He was incredibly tall and powerfully built, exuding a sense of explosive strength. His broad shoulders and long limbs possessed a unique proportion that set him apart from pure-blooded humans.
It was clear at a glance that he was a hybrid of human and Shadow Race.
The man noticed Qin Feng’s arrival as well. He straightened up and walked over.
"Hello, my name is Mike."
His voice was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to his imposing physique.
He wore a friendly smile, showing none of the arrogance often found in upperclassmen.
He got straight to the point and shared his information.
"Life force index: 4,231. Enrolled for one hundred and eighty years."
Qin Feng responded in kind, a basic show of respect and information exchange for teaming up.
"Qin Feng. Life force index: 3,620. Enrolled for forty years."
"Qin Feng..."
Upon hearing the name, the smile on Mike’s face widened. "I’ve heard of you. The champion of the Newcomer’s Cup, the hot topic on the forums lately. You’ve made quite a name for yourself."
His words carried a hint of good-natured teasing.
"This mission is on a tight schedule, so I’ll keep it brief."
Mike’s smile vanished, his expression turning serious. He brought up a star chart and began to brief Qin Feng. "On the G-784 Battlefield, the main forces of our Imperial Star Realm Army are locked in a grueling battle with a group of ’Nagash’ Followers. The fighting had reached a stalemate, but just yesterday, the enemy deployed a new, highly contagious plague pathogen. Our defensive lines have suffered heavy casualties and are being pushed back."
He pointed to a red-marked dot on the star chart.
"According to our intelligence, this is the location of the pathogen refinery. Our mission is to penetrate the enemy’s rear lines as quickly as possible and destroy it completely. The faster we get there, the fewer of our brothers in the Star Realm Army will die. Speed is the key to this operation."
He added a final, solemn warning: "And one more thing. The air in the target area is saturated with Nagash’s corrupting virus. Even we can’t resist it for long. That means we have to wear our power armor for the entire mission. I’ve already purchased the incendiary bombs and Spiritual Explosion Devices."
"Understood."
Qin Feng nodded calmly.
Without another word, with a mere thought, he summoned his brand-new "Howling Dragon I" power armor from his Subspace Storage Unit.
"KLANG! SHINK! K-CHUNK—!"
Amid a series of crisp, rhythmic clicks of interlocking metal, the heavy armor components flowed over his body, encasing him completely.
When the menacing, dragon-headed helmet lowered and sealed him inside, a three-and-a-half-meter-tall iron giant stood in his place.
He extended a massive iron hand, gripping the Level 5 Alloy Long Spear known as "Golden Koi’s Dragon Transformation"—its body a solid crimson-gold, its tip glinting with a cold light. A flash of light crossed his helmet’s crimson visor as he spoke in a deep voice:
"Ready when you are."
"Good!"
A flicker of approval showed in Mike’s eyes.
He was very pleased with Qin Feng’s swift and decisive action.
He said nothing more and summoned his own power armor as well.
It was a suit of heavy, grayish-green armor, its design purely utilitarian.
With a final CLICK, Mike was fully equipped, a huge and menacing Chainsaw Sword now in his hand.
"Let’s go!"
He barked the order and activated the Subspace Teleportation function on his personal terminal.
The Light Gate dissipated behind them. A bone-chilling cold and a cloying, nauseating stench of rot washed over them like an invisible tide, instantly engulfing them both.
They had arrived at the mission objective: the G-784 Battlefield.
As far as the eye could see, it was a land utterly dominated by death and despair.
The sky was a sickly, murky yellow-green, like a gigantic, festering wound.
Visible spores and motes of dust, glowing faintly, drifted through the air. Every breath felt like inhaling a lethal poison.
The ground was littered with the wreckage of the Imperial Star Realm Army’s destroyed Rimann Russ tanks and Chimera Transport Vehicles.
They were coated in a green, moss-like layer of corruption, their original steel sheen long gone.
And between these wrecks, countless figures shambled about.
Some were Corpse Transformers, clad in tattered military uniforms. Their bodies were bloated and ruptured, covered in pustules and tumors.
These were unfortunate soldiers who had been infected by Nagash’s plague, reanimated after death by the Power of the Evil God. Now, they were nothing more than walking dead, driven only by bloodthirsty instinct.
The others were true Nagash Followers.
Their bodies had undergone even more horrific mutations. Some had bellies swollen like a pregnant woman’s, with writhing maggots spilling from their ruptured abdomens. Others had chimney-like bone growths sprouting from their backs, constantly spewing a yellow-green toxic mist.
"Stay close!"
Mike’s muffled voice, filtered through his power armor’s comms, crackled to life.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the giant Chainsaw Sword in his hand let out a deafening roar. He charged forward like a siege tank at full throttle, making a beeline for the massive factory silhouette shrouded in the distant toxic fog.
Qin Feng said nothing, spear "Golden Koi’s Dragon Transformation" in hand, and followed right behind him.
With every step, his massive "Howling Dragon I" power armor sent a slight tremor through the ground, its terrifying weight and power a perfect match for its size.
"HRRGH—"
Their arrival immediately drew the attention of all the surrounding monsters.