Chapter 5: The Lost City
Chi Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
Is it too late to say I regret this and want to change teams?
The convoy moved rapidly.
Under the command of Cang Lin, with his super SSS-rank perception, they avoided heavy and moderate pollution zones, saving as much travel time as possible.
Any pollution entities encountered along the way were blasted and cleared by the cannons attached to the light armored vehicles.
The internal screens of the passenger cabin and their optical computers synchronized the locations of all seven teams.
And that massive “Lost City” was getting closer and closer.
Chi Wan looked out the window. Behind the pollution fog, the colossal, ruin-like urban structures were faintly visible.
The Lost City had fourteen districts, containing many important resource collection points.
Now, this city, like this planet, had fallen completely.
Upon entering the Lost City, the seven teams dispersed and drove toward different districts.
Naturally, the C3 Base convoy Chi Wan was in took on the heavy lifting, heading toward District 04, where the pollution was most severe.
The convoy hadn’t driven long before the road was blocked by a mass of polluted vegetation.
These waist-high, dark green plants shaped like human heads swayed with a grotesque rhythm in the pollution fog. The moment bullets were fired, the “heads” wrapped themselves in thick, black-green leaves. Then, opening up again, they released a cloud of dark green toxic pollution gas.
“Human-Head Poison Vines. Everyone disembark and cut them off at the roots.”
Qi Ye spoke a single sentence into his headset, and all the Sentinels in the light armored vehicles rushed out wielding long blades.
Chi Wan’s vehicle opened as well, and Qi Ye strode out.
At the same time, the roof of the light armored vehicle opened, and a Guide Platform slowly rose.
It was a device prepared for high-level Guides.
Since Guides lacked combat ability, they generally didn’t disembark during battles centered around the vehicles. They only needed to release mental barriers and soothing from the Guide Platform.
Without a shred of hesitation, Chi Wan quickly climbed onto the platform.
The view from the Guide Platform was extremely wide. She could see the endless Human-Head Poison Vines and the building behind them, so tightly wrapped in vines that its original shape was indiscernible.
It chilled the heart.
Chi Wan quickly released a mental barrier for the Sentinels rushing into the mass of vines.
Although her Mental Power was still somewhat weak, her SSS-rank Mental Power was simply the greatest stimulant for the group of Sentinels at this moment.
The Mental Power of these Sentinels, who had been deprived of soothing for so long, recovered rapidly.
Their combat strength became increasingly formidable.
[Group Soothing, Combat Value increased!]
[Group Soothing, Combat Value increased!]
[Group Soothing, Combat Value increased!]
The Combat Value in her mind continued to rise.
Chi Wan cast aside distracting thoughts and focused entirely on assisting the battle.
At the front of the crowd, Qi Ye, wielding dual blades, was terrifyingly powerful with his SSS-rank Combat Value and Mental Power.
Speed, physique, combat strength—all off the charts.
With a perfect side kick, he exploded the head of a Poison Vine plant, then spun his dual blades to slice through a patch of vines.
They were literally carving a path through the sea of Human-Head Poison Vines with brute force.
Chi Wan withdrew her Mental Power. After witnessing such formidable combat strength with her own eyes, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Was the original host an idiot? What good did provoking these big shots do her?
[Blind student, you have discovered a bright point.]
Chi Wan: “…That is such an old meme.”
All Sentinels quickly returned to the light armored vehicles to inject purification fluid.
Purification fluid could cleanse pollution values from the human body and neutralize most toxins released by pollution entities.
Inside the sealed passenger cabin, silence returned, though the air remained somewhat cold.
The convoy passed through the sea of vines, and some pollution entities began to attack.
Among these entities were pollution beasts and pollution Sentinels. Any contaminated biological creature would undergo mutations, changing drastically in size, appearance, and bodily functions.
Consequently, pollution entities were divided into ten levels. The higher the level, the stronger the mutation ability. They possessed super combat strength and could release powerful pollution fluid; some were even lethal upon touch.
Chi Wan was a bit nervous. On the window behind her, a human pollution entity was frantically attacking the glass.
The driver of the light armored vehicle was very experienced. He made a sharp turn, flinging the entity off, and then maneuvered the vehicle to crush it.
Caught off guard, Chi Wan was thrown forward by the massive impact.
Right toward where Qi Ye was sitting.
