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Chapter 723 Another Tale Of Backstabbing (2)

"It can\'t be him," Astaroth replied. "His explosive aura would give him away."

While Astaroth\'s words held truth, Kro\'Han was the only one Ashton suspected who could have access to precursor technology like their ship. But if it wasn\'t him, then who else could it be?

For a fraction of a second, Ashton thought it could be his father. Despite Ashton having obliterated the remnants of Jo\'Han, a glimmer of hope persisted in his heart—a hope born from the inherent belief that his father, being a precursor, might have somehow endured the seemingly irreversible fate.

But he knew it was impossible. This meant the question remained... who was on that ship? Unluckily for the duo, the sight of the vessel made Rood cackle, which could mean one thing...

"The ship is here for that bastard!" Astaroth said before lunging towards the Xyran.

Before Astaroth could reach Rood, Ashton yanked him back. Surprised by the sudden intervention, Astaroth was about to inquire when a burst of energy surged through the planet\'s surface, hurtling toward their ship.

Regrettably, the trajectory of the energy burst intersected with the precise location where Rood and the Goliath stood. In an instant, they were obliterated, dissolving into nothingness like they had never existed.

Had Ashton not detected the impending attack and prevented Astaroth from advancing, he too would have met a similar fate, perishing alongside Rood.

"What the hell was that attack?" Astaroth exclaimed in confusion as the hole inside the planet gradually repaired itself.

"We can think about it once we\'re safe!" Ashton bellowed, charging toward their ship. "Move! Move! Move!"

However, right before they could reach the ship, it was obliterated by the Precursor\'s vessel. Debris from the obliterated ship scattered in all directions as Ashton and Astaroth ducked for cover behind the remnants of a fallen structure.

The ominous spacecraft hovered menacingly above, its dark silhouette casting an eerie shadow over the landscape.

Ashton gritted his teeth, eyes fixed on the vessel. "We need a plan. Any suggestions, Astaroth?"

"We can\'t take that ship head-on. It\'s too powerful," Astaroth scanned the area, assessing their limited options. "We need a distraction."

"Well... I\'m out of options," Ashton replied. "No... wait! There might be something I can do!"

Since Rood\'s trident was the one thing interfering with Ashton\'s connection with Precursor tech, he should be able to call for reinforcements now that it was gone.

At that moment, a swarm of robotic insects emerged from the ruins. On Ashton\'s command, the creatures charged toward the spacecraft, diverting its attention momentarily.

Like Ashton had expected, the ship responded with a barrage of smaller energy blasts, disintegrating some insects while the others kept heading towards the vessel.

"This might buy us some time," Ashton commented as they seized the opportunity to move away from the wreckage. "We need to find something like a control room. Something that will help us deal with that fucking ship!"

"Yeah... good luck finding anything in this ruin," Astaroth rolled his eyes, but even he knew it was their only bet at victory. "Fine, let\'s go! Those damned insects won\'t last forever!"

As Ashton and Astaroth raced through the desolate landscape, the swarm of robotic insects followed them, engaging the mysterious spacecraft as and when required.

The ship retaliated with a storm of energy blasts, disintegrating some insects, but more appeared through the cracks on the surface. Still, Ashton knew the insects wouldn\'t last forever, and they needed to move quicker.

As they weaved through the remnants of buildings, they spotted a structure that seemed promising. They sprinted toward it without hesitation, hoping it would provide the solution they desperately needed.

Just as they reached the entrance of the building, the last of the robotic insects succumbed to the ship\'s assault. The duo, however, managed to dive inside the structure, seeking refuge from the impending danger. The door closed behind them, momentarily shielding them from the hostile onslaught.

"That fucking thing destroyed Goliath and our ship; you think these buildings will protect us?" Astaroth yelled at Ashton, who promptly smacked him.

"Concentrate, you dimwit! Panicking ain\'t gonna help you out of this mess!"

"I... wasn\'t panicking, was I?" Astaroth mumbled as if he couldn\'t remember what happened a couple of moments ago.

"...Let\'s look for anything useful."

Ashton sighed, frustration evident in his eyes. He sensed something was off with Astaroth since they got to the Xyran homeworld. Ashton had been meaning to talk with Astaroth about his observations, but for now, they had a deadly threat to deal with.

"This place is ancient, Ashton. Are you sure we can find something to deal with that ship?" Astaroth questioned, genuine concern etched on his face.

"We don\'t have a choice, do we?" Ashton said as his fingers danced over the dusty control panels, and after a moment, a holographic display flickered to life.

Thankfully, they didn\'t have to look for anything. The dimly lit room revealed countless consoles and flickering but working holographic displays with foreign symbols.

Yet Ashton understood the meaning of the symbols and knew they were in the right place.

"The ship must have shields protecting it," Ashton commented, his fingers dancing across the interface. "We need to get rid of those first."

"Once the shields are down, we can target its propulsion systems," Astaroth leaned in, studying the controls. "That should bring it down."

"But for that, we need massive weapons," Ashton declared, spotting a bank of consoles. "If we can access the planetary defences, we might stand a chance."

"Here!" Astaroth yelled, pointing at a holographic interface. "I got weapons here!"

"Good work!"

Outside, the desolate landscape rumbled as the surface responded to Ashton\'s command. Old, rusty cannons, remnants of a bygone era, emerged from the ground with a reluctant groan. The once-potent weapons struggled to break free from the shackles of time and decay.

Only some cannons managed to pierce through the layers of dirt and debris accumulated over centuries. Their metal frames, tarnished by time, gleamed dully in the pale light filtering through the dusty atmosphere.

The rest remained trapped, entangled in the wreckage or rendered useless by rust and corrosion.

"Looks like time hasn\'t been kind to these relics," Astaroth remarked. "But these should be enough to take down one ship."

With a thunderous roar, the cannons released a volley of energy blasts. Some of the shots hit their mark, causing visible damage to the targeted spacecraft. However, the incomplete deployment of the cannons hindered the overall effectiveness of the attack.

But Ashton didn\'t give up and kept up with the barrage. The duo worked swiftly, their fingers dancing over the alien interface. They managed to locate the ship\'s vulnerabilities, exploiting weaknesses in its defensive systems. However, their moment of victory was short-lived.