(Congratulations to the new helmsman "Follow the Wind Down")
"You two, speed away from the battlefield and find Deer! Do you copy?"
"Yes, Captain Luo!"
Both replied in unison, but neither made a move.
What a joke, who would leave with such a rare opportunity at hand?
Both tried to keep their heads down as much as possible.
Yin Shuai, wearing an Exoskeleton Armor, turned his head to look at Mu Fan and asked, "Dude, why aren't you wearing one of these?"
"Not used to it, I feel like it would hold me back."
Yin Shuai gave Mu Fan a weird look until Mu Fan nearly couldn't take it anymore, then he spoke, "Brother, the likes of Wolf and Deer have special operational needs, have you never played with one of these before?"
"No." Mu Fan shook his head honestly.
"No wonder. All I can say is that even though I am not as strong as you, in a moment you can see the combat effectiveness of this suit of equipment. Honestly, if you like melee combat, you could totally use the strength of the exoskeleton arms to wield a real heavy melee weapon, like removing these two mechanical arms on my back."
Seeing Mu Fan still looked unconvinced, White Hair sighed, "Just watch, and don't say I didn't warn you."
Mu Fan remained unmoved in his heart; apart from Mecha, he now only believed in himself.
"Confirmed engagement zone ahead, transmitting to tactical helmet visor."
Wolf's voice rang out again, and in Mu Fan's vision, aside from their own 6 green dots, there were also 15 blue dots about 300 meters away. After crossing one more raised terrain, they would be able to see it.
"Let's go."
"Let's go."
Mu Fan pushed off a huge tree with both hands, leaving two deep palm prints behind as he dashed out.
Next to him, Yin Shuai popped out suddenly, the gleam in his eyes indicating how excited he was.
As soon as Mu Fan's feet hit the ground, White Hair, who sprung swiftly, also landed.
Hmm?
Mu Fan's eyes widened, his competitive spirit ignited, and like a cheetah, he sprinted through the familiar jungle.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yin Shuai, wearing the Exoskeleton Armor, took large strides forward, completely forgetting any intention of moving stealthily.
For them, 300 meters was only a twenty-second distance, and he had no intention of losing to Mu Fan, who was running on foot.
But obviously, he had no idea what kind of environment Mu Fan had been living in these past years. Every step Mu Fan took was precisely placed on jutting rocks or slanting tree trunks, and his hands continually used the vines overhead to move quickly through the trees.
The whole person truly seemed to fly low through the jungle as he sprinted.
The most straightforward and direct running route made White Hair, who was quick to discern jumping points, gape in awe.
"Damn, is this kid a local? I'm swearing off Mecha with this speed."
When White Hair saw a distant discontinuity, he chuckled, thinking now Mu Fan would be caught up.
But Mu Fan pulled out the laser long spear from his back, not activating it, just throwing it with force.
Whizz!
The high-strength alloy of the spear shaft was thrown by Mu Fan and embedded itself into the nearby giant tree.
Mu Fan stepped and leaped, then while airborne, skillfully hooked with his feet, retrieving the Light Spear Short Stick back into his hand.
The next second, Mu Fan was already steady on the high ground above.
"That works too!!"
With a bang-bang-bang run and pressing his legs, Yin Shuai bolted directly up to the high ground.
Giving a thumbs-up to Mu Fan beside him, "I'm convinced! Now I'm even more in favor of you trying out my gear."
Mu Fan, seeing White Hair was less than 2 seconds slower than himself, was also surprised; such a device he had never seen before turned out to be so powerful. So this time, instead of outright rejection, he nodded, "Hmm, I will try it when we get back."
The two looked ahead at the 45-degree slope. They only needed to walk about three meters to catch sight of the Expeditionary Army—by now, the intense sounds of a firefight were already reaching them.
Crouching low, the pair crawled forward.
When they peered out, the ghastly scene nearly took their breath away.
Because Mu Fan felt as if he was seeing the scene on Purple Jade Star where he faced the Beast Tide alone, but this time without Shura behind him, and the atmosphere of the scene he now observed was completely different from that of the Beast Tide.
