Chapter 249: Chapter 220: Epic Treasure Chest (Part 2)
Against a fifth-rank alien, one punch would be enough to heavily injure, if not kill them. But there were simply too many, making it impossible to fend them all off.
"Huh? Gao Neng, are you recovered? If you are, then you take the front! I, Death God Fang Tangtang, will provide fire support from the back!" As soon as Fang Tangtang saw Gao Neng make his move, she stopped preparing to hold the front line.
"I’ve recovered a bit. Let me ask you something: how do you find a magnetic pile?" Gao Neng knew Fang Tangtang wasn’t skilled in close combat, so he wasn’t surprised and moved to stand in front of her.
"You’re looking for a magnetic pile at a time like this?!" Fang Tangtang was clearly astonished. "Even if you found one, you couldn’t possibly mine any Magnetic Crystal Ore, could you?"
"I asked you how to find one. Just tell me!" Gao Neng’s Horse-Cutting Saber was gone, so he had to pull out his Elf Long Saber and make do.
"Why are you being so aggressive?!" Fang Tangtang pouted, but still answered quickly. "There are lots of ways to find a magnetic pile. For example..."
"Get to the point!"
"Fine. The simplest method is that your cultivation speed will increase. Also, wherever a magnetic pile appears, there will definitely be Magnetic Crystal Ore!" Fang Tangtang stopped dawdling and said immediately.
’Magnetic Crystal Ore?’ Gao Neng had a feeling that might be the case. ’But what does she mean my cultivation speed will increase? How am I supposed to judge anything based on that alone?’
’Wait a minute!’
’Back when I was in front of the Ancient Elf Tree, didn’t my cultivation speed increase then?’
As Gao Neng thought of this, his expression suddenly changed...
He had inexplicably thought of a terrifying possibility.
"Fang Tangtang, let me ask you another thing. Is there a magnetic pile under the Elf Royal City?!" Even as Gao Neng asked, his hands didn’t pause for a second.
Sword Drawing Technique!
One Slash!
An approaching alien was slashed, stumbling back two steps.
Gao Neng, however, also took one step back.
He still held a slight advantage.
"Whoa, you can force back a fifth-rank with a single slash? Incredible..." Fang Tangtang exclaimed in shock. Then, seeing the grim look on Gao Neng’s face, she quickly answered his question. "The Elf Royal City has a magnetic pile. Isn’t that common knowledge? If it didn’t, how could it possibly produce so much ore?"
"So, every Royal City is actually a magnetic pile?"
"A *large* magnetic pile, to be more precise! For a place to be occupied by the alien races and built into a Royal City, it has to be a large magnetic pile. Other major cities are the same, but they’re not on the same scale as a Royal City." As Fang Tangtang explained, she finished reloading the No. 4 Electromagnetic Cannon she had hastily picked up.
BOOM!
A shot blasted out.
Another two fourth-rank aliens were killed horribly.
The back-and-forth between Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang seemed to take a long time, but in reality, it all happened in the span of one or two exchanges.
And upon hearing this, Gao Neng already understood.
’There’s definitely no magnetic pile here!’
The reason was simple. He had been forcefully blasted out from underground. If there really was a magnetic pile down there, he would have been able to see it at a glance.
’My second attribute lets me see ore at a glance!’
But he hadn’t seen any ore.
Naturally, if there was no ore here—or anywhere nearby—then there was definitely no magnetic pile.
’No magnetic pile? How am I supposed to find a catalyst?!’ The hope that had ignited in Gao Neng’s heart was quickly extinguished. ’Of course, it was never going to be that simple.’
’It was an epic-level quest, after all!’
’How could it possibly be solved so easily?’
He hadn’t really thought about the quest reward, the epic-level treasure chest. But since it was an epic-level chest, it had to be better than a high-level one.
’It might even be better than the Lucky Wheel!’
Of course, that was all a problem for later. His current goal was to survive. And he had to save Shen Ning’Er, Fang Tangtang, and Gui Zian.
’But how can I save them?’
’There’s no way!’
