Chapter 818
The coordinates of their target remained the same, on display within everyone’s personal radars. It had not exhibited any change until now.
When they were besieged earlier, they had lost a high number of vehicles. However, some of them did keep a number of vehicles into their storage gears. And now, they brought the vehicles out once more as they embarked towards Rosemont Preserve.
There were still a high number of mutants around the place, but they had lost their unified structure of command, reduced to monsters without intellect. All they knew of was to follow their instincts to kill. Anything close to them would become a target. And so, most of the mutants fought to kill one another. Only a handful of them who were close to the group would charge at them, roaring as they did before they were easily killed off.
The road was littered with corpses and debris, but thanks to their enhanced reaction rate, which improved their ability to drive and control the vehicles, their convoy of vehicles was still able to advance at the fastest speed. In less than half an hour’s time, they had entered the valley inside Rosemont Preserve.
Upon reaching the place, they found no other roads. With the exception of powerful tracked vehicles such as the Thunderstorm Tanks, the other vehicles could no longer be used to move forward.
“Everyone, abandon the vehicles and move on foot! Thunderstorm Tanks, open the path!” Lun Tai jumped down from a vehicle. After giving their surroundings a glance, he began assigning tasks to the others.
“Tian Lie, follow me. We’ll be in the front. Moonlight Lizards, your team will be with us. Roddy, you stay in the middle of our group. Protect Bei Tai and be ready to use the Gundam at any moment…”
Almost every team had suffered from casualties in the previous battle. Of the hundred plus men that they originally had, only less than fifty remained. That said, most of them were the most senior members of their respective teams.
The fact that he could bring this many cannon fodders into the final battle was something that exceeded Lun Tai’s expectations.
Next, they’ll be able to see how strong Aderick was.
“Qimu Xi, how are things on your end?”
As they moved forward, Lun Tai lowered his head and asked through the guild channel.
The corpses of mutants littered their path forward. Additionally, their number only increased the farther Lun Tai’s group advanced. Occasionally, some foolish mutants would jump out to attack them only to be immediately riddled with holes from their concentrated firepower.
“Not… too good…” Qimu Xi hesitated for a moment before answering, “Not many mutants came to attack our fortress, but Xiaolei’s face is becoming increasingly… ugly.”
“Give him sugar! Do I need to teach you that?” Lun Tai frowned. “The Bug Armour’s regenerative power requires a great deal of energy. It’s not as though you do not know that.”
“There’s… no more.” Qimu Xi gritted her teeth. “It’s not just those he brought. Even my rations have all been given to him. But it’s still not enough! His current rate of consumption is too great! I fear…”
As Qimu Xi spoke, she looked down to look at Xia Xiaolei, who was right beside her.
This time, it was not just the tendrils connecting him with the mutant. Even his body, a large portion of his body was showing signs of withering necrosis.
It would appear that this mental battle at the genetic level had a higher rate of energy consumption.
Before this, Xia Xiaolei had already brought out all the rations in his storage gear and piled them up beside him. At present, however, all of them had been consumed.
As for Xia Xiaolei himself, he had entered a semi-comatose state. No matter what they said to him, he would not respond.
“Damn it… you hold on! We’re almost there. As long as we kill off that Aderick, Xiaolei will be fine.” Lun Tai clenched his fists. “Unless there’s anything unexpected, Aderick himself should be in the same state as Xiaolei, incapable of moving. Killing him should not be hard. As long as… he does not have any teammates beside him.”
“Need to… hurry.”
Qimu Xi nodded, her hand slowly gripping the hilt of the short sword hanging from her waist.
Xia Xiaolei’s rate of breathing was becoming increasingly ragged.
Should this continue, he would really die.
Qimu Xi gripped the hilt tightly and blue veins emerged from the back of her fair hand.
Should that final, critical moment arrive, she must cut off the tendrils connecting Xia Xiaolei and the mutant.
Although Xia Xiaolei had entered the genetic neural network of the alien species, the foundation for that was this captured mutant. The tendrils coming out from his body were the pathways he used for this connection.
By severing them, Xia Xiaolei would be forcibly disconnected from the neural network of the mutants.
Another way of describing this would be…
Unplugging him from the internet.
If there were any other options left, Qimu Xi would never do this. At the very least… she could not simply do nothing as Xia Xiaolei died before her very eyes.
…
“In the end, you guys made it after all.”
Finally, after they made their way through a valley, Lun Tai heard a man’s voice.
He was a lean and tall man in a blood-red protective suit. There was a short blade on either side of his waist.
The dual blades were not unsheathed and his hands were not pressing on their hilts either. Instead, his hands hung down freely.
On the ground behind him was a seated man, whose body was covered by a black cloak. This man’s head was lowered and they could not clearly see his face.
Even so, it was clear that this was Aderick.
Instantly, Lun Tai grew overjoyed.
Great!
As expected, fighting against Xia Xiaolei for control over the mutants was also not an easy thing for Aderick.
He had likewise lost the ability to move.
