novelraw Chapter 106 : Red Moon Snow Plain (Bug Hunting)
Chapter 106 : Red Moon Snow Plain (Bug Hunting)
As the storm subsided, the snow-white surface stretched out under a black sky with interwoven cyan and purple auroras, with occasional wind carrying flashes of electricity.
In the white snow plain, a deep black rock-like protrusion emerged. Wind carrying snow dust swept over it, bursting tiny spark-like electric flashes on the surface of the black "rock."
Green light swept across, directly dispersing the lightning.
A mech arm extended from beneath the snow layer. In the white snow, a mechanical hand waved on the snow surface.
Her palm suddenly burst forth a beam of green light, followed by a rumbling, puttering sound from beneath the snow layer.
"Good thing I installed anti-freeze agent," a hoarse female voice was faintly heard.
"Swoosh—"
The white snow layer exploded outward, a black shadow like a meteor flashed up from the ground, directly leaping into midair. Snow clumps fell from her body, with remnants of restraint device chains still swinging.
The mech landed with a thud, one knee half-kneeling, palm pressing on the snow surface, directly pressing down a depression.
Chen Sui patted the snow surface.
The snow layer was very thick, enough to bury an entire mech, but standing on top, it only sank less than half a mech arm before compacting the snow layer.
The mech engine liquid could still flow under the influence of anti-freeze agent, not freezing up, allowing Forest Envelopment's interior to function normally.
Green light enveloped the black gold mech's surface. Chen Sui looked up.
The polar day brought a pitch-black sky, with luminescent aurora layers covering the black sky, floating with the electromagnetic field like a veil, rendering the sky curtain like the rolling waves of a black sea surface.
"Phew—" Chen Sui exhaled a cold breath. In the cockpit without the fire stone lit, her breath brought white mist, which condensed into tiny ice crystals in the distance.
Seeing this, she lit the fire stone, expanding her energy perception.
Contrary to her expectations, though the Aurora state had arrived, the ice-attributed storm had not yet diminished.
This extended Transition state looked more like the thunder-attributed energy storm had taken longer to accumulate energy, seeking to suppress the Red Moon state's energy storm, transitioning to the Aurora state.
At this moment, with Zhu Jing Fu's five member perspectives scattered, in the control room, reviewers watching the live broadcast saw the intermittent signal footage and rapidly increasing live bullet comments. Mo Qiu'an spoke to explain: "The Red Moon Snow Plain energy field fluctuation is abnormal. Base station equipment has all been activated, and rescue teams are standing by. Please rest assured."
"Believe in our military academy students. They can solve it."
Zhao Loulan's steady voice was like a sea-calming needle, gradually quieting the excited bullet comments.
Irregular situations had occurred during league competitions before. Or rather, for the Border Army, energy fields completely following the rules were rare; even slight changes were normal. This was also one of the purposes of the Border Army's regular energy field sweeps.
For military academy students, they must adapt to and overcome these unknowns and changes.
This was the inevitable path of the Star Alliance's struggle against energy fields.
"Which academies have been scattered by the snowstorm so far?"
Zhao Loulan had already deployed an energy field rescue plan, but due to lightning storms, the passage to the energy field interior was filled with energy storms, with rescue teams dealing with them.
She looked toward the reviewers watching the broadcast.
Before the signal became chaotic, Ji Qing had been observing the situation of several academies. "Na Luo River and Zhu Jing Fu have been scattered."
"The intensity of this lightning snowstorm is very high. The Star Alliance's restraint devices are specially designed for the Red Moon Snow Plain, but the lightning intensity has exceeded the material's endurance limit, which is the main reason for the military academy students' scattering."
"Xitisi was underground when the snowstorm occurred, luckily escaping it. Ink Hills and Saint Laurent were blown to the same snow region, with one having reduced energy fluctuation, avoiding the strongest area of the lightning storm. Saint Laurent is at the base station, with the base station's shielding devices withstanding the snowstorm."