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
"Charge!"
The Alien Race Alliance Army charged madly toward Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang.
If not for the Furious Golden Ape, Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang would likely already be dead. They certainly wouldn’t be here thinking about finding a catalyst.
’Wait a minute...’
’Speaking of a catalyst, doesn’t Gao Xiaomeng count as one?!’
Gao Neng remembered that back in the Forgotten Land, he had "merged" with Gao Xiaomeng once before. At the time, he’d had a sensation similar to being inside a magnetic pile.
Besides, the quest objectives didn’t require him to save Gao Xiaomeng.
’So, what the quest is really trying to tell me is that I need to merge with Gao Xiaomeng again, right?!’
’It’s possible. The odds don’t look great... but I have to at least try, right? The only thing is, to merge, I need Gao Xiaomeng to agree. And after we merge, she’ll be unconscious for a long time. But I can’t worry about that now. I have to take this final gamble!’ Thinking this, Gao Neng didn’t hesitate any longer and shouted.
"Gao Xiaomeng!"
"Meow?" Gao Xiaomeng leaped off an alien and darted back to Gao Neng’s side, simultaneously swatting another alien away with her paw.
"Get on my shoulder!"
"Meow!" With a light leap, Gao Xiaomeng landed on Gao Neng’s shoulder.
But without Gao Xiaomeng holding them back, the other aliens seemed to have found an opening and charged wildly at Gao Neng.
"How about we merge?" Gao Neng yelled as he drew his saber.
"Meow meow meow!" Gao Xiaomeng shook her head vigorously.
"There’s no other way! It’s either merge or die! Your choice!" Gao Neng said, ignoring Fang Tangtang’s bewildered look.
"Meow!" Gao Xiaomeng seemed extremely reluctant.
But Gao Neng still felt Gao Xiaomeng growing lighter on his shoulder. Then, it was as if their minds connected.
’If I don’t save him, I can still live... I, the Xiaomeng Queen, am impossible to kill! This Queen has five thousand cat followers. How can I enter a ’debilitated state’ here? Once I’m in that state, I can be killed. It’s too dangerous! That Gao Neng is so detestable!’
"Gao Xiaomeng, are you seriously cursing me?!" Gao Neng was furious. He never expected to hear *this* the moment their minds connected.
’Whoops? I forgot you could hear this Queen’s thoughts...’ Gao Xiaomeng was startled, but she didn’t sound afraid.
Then, Gao Neng heard Gao Xiaomeng’s inner voice again.
’As if I’m scared of him!’
’Gao Neng is a shadow of his former self right now. What’s he gonna do, beat me up? Still, Mom told me to protect him... I can’t just let him die. After all, the kid is this Queen’s brother, in name at least!’
"Brother? Mom? Your... my mom knows about you?!" Gao Neng was suddenly shocked. He’d never even considered it.
But recalling it now...
When he had left back then, Gao Xiaomeng had been completely drained of energy. But by the time he returned, she had fully recovered.
’Debilitated state?!’
’Gao Xiaomeng said ’debilitated state’ just now, not ’unconscious state’, right?’
’You can stop guessing. I, the Xiaomeng Queen, won’t tell you anything about Mom. If you want to know, you can just go ask her yourself!’
"Isn’t my mom just an ordinary person? What is there to ask? Stop wasting time and let’s merge already!" Although Gao Neng’s mind was connected to Gao Xiaomeng’s, their bodies had not yet become one.
He knew that much, at least.
Clearly, Gao Xiaomeng had her reservations and was reluctant to merge with him.
’Then you have to promise me that you’ll bring me back to the City of Hope while I’m in my debilitated state. Otherwise, even if I become a Cat Ghost, I’ll never forgive you!’ Gao Xiaomeng said again.
"Fine. If I can survive this, I’ll definitely get you back to the City of Hope. I promise!" Gao Neng nodded. If he could live, the rest would be easy.
’But the real question is, can I actually survive?’
’Alright then, this Queen will trust you this once!’ Gao Xiaomeng seemed to have finally made up her mind.
