Antimatter Legion?
Neither Sam Li, Nicole, Billy, nor Hu Tao had ever heard this name before. Before the group could even react, a series of footsteps suddenly echoed through the passage ahead, making Sam Li's brow tighten at once. Such a familiar aura. He felt he had encountered it somewhere before.
Immediately after, Himeko swiftly drew her weapon.
"Everyone, be cautious. This resource supply space station has already been taken over by the Antimatter Legion… Prepare for battle."
No sooner had she spoken than Trailblazer beside her—Dan Heng and March 7th—drew their weapons as well, ready for combat. Though Nicole, Billy, and the others did not understand the situation, seeing how serious Himeko and the others were, they quickly armed themselves too.
Only Sam Li remained still, frowning, staring straight ahead.
The next moment, a humanoid monster with an eerie posture, wrapped in strange energy, appeared at the end of the corridor. The instant Sam Li saw it, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Abyss monster?"
No… not an Abyss monster. The Antimatter Legion creature before them was different from the Abyssal beings Sam Li had encountered before—at least in appearance. However, the strange energy surrounding it was incredibly similar to the destructive force that filled the Abyss… the same type of energy.
Which meant… the Abyss must be connected to the Antimatter Legion.
Five hundred years ago, when Abyssal monsters invaded Teyvat on a massive scale, Sam Li had already witnessed their terrifying power. So now, he held nothing back.
The moment the Antimatter Legion creature appeared, Sam Li raised his hand, summoning a Geo spear that instantly pierced through it, pinning the creature firmly against the space station wall.
Seeing this, Himeko immediately said:
"We need to go inside and check if there are any survivors."
Trailblazer nodded. "Follow me—"
The group quickly entered the interior of the space station in search of survivors. However, shortly after entering, they were confronted again by several Antimatter Legion monsters.
Himeko, March 7th, the Trailblazer, Nicole, Billy, Hu Tao, and the others immediately entered combat mode. Working together, they swiftly eliminated the monsters.
They then searched nearly every corner of the station. After clearing out all the Antimatter Legion creatures, they found no survivors at all. It seemed the entire staff had perished.
March 7th clenched her fists in anger.
"The Antimatter Legion is truly despicable. Their shadow is everywhere…"
Himeko took a deep breath.
"Let's see if we can find detailed information on the nearby star systems…"
Himeko and the Trailblazer worked to activate the station's core system. Fortunately, the power grid hadn't been completely destroyed, and once the core system came online, a vast amount of data appeared.
This included surveillance footage of the Antimatter Legion's invasion… and detailed information on the surrounding star systems…
Seeing this, March 7th frowned deeply.
"Logically, this shouldn't be on the Antimatter Legion's invasion route. There shouldn't be this many of their monsters here…"
Hearing this, Himeko replied seriously:
"No. Our previous observational data may have been wrong. This entire region has likely been a target of the Antimatter Legion all along."
They still didn't know why, but based on the current situation, it was the only explanation.
After retrieving the star system information, the group left the space station and returned to the Astral Express to resume their journey.
As they reviewed the detailed regional map, March 7th spoke earnestly:
"The data shows strong Antimatter Legion activity nearby. Several planets have already been destroyed… Should we take a detour?"
If they detoured, who knew how far they would have to go.
Himeko responded with equal seriousness:
"No need. As long as we maintain sufficient speed, we can cross this region safely."
What worried her wasn't the Antimatter Legion before them… but whether the Star of Wishes might also be surrounded by a massive legion force. If her suspicions were true, they would be in serious danger.
Just as the group hesitated, Sam Li spoke:
"No need to worry. Keep moving forward. I will ensure the train's safety."
Himeko and the others naturally trusted Sam Li's strength.
"Alright. Depart immediately—"
With Pom-Pom reactivating the Express's propulsion system, the train shot forward like a streak of light through the starry expanse.
To cross the region safely, Pom-Pom pushed the train to its maximum speed. Himeko remained stationed at the observation instruments, monitoring the surrounding star fields without pause.
Soon, numerous readings appeared. Studying the data, Himeko's expression darkened.
"The Antimatter Legion's numbers are beyond imagination. There's even a reading matching the energy signature of an Annihilation…"
Clearly, the situation in this star region had surpassed their ability to handle. Even setting aside the vast number of legion units, a single Annihilation alone was far beyond their capabilities.
Seeing this, March 7th urged again:
"Pam, accelerate! Accelerate! Accelerate further—don't let the Antimatter Legion lock onto us!"
Pom-Pom replied firmly:
"We're already at maximum speed."
Fortunately, Pom-Pom was an excellent conductor. Combining Himeko's data, she selected the optimal route and successfully avoided a legion lock-on.
However…
After traveling an entire day and night, they still hadn't escaped the region infested with the Antimatter Legion. Worse, Himeko detected even stronger legion energy signatures ahead.
March 7th suggested again:
"This time, we should go around."
But Himeko shook her head.
"We can't anymore. Moving forward is our destination—the Wishing Star…"
Nicole froze.
"What do you mean? Don't tell me… there's also a massive Antimatter Legion force near the Wishing Star?"
Himeko nodded.
"Based on the readings, that appears to be the case."
Hearing their discussion, Sam Li seemed struck by a sudden thought. He murmured to himself:
"Antimatter Legion… Abyss… Cosmic Starfield… Abyssal monsters…"
In that moment, he felt he had grasped something—yet he wasn't certain.
Nicole asked, confused:
"Sam Li, what's wrong?"
Sam Li took a steady breath.
"I'm fine. Let's keep going. We need to reach the Wishing Star as soon as possible."
Once they arrived near the Wishing Star, he would be able to confirm his suspicions.
...