Qi Ye, who had sensed it early, moved away with a cold face.
But in the next instant, after the driver’s sharp turn, Chi Wan was thrown precisely toward the corner where Qi Ye, having nowhere else to move, was sitting.
She smashed hard into his arms.
Her cheek slammed into his broad pectoral muscles due to the powerful inertia, then bounced back from the shock.
“Hiss—!”
Chi Wan rubbed her face, which was throbbing with pain, and opened her eyes to meet a pair of green eyes so cold they looked ready to kill her.
Like a cat with its fur standing on end, she practically bounced off him and sat at the other end of the cabin, keeping three meters away.
“S… Sorry.”
Chapter 6: What is the Nature of a Snake?
Qi Ye’s jaw moved, his slightly lowered eyelids cold and condensed.
He straightened his clothes, which she had pulled somewhat out of shape, his well-defined fingers brushing the fabric at his chest.
Seeing this, Chi Wan puffed up her cheeks in anger.
What am I, trash? Do you get dirty just by touching me?
The convoy finally came to a halt. At this moment, the light armored vehicles were surrounded by a large number of pollution entities.
Pollution entities ranged from high to low levels. Low-level entities were like mindless killing machines, relying on scent to track humans and attacking endlessly.
High-level entities, however, possessed intelligence. They could discuss strategies and even negotiate with humans.
Surrounding them now were low-level entities.
For a well-equipped team with high combat values, dealing with this wasn’t difficult.
“Guards stay with the convoy. Everyone else, follow me in.”
Qi Ye, as always, took the lead.
As a Guide, Chi Wan was protected by the squad of Sentinels. Surrounded by towering men averaging two meters in height, she clutched her life-saving gun and looked at the majestic structure ahead—Ore Processing Plant 031.
This was a large-scale ore processing plant backed by a mine.
The factory gate was rotten and dilapidated. After the lead Sentinels worked together to break it open, a gust of dust smelling of rust and rot rushed toward them.
All Sentinels assumed defensive postures.
But unexpectedly, behind the factory gates, the vast interior was strangely quiet.
“Something’s wrong. There are likely high-level pollution entities. Stay close to the main group.”
“Yes, Commander!”
The group advanced into the factory.
“Hei Mi, split up and scout with me. Others, stand by.”
“Yes.”
Hei Mi, Vice Commander of C3 Base, Mental Entity: Black Panther, SS-rank Mental Power and Combat Value, Ability: Strength.
In this galaxy, Sentinels who awakened abilities were extremely rare—one in ten thousand. Yet, there were two in their current team alone.
Qi Ye walked straight ahead, while Hei Mi headed down another corridor.
The entire factory was without power, pitch black. Coupled with the pollution fog, visibility was extremely low.
A few minutes later, a loud crash came from Qi Ye’s direction.
All Sentinels tightened their grip on their guns.
From the pollution fog, Qi Ye walked back unhurriedly, black blood dripping from his blade.
With a simple glance, he signaled the Sentinels to move forward.
Passing through the front hall, a more complex and grand architectural structure appeared before everyone. The steel walls and ceiling showed signs of corrosion in the pollution fog.
On the ground, the severed heads of four pollution Sentinels lay bloody.
Meeting the gaze of a severed head with pitch-black eyes exuding a gloomy green glow, Chi Wan gripped her rifle tightly in fear.
“Two Level 3 pollution entities on the other side. Not high-level.”
Hei Mi walked over quickly to report. Qi Ye took out a silk handkerchief and carefully wiped his dual blades, his leisurely voice sounding lazy:
“Split into squads to explore. Take care not to leave this building.”
“Yes, Commander.”
The Sentinels split up to take action.
Chi Wan stayed behind Qi Ye. As an SSS-rank Guide, protecting the strongest Sentinel was her most important duty.
Seeing him step forward, she kept a three-meter distance and slowly followed.
Unexpectedly, he walked straight through the factory building toward the interior.
Behind the building was the core mining area, with more small structures scattered about and complex terrain.
Walking out of the building, Qi Ye sensed the steady footsteps following him and glanced sideways slightly.
To actually follow me… that’s rare.
But thinking of this, he couldn’t help but curve his lips in irony. Something that any high-level Guide could do became a rarity with her—truly mocking.