Ji Qing brought up the five academies' live broadcast panels, directly placing them on the light screen. The energy signal was chaotic; some panels showed unclear images, others were quite smooth.
In the Zhu Jing Fu perspective, they saw Chen Sui leaping out of the snow.
"The lightning snowstorm's first occurrence caused such consequences, but our students will be more vigilant in the future. They will have countermeasures."
Zhao Loulan's gaze focused on the black gold mech on the snow plain, her eyes showing some approval. She turned her head, gesturing to the Border Army warrior behind her.
The person immediately understood, separating from the team.
"As a precaution, I've already issued a summons. The Border Army is standing by outside the energy field management department. Once there's a major emergency, they'll force their way in if necessary."
Zhao Loulan, before leaving the control room, instructed Mo Qiu'an in a low voice.
The management department director's expression was solemn as she nodded gravely.
In the Red Moon Snow Plain, Chen Sui walked along the snow surface. The mech's team channel signal was cut off, with positioning signals coming and going, only able to see the saved map. Chen Sui determined her position through flickering coordinates, struggling to determine the forward direction.
She and her teammates were scattered, but they would definitely gather at the main base station. She had to get to the main base station quickly.
The lightning storm energy was more severe than recorded in the Red Moon Snow Plain. Zhou Chen's spiritual domain energy barrier wasn't enough to resist the energy storm for too long.
The black gold mech walked a distance in the snow, then Chen Sui suddenly stopped. The control room could only see her perspective, so everyone watched her stop, hand on her waist.
"I should have listened to the lucky player."
Walking in this snow was truly exhausting.
Better than driving without a license.
Song Xingzhang understood Chen Sui's physical condition well. Seeing this scene, he knew Chen Sui wasn't really feeling tired but had detected something unusual.
His sharp eyes stared at the screen.
Sure enough, the black gold mech drew its spear. While she was still lamenting how difficult the snow was to traverse, the spear suddenly swept through the air.
The whistling sound of breaking wind cut through the snow plain's electrified wind sound, thrusting directly forward.
On the snow surface, a huge snow monster's figure was forming.
Just as it emerged, it was pierced by the rapidly approaching black gold mech. Green light exploded, bursting into a small tree-like vine cluster inside the snow monster's body.
The snow monster's body scattered into a puddle of snow, falling onto the mech's hand. Chen Sui's figure paused for just a second before immediately turning the spear, quickly spinning and thrusting in a circle behind her.
The snow monster's sound rose from the snow surface, with lightning flashing on its body. Large patches of drifting snow, along with the snow monster's formation, blew toward Chen Sui's mech.
These weren't simply drifting snow but carried flashing lightning with lightning storm energy.
The black gold mech propelled upward, leaping into midair, dodging and flashing, closing in on the snow monster.
Just after Chen Sui stood up, many snow monster bodies formed on the ground.
"The Red Moon Snow Plain's lightning snow monster group. These creatures can form bodies in the snow at any time. It seems Zhu Jing Fu's analyst is in a bit of a predicament."
The commentator's voice in the control room described Chen Sui's predicament.
Outside the venue, Song Xingzhang remained calm: "If she can't fight, she can still run. Little Sui knows what she's doing."
He wasn't worried. Chen Sui had just experienced the snowstorm's impact, and entangling with these lightning snow monsters now would be a poor strategy.
After Song Xingzhang finished speaking, as the lightning snow monsters continuously emerged from beneath the snow surface, and she was about to be surrounded by snow monsters, with huge humanoid snow monster figures overshadowing her.
Chen Sui set up her cannon, quickly charging energy, but the cannon seemed to stutter, with the charging light flickering intermittently, eventually flashing at high frequency.
"No way," Chen Sui closed her eyes briefly. "I didn't get a chance to take energy pipes."
The mech, just repaired not long ago, had increased damage from the snowstorm, and its energy was eroded by the energy storm. By such coincidence, Chen Sui hadn't had time to take energy pipes and nutrition liquid.
At this moment, she not only felt the howling gale around her but also hunger and fatigue from her body.