Though, it would appear that he was in a much better condition than Xia Xiaolei. He had not fallen into a dangerous state of physical exhaustion. Still, before he regained control, he would have no ability to defend himself.
There were mutant corpses lying all around them. Most of them sported claw marks and bite marks, indicating they died killing one another. However, the mutant corpses that were near the two men were all in pieces.
They were either frozen or burned.
It would appear that, after control over the mutants was lost, the mutants would attack indiscriminately, even their original master.
Beside Aderick, there was only this tall, lean man. It was no wonder they had not encountered any attacks until now. This man had to stay beside Aderick to ensure his safety.
“Bei Tai…”
“Wait!”
Lun Tai was about to give an order through the guild channel when Nicole suddenly interrupted him.
“You are… Theodore?”
Nicole pushed a Player who was standing in front of her and walked forward. Although there was an impassive look on her face, her voice carried hints of excitement. “You guys really are still alive!”
Theodore was taken aback.
This woman before him was wearing the Floating Mech Armour.
She is… Floating Angel?
The day Zero City was destroyed, the ones who escaped in the end were mostly non-combatants. As for the Angel Corps, they fought to the very end. Not a single one survived.
How did a Floating Angel appear in this instance dungeon?
“Nicole, we don’t have much time.” Lun Tai frowned. “I believe you said it before, there wouldn’t be any convolutions because of your Zero City background.”
“Lun Tai, I know we don’t have much time, but please give me one minute.”
Nicole turned her head to give Lun Tai a glance. Without waiting for an answer, she hastily moved forward to speak to Theodore, “You don’t recognize me. I’m just an ordinary member of the Angel Corps. However, I recognize you and… the bigshot behind you.”
Theodore gave Nicole a cold look and his hand pressed down on the hilts of his blades. “So, are you here to make friends?”
“Even back when Zero City was still around, the Angel Corps would always maintain absolute neutrality, let alone now,” Nicole said coolly.
“I know you will not tell me where you guys are hiding. I just want to know, who else from the Angel Corps made it? This has nothing to do with me having to kill you later.”
Suddenly, Theodore smiled. “Interesting. Back then, you were not in Zero City. Were you out on a mission?”
He had begun to believe that this woman was indeed a member of the Angel Corps.
“You don’t need to worry so much about that. Just answer my question. Of course, I will not be surprised if you refuse to answer.” Nicole shook her head.
“How regretful.” Theodore shrugged. “You are the first Angel I encountered since the escape from Zero City. Angel Wu and everyone else under him… have died.”
“Even Angel Wu…”
Nicole’s eyes turned dim.
Although she had long since expected this answer, hearing it with her own ears had still caused her heart to palpitate.
Silence.
“Fine, I understand.” Nicole signed. Turning, she walked back.
“Wait!”
Theodore suddenly called out to Nicole.
Promptly, Nicole jerked her head back.
“Do you want to know where the others are?” Theodore looked at Nicole.
“Will you tell me?”
Nicole frowned.
“It looks like, between our two parties, only one will survive, no?” Theodore looked at the group of people behind Nicole. “You have many people on your side while there’s only me here. The winner might not necessarily be me. So, if I die…”
He revealed a wry smile. “Come. I’ll tell you where the other survivors from Zero City are at right now.”
The Players and Awakened ones behind Nicole fell into an uproar.
Only then did they understand that the two men before them, the BOSS of this instance dungeon, were actually the remnants of Zero City.
If they can find their current location, it would mean discovering…
Wealth and power!
An emaciated and dying camel was still bigger than a horse. Moreover, when compared to the other guilds, the resident guilds of Zero City were practically like an elephant, maybe even a dinosaur.
For any of them, be they Players of Awakened ones, finding the whereabouts of the remnants of Zero City meant the chance to snatch the limitless wealth that Zero City had accumulated over the years.
“Are you really going to tell me?”
Nicole blinked, looking at Theodore.
“Yes, but I can only tell you.” Theodore nodded. “Come to my side. I’ll whisper to your ear.”
Nicole hesitated.
“Come.”
Theodore gave Nicole a sincere look. “I am willing to believe you. The Angel Corps has always been and will continue to be, Zero City’s impartial guardian. If we die, I hope you can find the others, lead them and protect them. As a member of the Angel Corps, this is your responsibility.”
Nicole took a deep breath. Finally, she walked towards Theodore.
“You believe her?”
A sneering voice rang out, piercing Theodore’s eardrums.
Tian Lie strode forward. His hand reached out to grab Nicole’s shoulder and he flung her backwards.
“But I don’t believe you! Even though this little girl is not that strong, it’s always a good thing to sneak in a kill before the battle begins. Only… it’s not actually a particularly clever trick. If it weren’t for the fact that you happened to bump into this stupid girl, would anyone else f**king believe you?”
Tian Lie revealed a savage grin as he cracked his fists. “Take a good look at my esteemed face and then say loudly, do you still believe her?!”
“Angel… Killer?”
The look of sincerity that was on Theodore’s face earlier was completely swept away as he stared at Tian Lie’s face.
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