Chapter 216 - Leapfrogging

Chapter 216: Chapter 198: LeapfroggingEveryone conducted a series of tests and experiments around the energy supply pipeline, including but not limited to replicating Task Batteries with materials at hand;

They used diesel generators and transformers to power the batteries;

They attempted to modify the pipeline with the Mechanical Master’s Casting abilities;

All attempts ended in failure, including digging downward through the soil to find the source of the pipeline, which proved unfeasible—

The rock layer below was too thick, too hard to drill through.

"Five hours have passed since we fell into the bushes."

The Red Driver glanced at the time on his wristwatch and gave a bitter smile: "The only good news is that in this area, the battery’s power is no longer dropping."

"What good does that do?"

Midnight Howl’s expression was fierce as he punched the ground, raising dust, "Who knows if the killing field system will even let us leave after the mission time limit ends and we fail.

If we’re trapped here forever, what’s the difference from being dead?"

Players usually prepare their own compressed biscuits, energy bars, and drinking water to avoid consuming poisonous food in the scripted world, enough to last for several months.

But if this bushland is as Midnight Howl speculated, then in the face of infinite time, all food will eventually run out.

"Um..."

At this time, Gray Rain had donned a long robe cosplaying Lu Xun, with an electronic cigarette clenched in his mouth, frowning, and pondering seriously.

"Fu—"

He exhaled a puff of strawberry-flavored smoke and mused: "The situation right now is similar to a book I read a few days ago, a closed room you can’t leave without falling in love."

"Are you reading serious books? Don’t speak in Mr. Lu Xun’s image about such things."

Li Cheng, frustrated, slapped Gray Rain with a hand-chop, but he wasn’t actually worried about the food issue.

Gray Rain was a Liquid Metal Robot and didn’t need to eat.

Li Cheng himself also possessed the Assembly Puppet item - if necessary, he could attach solar panels to his own head and supply energy to his entire body using solar power.

Additionally, killing field would not issue a doomed mission.

The current deadlock seemed more like there were still key clues or items yet to be found.

Suddenly, Midnight Howl seemed to notice something, his expression drastically changed, his nostrils flared, sniffing the air intensely.

"Six o’clock direction, there’s a scent of blood approaching."

He growled, his muscles expanded, directly bursting his clothes and boots, revealing the close-combat suit hidden underneath.

His nose protruded forward, ears became pointed, dense black fur grew all over his body, swiftly transforming into a werewolf over two meters tall.

That was not the end; Midnight Howl picked up a dozen syringes and jabbed them into his neck, injecting all sorts of unknown fluids into his bloodstream.

"Ugh—"

Accompanied by a painful sigh, Midnight Howl’s werewolf form further heightened, expanding close to three meters.

His eyes flickered with a sinister red glow, his fingernails sharp as daggers, whipping through the air.

The others were also prepared for battle, Zhao Zijing spread her palms, controlling nine metal spears to hover in the air;

The Red Driver released all his Pocket Monsters, forming a protective circle around himself;

Li Cheng’s mechanical arm on his back raised long guns and short cannons, vigilantly pointing forward;

Gray Rain’s combat strength was all in herself, there wasn’t much to prepare, so she could only put on a serious expression and fiercely puffed on her strawberry e-cigarette several times, blowing out rings of smoke.

Tall grass shook and trembled, and heavy footsteps kept approaching, a massive shadow poked its head from the dense green leaves.

It was a giant, iron-blue skinned muscular man, bare-chested with his skin covered in ferocious scars, and a rusty iron nail as thick as two fingers jabbed into his head.

Cliff, a close-combat Transcendent from the Mercury Alloy Guild, Australian, his Power System was the Navy Six Styles martial art from One Piece.

According to what the deceased said, it was Cliff who betrayed the guild and killed the rest of the Mercury Alloy members.

"Hey, hehe."

Cliff pushed aside the tall grass with his fan-sized palms, walked over with a sickly smile; in his eyes there was no madness, no self-will, just confusion and numbness.

Just by looking into his eyes, Zhao Zijing knew there was basically no point in communicating.

But for the sake of a certain possibility, she still took a deep breath and calmly said: "Are you Cliff from Australia Sydney? I’m from GOC..."

"Who to kill this time..."

Cliff ignored Zhao Zijing completely, talking to himself and slowly shifting his gaze towards Midnight Howl transformed into a werewolf.

Sha—

In the next instant, the bulky Cliff disappeared on the spot, appearing in front of the werewolf like a flash.

Too fast...

Only an afterimage remained on the retina, Zhao Zijing belatedly reacted, her complexion drastically changed.

Limited by the Mystery Lock which blocks spatial teleportation skills, Cliff didn’t use Instant Teleportation, relying purely on exaggerated speed to break through to the middle of everyone.

This technique was called , stepping on the ground in an instant continuously, using explosive reactionary force to perform high-speed movement.

Shuk!

Cliff threw a simple and unadorned uppercut, aiming directly for Midnight Howl’s chin.

The latter’s heart throbbing intensely, the several types of taboo drugs just injected into his body caused extremely complex biochemical reactions in his blood vessels, spine, and brain.

Heart rate accelerated, reactions quickened, pain suppressed, strength enhanced, combat instincts heightened...

Under the transformation into a werewolf and various drug enhancements, Midnight Howl actually reacted,

His left wolf claw grasped the incoming uppercut from Cliff, and his right claw swiped diagonally downward, chopping towards Cliff’s already injured heart.

Clang!

The wolf claw failed to penetrate the heart, instead it was deflected high—Cliff stood still, evidently using another technique from Six Styles, , temporarily strengthening body defense, making it impervious to blades and guns.

He swept his left leg low forward, despite being shorter than Midnight Howl, his strength far exceeded that of the werewolf. He easily kicked Midnight Howl’s legs askew, causing him to lose balance and fall toward the right.

Without waiting for Midnight Howl to land, he twisted his body to the right, and a forward side kick struck the werewolf’s chest, sending Midnight Howl flying heavily, crashing into the Y-shaped pipe, his neck twisted nearly 180 degrees.

According to the data, Cliff was a Level 20 close-combat Transcendent, even though he was clearly mad and injured, his theoretical strength was still much stronger than anyone present.

Everyone dared not hold back, the Driver commanded Pocket Monsters to unleash their strongest skills, Stinky Flower’s Petal Dance, Fire Rock Rat’s Fiery Fire Abyss, Pichu’s 100,000 Volts, Pidgey’s Air Blade, bombarding the location where Cliff was.

Various skills exploded on the barren land, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Looking for me?"

A deep voice suddenly sounded next to the Red Driver, the Driver’s heart skipped a beat, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cliff once again use Six Styles Shaving, flashing to his side.

In a critical moment, the Explosion Monkey beside the Driver’s feet leapt high, executing the skill, swinging a punch towards Cliff’s temple.

Cliff reciprocated, blocking the desperate strike with Six Styles Iron Block, then punched through the body of the Explosion Monkey, his hand covered with fresh blood and fur, firmly grasping the Driver’s head.