Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The situation Wang Chen faced became even more disadvantageous for him.

Earlier, though the situation was critical, several pirates were scattered apart, giving him opportunities to take them down one by one.

Now, however, groups of enemies were closing in from both sides of the corridor, effectively trapping Wang Chen within the first-class cabin section.

Yet, faced with this dire situation, Wang Chen's fighting spirit only grew stronger.

He clenched his fist and slammed it heavily against the chest of his combat armor. A ring of light radiated instantly, accompanied by the humming sound of power machinery, which surged to maximum output within moments.

Though combat armor was far inferior to mecha, it had its own exoskeleton power pack, drastically boosting mobility.

However, the power pack had limited endurance, so under normal circumstances, it operated at low power to avoid excessive consumption that might turn the combat armor into a burden.

That punch from Wang Chen was intended to activate the armor's strongest state.

The next moment, his right foot stomped hard on the ground, and his entire body shot forward like a cannonball, charging toward the right side with unstoppable force.

A whirlwind swept through the corridor instantly, leaving a trail of clear footprints on the alloy floor.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Chen collided head-on with a group of pirates rushing toward him!

"You..."

The pirate at the front froze for a moment, failing to fire immediately.

He had mistaken Wang Chen for one of his own comrades.

But in that fleeting instant of hesitation, the pirate was hit head-on by Wang Chen. Like a kite with a broken string, he was sent flying backward, slamming into the pirates behind him.

A smooth cut appeared on his neck armor, and crimson blood gushed out from within.

The pirate squad instantly fell into chaos.

Wang Chen, who had disrupted their ranks, was like a tiger among wolves, using his razor-sharp claws and fangs to tear their bodies apart mercilessly.

Each time a fierce Sword Light flashed, a pirate fell.

The sturdy combat armor on their bodies seemed as fragile as paper.

Moreover, Wang Chen used his shoulders, legs, and fists to strike the surrounding enemies. With the protection of his combat armor, every part of his body became a deadly weapon.

In just over ten seconds, the blood of seven pirates stained the corridor, and their bodies—still clad in armor—nearly blocked the passage.

At that moment, beams of high-energy particle shots came firing toward him.

Another group of pirates charged in from the left side of the corridor!

But Wang Chen was already prepared and hadn't overlooked the presence of this enemy group. Sensing the danger, he immediately rolled forward to dodge, using the corpses of the fallen as cover.

Although his combat armor could significantly reduce the damage from high-energy assault rifles, it wouldn't hold up for long under concentrated fire.

Wang Chen rolled to the other side of the corridor, his left shoulder armor bearing a fresh scorch mark.

The combat armor system displayed a defense coefficient drop of 0.5%!

Wang Chen discarded the longsword in his hand.

The military-grade sword had served its purpose. Although the blade still appeared intact, it was riddled with cracks and chips, unable to withstand further infusion of Spiritual Energy.

He drew a new sword.

The freshly deployed combat armor included a different military-grade longsword, which seemed in better condition than the one he had discarded. It might hold up a bit longer.

Meanwhile, another group of pirates stopped in the corridor.

While most space pirates were desperate outlaws, that didn't mean they were all fearless in the face of death. Witnessing the corpses of their comrades strewn across the floor filled them with dread.

One of the pirates raised his hand and heavily tapped the shoulder of his armor. The next moment, the armor opened, and a Ghost Drone shot out, swiftly streaking through the corridor.

At the corner of the corridor, Wang Chen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Without hesitation, he leapt back and swung his sword at a cabin door, forcefully breaking the lock with a slash.

Bam!

Wang Chen burst through the door and dashed into the cabin.

Just as he entered, the Ghost Drone that had just reached the hallway corner exploded!

Boom!

The violent shockwave flung bodies off the ground and dented the thick, sturdy corridor walls, sending shards of armor-piercing debris flying in all directions.

The blast covered a range of dozens of meters!

If Wang Chen had reacted just one second slower, he would've taken the full brunt of the explosion.

Narrowly escaping, Wang Chen charged out of the cabin and sprinted forward desperately!

He had no choice. The earlier combat had been close quarters, where he could leverage his fighting skills and Spiritual Energy to destroy his enemies.

But once distance was created, the enemies could use long-range weaponry to completely suppress him.

Fortunately, the cruise ship's interior was a complex maze of rooms and corridors, providing ample cover for Wang Chen.

If he were in an open area, he'd have been gunned down on the spot!

Relying on his memory, Wang Chen rushed up to the next level of the ship.

He ducked into a nearby emergency stairwell and quickly peeled off his battle-damaged combat armor.

Wang Chen feared the armor had a tracking system. Moreover, he couldn't bypass the pirates' enemy identification protocols, making him a conspicuous target.

Continuing to wear it would only increase the danger!

But Wang Chen kept his military-grade sword in hand as he glanced around. Ensuring there were no surveillance devices in the area, he pressed himself against a smooth wall, hiding in the corner atop the stairwell.

Within seconds, the emergency door was forcefully kicked open, and a fully armed pirate barged in.

Spotting the scattered armor pieces on the ground, the pirate cursed sharply, then headed down the stairs to pursue Wang Chen.

The pirates following him split into two groups—one going down and the other heading up—completely unaware that Wang Chen was concealed above them.

Once they vanished, Wang Chen leapt down lightly.

For now, he was safe.

But only temporarily, as the cruise ship was riddled with surveillance systems. Entering any monitored area would expose his every move to the enemy.

With a capable commander leading the pirates, Wang Chen would eventually be cornered and trapped.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was simply too great!

Staying here wasn't safe either. The pirates who had just left might return to search the area at any moment. Repeating the hiding trick was unreliable; he couldn't gamble his life on luck.

Wang Chen's gaze shifted toward a ventilation duct high on the right-hand wall.

Without hesitation, he leapt up and slashed his sword at the metal grille, cutting it open before crawling inside.

The ventilation duct was just large enough for Wang Chen to crawl through. Its interior was smooth and interconnected like a labyrinth.

Each turn was guarded by grilles.

But these obstacles were no challenge for Wang Chen, wielding his longsword. He slid through the ducts, quickly finding a suitable exit.

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Part one delivered.