Sensing movement to the side, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and the short blade in his hand flew toward a spot.
The blade spun rapidly, scraping against a steel plate before returning to his hand.
At the same time, a four-meter-tall giant pollution beast rushed out!
Chi Wan hugged her gun and looked nervously at the giant tiger.
The fur on the tiger’s body had fallen off in patches, revealing grim, blackened polluted skin. Its pitch-black tiger eyes were eerie and terrifying. It opened its bloody maw and lunged at Qi Ye!
Level 4 Pollution Entity!
Chi Wan immediately released a mental barrier to assist Qi Ye in battle.
His Mental Entity emerged fiercely!
The long-extinct Kuiya Silver Python soared into the air!
Materializing into a solid form, it attacked the giant pollution tiger.
The Silver Python leaped up, fully five meters long, exuding overwhelming pressure.
Qi Ye’s face remained impassive; only his green eyes, behind a fleeting flash of vertical pupils, emitted a cold, cruel light.
He delivered a side kick to the tiger’s body. The giant tiger scrambled to dodge, but its head fell right into the Silver Python’s jaws!
Roar—!
Unexpectedly, several more mutated tigers rushed out from the pollution fog!
Chi Wan was startled, but her hands didn’t stop. Her SSS-rank Mental Power continued to give Qi Ye the greatest assistance, like peeling silk from a cocoon!
With powerful mental support, both Qi Ye and his Mental Entity maintained their peak combat strength!
The Silver Python expanded in size again, instantly coiling around the bodies of two giant pollution tigers.
Qi Ye’s movements didn’t cease. His leg techniques were superb; his seemingly elegant moves were sweeping, sharp, and ferocious. The giant tigers couldn’t get near him at all. Combined with his clean, deadly blade work, every cut was fatal!
His blade technique was like his Mental Entity: sinister, swift, striking straight at the vitals.
In an instant, most of the giant pollution tigers were dead.
Infected by this blood-boiling fight, Chi Wan assisted with increasing effort.
Under the soothing of such potent, overflowing Mental Power, Qi Ye’s expression gradually became strange.
Binding Heat was triggered.
The muscles in his body trembled uncontrollably, and his grip on the blade became unsteady.
He swept a glance at Chi Wan behind him, his hoarse voice filled with killing intent:
“Chi. Wan!”
He enunciated each word, practically gritting his teeth.
Hearing him call her name so suddenly, Chi Wan thought she wasn’t trying hard enough, so she accelerated the outpouring of her Mental Power!
[Host, what are you doing?! Excess Mental Power isn’t soothing anymore; it’s forcing the Sentinel to trigger Binding Heat!]
Chi Wan froze and stopped her hands, asking silently in her heart, “What is Binding Heat?”
[It’s over, it’s over. The original host was pampered and didn’t even learn basic Guide knowledge. Binding Heat is equivalent to human estrus. It causes Sentinels and Guides to lose the ability to think, placing carnal desire above all else. Stop immediately!]
Chi Wan’s face instantly went pale. Stopping her hands, she looked at Qi Ye, whose face was dark as he stood atop the mountain of corpses. She turned around and bolted toward the factory building behind her!
But before she could run a few steps, her waist was hooked by a silver-white snake tail!
It coiled around her, then lifted her into the air and dragged her backward.
The moment she fell to the ground, she met Qi Ye’s vertical green pupils.
The Binding Heat forced his Mental Entity to manifest, and even on his neck, a few silver snake scales were faintly visible.
The look he gave her was as if he wanted to tear her apart right then and there.
She had been very cooperative all the way, to the point where he had genuinely thought she had started to behave like a human being. He hadn’t expected her to still be herself—that utterly despicable woman—actually inducing his Binding Heat while he was fighting.
Chi Wan swallowed hard.
She could tell he was very angry.
“I think perhaps you aren’t clear enough on what the nature of a snake is.”
Facing his sinister interrogation, Chi Wan was so nervous she didn’t know what to say.
The nature of a snake is…
[Lust.]
Chi Wan: “Silver??”
[Lascivious.]
Chi Wan: “Lustful???”
Chi Wan: “!!!”
Feeling the air pressure drop extremely low, she realized she had said the wrong thing again. She looked fearfully at Qi Ye, whose face had darkened even further.
Scared out of her wits, she let out a “Wah” and burst into tears.
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