Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Sir, I’m Afraid You’ll Beat Me to Death
Xisuo and Simon packed their gear, said goodbye to Hawkins and Deng Yu, and the two brothers hopped on their custom motorcycles, quickly leaving the battlefield.
The two felt a heaviness in their hearts. Although they had received an exoskeleton and an identity card from Hawkins, their most pressing physical problem remained unsolved.
They had experienced this many times before, so they had become somewhat stoic about it, even to the point of giving up.
However, this time was better than usual. After all, they had acquired quite a few good things, which helped soothe their wounded spirits.
They wound their way through several roads, big and small, circling the area a few times to make sure no one was following them before finally relaxing.
Carefully avoiding potential dangers, they headed for the rendezvous point they had arranged with Bena.
When they arrived at the designated spot, they found Bena already waiting there.
Bena let out a sigh of relief when he saw the two were safe and sound. He walked up to greet them.
"You’re finally back. Did everything go smoothly?"
Xisuo nodded.
"Neither of us was injured, and the people from the academy didn’t give us a hard time."
Bena said:
"That’s good."
Simon continued:
"Although our problem wasn’t completely solved, Mr. Hawkins gave us some compensation."
"Including two portable exoskeletons and one F-rank identity card."
"That’s already a huge help for us."
Hearing this, a flash of envy crossed Bena’s eyes.
"An exoskeleton? That’s great stuff. With that, your movements in the wasteland will be much safer."
Bena had barely finished speaking when a silver briefcase was thrust in front of him.
Bena stared at the silver briefcase and the identity card on top of it, at a loss for what to do.
"Wait, what do you mean by this?"
Xisuo smiled and explained:
"We were able to return safely this time thanks to your help and support."
"If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to leave smoothly, let alone get these things."
Bena froze for a moment, then understood Xisuo and Simon’s intentions. A warm feeling surged through his heart.
"This is... you’re too generous. I really don’t know how to thank you."
Bena never imagined the two would be so generous.
The price of an exoskeleton was anything but cheap, yet they were just giving it away.
Xisuo clapped Bena on the shoulder.
"Don’t mention it. We should help each other."
"Besides, this exoskeleton will be of greater use in your hands, Bena. It can protect all of us."
Bena looked at the case in his hands and invited them again.
"Are you sure you don’t want to join our shelter?"
Xisuo thought about it seriously for a moment before shaking his head.
"Maybe there’ll be a chance in the future, but now probably isn’t the right time."
Bena wasn’t surprised to hear him refuse.
After all, he was just casting a line to see if he could get a bite. It would be for the best if they joined, but there was nothing to be done if they didn’t.
Seeing that it was getting late, the two parties exchanged some pleasantries before waving goodbye.
***
Inside the shelter, Ye Yun’s eyes were filled with delight as he looked at the briefcase in his hands.
[Sentinel Type-1 Portable Exoskeleton (Blue)]
[Type: Exoskeleton]
[Defense: 45]
[Attack Power: 20-20]
[Speed: 0-30 km/h]
[A portable exoskeleton produced by the academy. In its retracted state, it is only the size of a briefcase, making it very easy to carry. However, this comes at the cost of some of its defensive capabilities and functions.]
[Usage Requirements: Strength 5, Agility 5, Perception 5, Stamina 5]
[Durability: 100%]
[Power: 100%]
[Function Slot 1: Empty]
[Function Slot 2: Empty]
[Function Slot 3: Empty]
Blue-rarity equipment! And a piece of Blue equipment with such outstanding performance!
Ye Yun felt like a giant jackpot had just fallen into his lap.
’Is this really equipment I can have at this stage?’
Ye Yun eagerly pressed the red button on the briefcase.
Several red infrared beams swept over his body.
The silver case instantly disassembled into dozens of parts of varying sizes. Like a rising tide, these parts swiftly surged up from Ye Yun’s ankles.
In just a few dozen seconds, the silver case had transformed into a set of semi-enclosed exoskeleton equipment.
Ye Yun stood in place, experiencing the brand-new sensation of the exoskeleton.
He could clearly feel his body become lighter, every movement filled with power and agility.
Ye Yun had originally assumed that this kind of external mechanical equipment would surely have some kind of delay in its movements.
However, he had greatly underestimated the level of technology from before the Cataclysm.
The Sentinel exoskeleton’s support system synced perfectly with his body, making his every movement incredibly precise. He could feel almost no delay; it was like an extension of his own body.
He tried taking a few steps, then gradually picked up speed until he was running around the shelter at an astonishing pace.
Ye Yun was thrilled to discover that even during high-speed movement, the exoskeleton provided stable support and cushioning, making him feel almost no fatigue.
"This is incredible!" Ye Yun couldn’t help but exclaim.
Ye Yun glanced at Bena standing beside him, a sudden interest sparked.
"Bena, come on. Spar a few rounds with me???"
Hearing the Lord Administrator’s call, the corner of Bena’s mouth twitched slightly.
"This... Lord Administrator, are you serious?"
Seeing Bena’s expression, Ye Yun knew what he was worried about.
"Don’t worry, this exoskeleton’s Defense Power is very high. You don’t have to worry about hurting me."
Bena was baffled.
Hearing this, Bena felt his world turn upside down.
’Just how highly does the Lord Administrator think of me? What makes him think my bare-fisted self is a match for an exoskeleton?’
Afraid the Lord Administrator had misunderstood, he voiced his true concern.
"Lord Administrator, I’m not worried about hurting you. I’m worried that you won’t be able to hold back and will accidentally kill me."
Ye Yun was speechless.
Ye Yun was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. He clapped Bena on the shoulder and reassured him.
"Relax, Bena. I’ll control my strength."
"I just want to test the strength of this exoskeleton."
Seeing Ye Yun’s insistence, Bena couldn’t refuse any longer and could only bite the bullet and agree.
However, he didn’t let his guard down. After all, his opponent was an exoskeleton.
He immediately put on a protective vest and grabbed the iron shield he had acquired previously from the warehouse. He took a few steps back and assumed a defensive stance, all the while praying internally that the Lord Administrator would go easy on him.
Ye Yun took a deep breath and then charged at Bena. His speed was so great it shocked everyone present.
Bena’s vision blurred, and in the next instant, Ye Yun was right in front of him.
’So fast!’
Bena instinctively raised his shield to block. Ye Yun’s straight punch landed squarely on the face of the iron shield.