200 meters ahead, in a relatively low-lying area, fifteen members of the Expeditionary Army in Exoskeleton Armor were firing continuous volleys in three directions. Their hands wielded Rapid Fire Weapons, while two mechanical arms on their backs each bore a fully automatic pulse gun that continuously fired in automatic rotation.
With three points of firepower on each person, the combined effort of the fifteen soldiers created a vast net of fire that nearly enveloped the entire surrounding area.
But the result wasn't as good as expected; what was torn to pieces by the gunfire were mostly circular Beetles about half a meter in size. There were also Zeg creatures resembling giant spiders, with a diameter of around two meters, moving swiftly from tree to rock before leaping down to strike.
Mu Fan's keen vision noticed that many metal bullets, upon hitting the backs of these Zeg's carapaces, simply ricocheted off.
Only when several shots hit the same spot simultaneously were they able to penetrate, spattering greenish fluids.
"Sweep at the Guard's legs! Shoot their legs!!"
Under the hoarse shouting of a soldier who seemed to be a captain, volleys of bullets swept across.
But those fast-moving Zeg appendages weaved quickly through the air, creating a rustling sound in Mu Fan's ears, and the bullets mostly missed their mark, occasionally brushing past the limbs of the Zeg Guards.
They snapped like brittle branches, spurting fluid, and the movement speed of a Guard abruptly decreased.
Then the fire from the expeditionary soldiers focused on a single Guard, showering it with hundreds of rounds until it was shattered.
But even though the Expeditionary Army soldiers' firepower was dense, their operational space was steadily being compressed by the advancing Zeg.
"Bloody hell... are these the real Zeg?" White Hair thought those Beetles that suddenly attacked were everything, and now his worldview was turned upside down.
He saw the Zeg, disgusting to behold, but what was key was their indifference to the death of their own kind, just swarming relentlessly.
"Database identification, those spider-like ones are Guards, and those circular ones are the most numerous and are the Low Tier Beetles. But what is this 'Tiger Worm' Old Wolf mentioned? …" Mu Fan murmured to himself.
"There, look at that thing!!"
There was a creature even larger than the Guards, with a diameter of about 3 meters. It was similar in appearance, but it was clear its carapace was thicker, and its entire body was a soil-yellow color. Moreover, those high-raised jawbones were like two folded blades jutting forward.
When this Zeg appeared, the Beetles around it instantly parted, creating a pathway that clearly indicated its rank in the Zeg hierarchy.
"Is this... the Tiger Worm!?"
White Hair whispered, and soon, the situation on the scene confirmed his speculation.
As soon as the Tiger Worm appeared, it darted with even greater ferocity to ambush, and it was as if the Zeg now had commanded coordination, pressuring the soldiers on another front and forcing them to redirect their fire.
Mixing with the Guards, the Tiger Worm began to maneuver for a flanking attack.
Mu Fan sharply observed the Tiger Worm weaving its path out of the line of sight below and moving towards their position, clearly with a higher level of combat intelligence, preparing to launch a surprise attack from behind.
"Fellas, if you don't leave now, you're going to have a face-to-face with that Tiger Worm."
Tracy's uniquely raspy voice came through the communication earpiece inside the helmet, obviously keeping tabs on Mu Fan and his companion's actions, especially given the tactical helmet's tracker, which clearly marked the two on the map.
Everyone had unspokenly chosen not to mention it until now.
"It's up to me now."
Mu Fan pulled out his laser long spear from his back.
…
"Tracy to snipe the Guards, target the soft tissue in the central area! Captain Yin Shuai, provide fire support for Mu Fan, the side defense line is breaking down, I'm gearing up to go in!" Luo Jianjin roared.
Then Mu Fan saw a hulking figure burst forth from the side of a high slope with a fierce momentum—Luo Jianjin donning Combat Exoskeleton Armor!
Beneath his right arm was a heavy rapid-fire machine gun, while under his left arm was a grenade launcher. The mechanical arms on his back with automatic pulse guns had been firing the moment he entered the battlefield.
