless, or perhaps extremely dangerous."

Thor gritted his teeth: "So we're just going to sit here and wait? Let that megalomaniac deal with the pirates alone?"

“No,” Rowan decided, “we’ll stay in command center as he instructed, but monitor the situation closely. We’ll intervene if things get out of control. After all, ensuring everyone’s safety is the most important thing.”

The three agreed to the plan and began monitoring the battle situation through the command center's surveillance system. Intense fighting had begun to erupt from various parts of the spaceship; the pirates had successfully boarded at multiple points and were engaging in fierce firefights with the defense personnel.

The main screen was divided into several small windows, displaying real-time images of various areas of the spaceship. Rowan noticed that Ying had gone alone to the most dangerous point of attack—the main cargo hold area. Five or six pirates had already stormed in and were exchanging fire with the defense personnel.

"Has he gone mad?" Thor exclaimed in surprise. "Charging towards so many pirates all by himself?"

However, what happened next left all three of them speechless.

Once inside the cargo hold, Shadow immediately displayed astonishing combat skills. His movements were so fast they were almost imperceptible, his body leaving trails of black afterimages in the air. Before the first pirate could even turn around, Shadow struck him in the head with a single shot, and he collapsed to the ground. The second and third pirates opened fire on him simultaneously, but Shadow dodged with incredible speed, simultaneously counterattacking and striking both of them precisely in vital areas.

"This is..." Rowan said in shock, "This is definitely not the fighting level of an ordinary bodyguard."

Hong nodded, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "His strength has at least reached the genius level, perhaps even the cosmic level. This kind of speed and precision is something only top-tier competitors can achieve, even in the Virtual Universe Company's challenge."

Thor's eyes widened: "A challenge? You mean, he might be one of the participants?"

“Very likely,” Hong pondered, “and judging from his fighting style, his training is very systematic, like he was trained by a professional army or special organization.”

On the screen, Ying had already dealt with five pirates and was now facing off against the last one. That pirate was clearly stronger than the others, wearing some kind of enhanced combat suit, wielding dual energy blades, and moving with swift and fierce power.

Even against such an opponent, Shadow maintained absolute calm and control. He lowered his energy rifle, drew a short blade from his waist, and engaged the pirate in close combat. Their movements were lightning-fast; the clash of swords and the sound of metal clashing echoed continuously through the cargo hold.

(End of this chapter)