Chapter 171 Smashed

The steel fist, as big as a cooking pot, smashed into the chitinous carapace. The Shadow Predator Viper's skull shattered, its life force extinguished as it let out a miserable shriek and collapsed, dead. The air in its lungs squeezed out of its mouth and nose, and its body, swollen with rage, gradually relaxed.

Bi Kong You You breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at the output ranking. He was, as expected, in first place again. It was difficult for players of his level to surpass the attack power of his Heavy Mechanical Arm.

Moreover, the Heavy Mechanical Arm had high armor, allowing him to tank monsters. There were several times when the team almost wiped, but Bi Kong You You saved them. While other players occasionally suffered total wipes, they hadn't died once, so their contribution steadily increased, putting him in first place.

This weapon was worth the purchase!

Even though Hei You Ling's products were expensive, they were definitely worth every penny. No corners were cut, and they were truly conscientious. Bi Kong You You was inwardly delighted.

The vice-guild leader complained, "Actually shouting out the names of the moves is so embarrassing, Guild Leader. How old are you?"

"I like shouting, mind your own business." Bi Kong You You's forehead was covered in black lines. "What's the point of playing the Martial Arts class if you don't shout out the names of your moves!"

The Shadow Predator Viper's corpse and eggs were both worth contribution points, and the other guild members began to clean up the battlefield.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a sharp, whistling sound rang out from the depths of the tunnel, something was approaching rapidly!

A black shadow flashed past them with unparalleled speed, stirring up a gust of wind that nearly knocked everyone from Sky Territory off their feet. It was so fast that their retinas couldn't even register it. No one could see what it was.

"What was that?"

"It just zoomed by!"

Bi Kong You You, looking in the direction where the black shadow had disappeared, exclaimed in surprise, "That seems to be deeper into the nest!"

The others were astonished and exchanged glances.

"Let's go see."

The nest was covered in slowing mucus. They chased for a while, stumbling with each step, but the black shadow was long gone. The Sky Territory players were somewhat deflated.

"Don't chase, we can't keep up."

"Wait... what's that?" Someone noticed something strange.

The flashlight beam shone on it, and a pungent odor filled their nostrils. The tunnel was littered with the corpses of Shadow Predator Vipers, stretching deep into the darkness. The scene was shocking.

The carapaces that players struggled to break through were now like eggshells, easily crushed. The corpses were fresh, meaning that in the short time they had been chasing, the black shadow had dealt with all the beasts blocking its path. The level 40 monster pack hadn't slowed it down for even a second.

Immediately, everyone instinctively thought of Han Xiao.

"Was that Hei You Ling that just went past?"

"The monsters that take us half a day to kill were instantly wiped out by him. He's definitely a max-level character."

The information players obtained when scouting Han Xiao was always [Extremely Deadly], and everything else was question marks. People had always speculated about his level of strength, and now, with a direct comparison, they had a more concrete understanding. He was definitely one of the top combatants on Aquamarine.

Bi Kong You You suddenly perked up.

"He cleared a path for us. We can follow him."

...

Han Xiao, clad in a black combat suit mecha, moved quickly through the nest. The tactical display screen indicated the route.

Whoosh, whoosh—

Two Shadow Predator Vipers pounced from the unseen darkness, but the mecha's radar had already detected their life signs and heat signatures. Han Xiao didn't dodge or evade. In an instant, he activated Strong Mode. The bio-muscles beneath the armor bulged, and powerful force channeled through his fists as he slammed them into the Shadow Predator Vipers, head-on!

Bang! Crack! Power overwhelming!

Carapaces shattered, mucus splattered, and a miserable scream rang in his ears.

The desperate claw strikes landed on the mecha, merely scraping a trail of sparks on the outer armor. Han Xiao didn't stop, brushing past the two beasts and unleashing several more punches, instantly killing them. With his level 55 stats and the superior performance of Viper-Modification, plus the level suppression, he could easily kill these Shadow Predator Vipers.

He moved forward without pause.

Reaching out, he wiped away the mucus on the wall, noticing the radiation crystals becoming increasingly dense.

"The core area is almost here, and the monsters are appearing more frequently." Casually slamming a surprise-attacking Shadow Predator Viper against the wall and beating it to death, Han Xiao checked the map on the display screen, confirming that his route was correct.

The screen showed the external temperature rising. The crystals radiated heat, and the hotter the area, the more likely it was that the Beast King resided there.

The crystals' high temperature made the infrared night vision hazy and indistinct. Han Xiao simply switched to normal vision. The scene instantly darkened, but within seconds, it cleared up again. The [Night Stalker] talent [Bat Habits] provided dark vision and a combat power boost when fighting in the dark.

Passing through a cave opening, the space suddenly opened up, and a thick, fishy odor assaulted his senses. The mucus blanket underfoot was extremely thick. This was an underground cavern similar to a beehive, with large patches of deep blue radiation crystals embedded in the walls. There were more than a dozen beast paths leading in all directions. This was the center of the nest.

Countless red beast eyes flickered in the darkness. Dozens of Shadow Predator Vipers lay prone, baring their teeth to deter the uninvited guest. The pack was also mixed with several more ferocious elite monsters.