"Tiger Hunting Team to support, defend the flanks!"
Luo Jianjin's powerful targeted barrage tore through the air, blasting a dozen Beetle suiciders, and his shout revealed the arrival of the Tiger Hunting Team!
Among the expeditionary soldiers engaged in the firefight below, the soldier who had been shouting earlier paused, "Support from Base 3?" Unlike Kim's indifference, he turned his head and shouted words of thanks to the charging Luo Jianjin, "Thanks, brother!"
Luo Jianjin cracked a smile, his left hand unleashing grenades that burst a leaping Guard in mid-air.
The battle had already reached its climax, and Mu Fan, along with Yin Shuai, were getting ready to intercept the stealthily flanking Tiger Worm!
"I'll go first, I have exoskeleton armor!" Yin Shuai didn't wait for Mu Fan to react; he sprang to his feet and leaped out.
"Disgusting thing, I'm going to blow you up!!"
With a raise of his arm, the ammunition from three firepower points poured out, instantly aligning into a straight line aiming directly at the eyes of the Tiger Worm. It must be said that Yin Shuai's shooting was shockingly accurate, but the Tiger Worm, obviously faster and boasting a thicker shell than a Guard, was already moving swiftly and tilting its body as Yin Shuai fired.
Bullets continued to hammer the shell ceaselessly, yet due to the Tiger Worm's rapid movement, they failed to penetrate; instead, they were completely deflected by the thick armor.
The bullets... ricocheted...
"This thing can't be penetrated?" Yin Shuai, disbelieving, fired again, but the Tiger Worm had already noticed him and slipped behind the rocks below.
"This is too wily, damn it!" he exclaimed, ready to charge forward.
At that moment, Mu Fan, holding his alloy short stick horizontally, said, "I'll go up! You go support the captain."
"Can you handle it? This thing looks too fierce."
Mu Fan didn't speak, merely gripping his laser long spear and leaping forward gracefully.
"Fierce! I respect that!" With a stomp on the ground, Yin Shuai soared into the battleground below.
"Although I don't like you guys, this time I'll give you a hand!" With a beautiful sweep of gunfire, White Hair charged toward Luo Jianjin's position, forming a tactical combination.
"Huh? Where's Mu Fan?"
"He said he was going to take on that Tiger Worm!"
White Hair was left stunned by a furious roar as he arrived beside the bearded man.
"What are you joking about! Has he ever killed a worm before? Get back there now!"
"No need, trust me."
After uttering a single sentence, Mu Fan immediately set his voice comms to silent.
"Damn it, Black Widow, cover Mu Fan." Even Luo Jianjin, known for his even temper, couldn't help but explode with a curse.
Mu Fan was truly unaware of the gravity of the situation, for not even exoskeleton armor could defend against a strike from the Tiger Worm's jaws! One blow from those long bony jaws could easily pierce through armor!
"The team calls out, 'First Stage team's exploration area has encountered over two hundred members of the Zeg Clan, Tiger Worm spotted! Calling for Mecha reinforcement!'"
"Roger that."
Finally hearing a response, Luo Jianjin let out a breath of relief.
Although they had joined in, the few of them were clearly not enough to face a large-scale Zeg invasion, and judging by the state of the Expeditionary Army, their exoskeleton armor batteries were likely to run out very soon.
Once they were without the support of this equipment, to rely solely on the soldier's body was merely sending themselves to their deaths.
...
Mu Fan had never encountered a Tiger Worm, nor had he undergone any specific training against one. The reason he dared to charge in alone was his faith in the long spear in his hands and his spiritual perception!
In his perception, this Tiger Worm was no match for him!
That almost perverse combat instinct prompted Mu Fan to charge forward without a second thought!
He crouched and leaped, aiming to reach the rock behind which the Tiger Worm was hiding.
As he was about to reach the spot, two bone jaws from behind the rock suddenly slashed downwards fiercely—was the Tiger Worm actually waiting for him the whole time?
But a smirk touched Mu Fan's lips, and with the laser spear he had readied in his hands, he thrust downwards with mighty force.
Clang!
A sound like fine steel colliding rang out.
Those bone jaws were actually smashed back under the force of Mu Fan's powerful smash.
The over three-meter-long and two-meter-high body was also pressed backwards.
Mu Fan landed firmly, arm extended sideways, and stared directly at the ferocious Tiger Worm.
Cruel ferocity glared back at Mu Fan through the yellow-brown compound eyes.
A limb moved, misplacement in an instant, and lunged viciously at Mu Fan. If that black-tipped leg or the sharp bone jaws hit even once, Mu Fan would be pierced through.
"This is a true prey!" For the first time facing a creature born purely for combat, Mu Fan's long-suppressed hunter heart began to stir again.
Buzz, the palm pressed down, and ion beams suddenly protruded from both sides of the alloy short stick.
The short stick, previously a little over a meter long, had now extended to over two meters!
Whoosh~
The arm drew the laser long spear back briefly, then raised it high, as the spear instantly began to spin in Mu Fan's palm.
An ion beam formed a blue light circle!
"Redemption First Stage—Fanatic Cutting!"
There was no need to enter the Dark Breath state, Mu Fan thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of hunting the Fierce Beast.
His keen dynamic vision had already captured the trajectory of the Tiger Worm's lunge, and the laser long spear transformed into a light wheel to meet it at a tricky angle.
Darting forward, he bent over and pressed down, further down!
The arm became an afterimage with a flash, and the blue light circle flashed by.
One man, one charge, crossing paths.
Whir, whir, whir.
The laser long spear stopped spinning and returned to his hand.
Thud, the four limbs of the Tiger Worm were simultaneously scattered, and its shuttle-shaped body crashed onto the rocks.
Turning around, Mu Fan walked over with the spear, looking down at the body of the Tiger Worm on the ground, raised the long spear high, and then thrust it down fiercely!
Hisss!
Piercing through the eyes, directly into the rock below!
The punctured area was scorched by the high temperature of the ion beam.
Dead.
Mu Fan had noticed that the area around those eyes had no shell protection; he guessed it might be a vital part, and he was right.
"Mu Fan, did that Tiger Worm just die like that?!" Tracy's voice came in surprise, unable to believe what had just happened in an instant.
She was ready to take a weak point shot to help Mu Fan but after just one encounter, the Tiger Worm's limbs were severed, and it was killed with one thrust of the spear.
"Freak!" White Hair, firing with both hands, didn't forget to throw in a comment.
A Guard broke through the fire network, Luo Jianjin put away his gun, and a punch enveloped in exoskeleton armor heavily swung out.
Clang, that Guard was directly smashed into the ground mid-air, this scene also caught the eyes of the nearby expeditionary soldiers.
"My God, we've encountered a master this time!"
As he praised distractedly, another Guard pounced straight at him.
Bang!
A loud gunshot echoed, and the Guard's head was obliterated in mid-air, showering the soldier with fluids on his face.
Tracy had made her move!
"Mu Fan, the Mecha Army is on its way to support, and a few more Guards are heading your way, hurry over," Luo Jianjin said.
"Yes, Captain Luo," Mu Fan replied, picking up the laser long spear and preparing to rush down.
Just then, he suddenly noticed that one of the attacking Guards had left the group, entered a nearby crevice in mid-course, and the shadow revealed in the crevice showed the Guard climbing out quickly.
"There's something off, I'll follow up," Mu Fan said softly, then headed toward the few Zegs charging back, his fingers mysteriously exerting force and twirling, causing the laser long spear to spin rapidly in his palm.
*********
PS: Thanks to the book friend "gone with the wind" for the 10000-coin reward! (Congratulations to the new helmsman)
Thanks to the book friends "Please Call Me Qi Chen," "Book Friend 160823094932332," "Book Friend 151208170930879," "One Switch," "Morning Light Spreading" for the 100-coin reward!
Thanks to "Ping Ping (1)" for the 20-coin reward, "Ling Shan Shi" for the 10-coin reward!