The most conspicuous was the Shadow Predator Viper Beast King, guarded by the pack in the center. It was three times larger than the others, looking down at Han Xiao from above. The mucus dripping from its mouth splattered on the ground, emitting a pungent odor and a hissing, corrosive sound.

"Being so huge, it must be the Beast King."

The Shadow Predator Viper pack rushed forward in a frenzy. Han Xiao shifted his feet, and the skateboard shoes ignored the viscous terrain, allowing him to move and dodge quickly. He unslung the Ghost Gauss Sniper Rifle from his back, using it as an assault rifle. The barrel flashed with electricity, and magnetized needle rounds left blue streaks as they flew, firing at a rapid rate.

He constantly changed his attack targets. He did this to continuously trigger [One Shot, One Kill]. With an eighth to a quarter chance of triggering True Damage, which didn't work on the same target within five minutes, this talent was more effective in group battles. The correct way to use it was to constantly change attack targets to maximize damage output...

Clusters of blood mist exploded as the needle bullets easily pierced the carapaces, quickly killing the pack. An elite monster quietly circled around behind him, launching a surprise attack. Han Xiao seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, turning around and delivering a powerful roundhouse kick, smashing the Shadow Predator Viper's skull with a bang.

The pack surged forward one after another, like a raging tide, but Han Xiao was like a reef, unyielding to the wind and rain. Monsters fell one after another around him, thinning the ranks.

Roar— The Shadow Predator Viper Beast King roared, its voice sharp and piercing. The sound waves echoed through the nest, summoning its kin.

The other players were stunned to find that the Shadow Predator Vipers they were fighting all stopped at the same time, turning around and running towards the depths of the nest without looking back.

The tunnels rustled, and the ground vibrated slightly. A large number of monsters were rushing over. If he dragged this out, it would become increasingly difficult. Han Xiao's eyes narrowed. He simultaneously activated [Overload], [Burning Will], and [Lethal Critical], and opened fire on the Beast King, which was circling the edge of the battlefield.

Buzz— The Gauss Sniper Rifle made a buzzing sound when fired, accompanied by an electric current.

A line of faint blue flashed past, piercing the Beast King's carapace and blasting a hole through it.

This shot also triggered the True Damage from [One Shot, One Kill]!

-2853! A terrifying damage number popped up, and the Beast King's health plummeted. It roared in pain and rolled around. Han Xiao saw the Beast King's stats on the panel.

"Level 53, Boss template, high Agility and Endurance... only 9,000 health?!" Han Xiao was surprised. That shot had nearly taken off a third of its health. This health pool didn't match its Boss template.

Could it be a type of Agility Beast King that focused on attack? But its large size didn't seem like it.

The Beast King rolled over and unexpectedly didn't pounce immediately. Instead, it ran to the corner of the cave, opened its mouth wide, and crunched down on something hard. Han Xiao looked through the gaps in the monster pack and was shocked to see that the Beast King was eating barrels of high-energy waste, marked with radiation hazard symbols.

Long-term consumption of waste by beasts had a high probability of causing mutation or granting special abilities. He noticed the Beast King's health recovering at a terrifying rate, restoring a thousand health points in just two or three breaths. Clearly, eating the waste would rapidly restore health.

Han Xiao realized that this Beast King was the type that would try to drag out the fight. This home ground was very disadvantageous for him. He took a deep breath, the air passing through his alveoli to increase the oxygen content of his blood, adjusting his state to the best possible, then his legs propelled him high into the air, drawing an arc over the monster pack. He crashed down onto the back of the Shadow Predator Viper Beast King with tremendous momentum, and the two rolled into a tangled mess.

Before he could stand up, Han Xiao curled his knuckles and popped out his blade nails, fiercely stabbing them into the Beast King's carapace, while simultaneously activating the Electrothermal Cutting Gauntlet, melting through the armor.

Suddenly, the sound of wind approached, and his back was struck by the Beast King's long tail, almost knocking him flying. Even through the mecha, he could feel the immense force, and the durability dropped slightly.

Han Xiao focused his attention, shouting in a deep voice. The "Bonfire" reactor on his back glowed brightly, and his arms and legs exerted force at the same time, pushing the Beast King against the wall.

With a deafening roar, it was as if the earth was shaking!

Falling rocks rained down!

The man and beast crashed through the wall, falling into the adjacent tunnel. The Beast King roared, wanting to return to the nest to recover health, but Han Xiao grabbed him tightly and dragged him out. His strength infused into the Magnetic Chain Split Blades on the back of his hands. The blades floated in the air, rapidly rotating to cut through the Beast King's carapace, exposing the deep purple flesh inside.

They tumbled and wrestled, like two beasts of similar size colliding, the momentum terrifying, continuously crashing through walls, causing the entire nest to shake and show signs of collapsing.

The players were horrified and hurriedly ran away.

"Run, we're going to be buried alive!"

"This is a demolition!"

Bi Kong You You also ran a few steps with the crowd, suddenly realizing, "That's not right, we can revive, now's the chance to pick up a kill and farm contribution!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the wall next to him exploded, and Han Xiao pushed the Beast King through, Bi Kong You You blocking the path and instantly getting crushed.

"Ah, Guild Leader, you died so tragically!" The vice-guild leader cradled his head in his hands, a look of horror on his face.