And in front, the lightning snow monsters' surrounding lightning flashed, seemingly threatening.
Chen Sui decisively pushed the last bit of energy into the cannon.
Forget about whether she could reach the main base station; she needed to go to the nearest base station for resource supplies.
The cold in the snow plain made Chen Sui's fingers somewhat stiff, but as green light burst forth, her movements controlling the energy body remained incredibly fluid.
Wood-Born Flower's vines extended around, seeming to come alive, directly lashing toward the lightning snow monsters. Even when facing lightning, being struck into charcoal, they didn't retreat.
And from the pet form of Wood-Born Flower's phantom, a huge flower bud rotated and extended toward Chen Sui's front, with vines bursting open the snow monsters ahead. The scattered energy was enveloped by the flower bud.
Seeing a path cleared around, Chen Sui's mech propelled forward.
At this moment, she couldn't help but be grateful that during mech repairs, she had specifically added backup energy. In the energy storm, the backup energy was placed in storage devices, avoiding energy erosion.
Backup energy rolled into the mech's propulsion device. As Chen Sui increased propulsion, the mech seemed to emit a roar, with warm white steam dispersing around her.
Just as the lightning snow monster exploded, Chen Sui's figure instantly darted away, with Wood-Born Flower's phantom following her movement.
Seeing the lightning snow monster's lightning movement, the distant black gold mech immediately turned back, facing toward where the energy bodies were gathering.
The long-charging cannon carried a fierce, rapid fiery breath, directly sweeping up the snow layer in its trajectory. White snow spurted out around, blasting toward the lightning snow monster's front.
A dull explosion sounded in the distance.
Several meters of fierce fire instantly exploded in front of the lightning snow monster, immediately raising the ground's snow layer.
In the footage, the black gold mech had already disappeared beyond the snow ground's horizon.
"Goodbye, I'll fight you next time," Chen Sui's hoarse voice dissipated in the gale.
After the snowstorm subsided for a period, the base station signal finally slowly connected amid the chaotic energy storm.
In the control room footage, the images of other academies gradually restored.
The scattered five members of Ink Hills were blown to the same area and quickly gathered after the signal recovered.
But on the snow plain, the situation with the ink-blue mechs couldn't be described as good.
When Zhang Yingjie arrived, Xin Ming and Jipuna had already propped up the ink-blue mech on the ground from both sides.
"How is the analyst?"
The steady Commander's brows tightened, somewhat unprepared for the scene before him.
Xin Ming's eyes also carried worry. The analyst she supported, Jiang Zhongyu, was still unconscious.
"Before the storm came, I felt energy entanglement, likely from Little Yu's energy, wanting to prevent us from being scattered. But that snowstorm was too strange, impacting him significantly."
Xin Ming said softly. Her usually gentle voice now sounded somewhat dejected.
Zhang Yingjie pressed his hand on her shoulder as comfort, then took her place, shouldering Jiang Zhongyu's arm. On the other side, soldier Zhao Jingzhi also replaced Jipuna's position.
"The energy field situation isn't quite right. Theoretically, the Aurora state shouldn't cause such severe impact on Little Yu. Looking at the situation now, during the Aurora state, ice-attributed energy hasn't completely disappeared."
Zhang Yingjie's gaze was sharp. At the moment the snowstorm scattered them, the Ink Hills members could still communicate via team channel. Jiang Zhongyu didn't faint immediately; he could still contact the Ink Hills members upon landing. It was later, when the signal was interrupted, hearing his weak voice, that they realized the analyst had been impacted by energy, directly fainting in the snow.
"We weren't in the storm's center, just the peripheral area, which is a blessing in misfortune."
Upon hearing this, Jipuna immediately clicked his tongue: "If this is just the periphery, how intense must the central area be? Would it tear the mech apart?"
Zhang Yingjie didn't answer him, but given that the analyst's energy entanglement couldn't prevent scattering even at the periphery, it seemed that in this storm, Ink Hills wasn't the only team scattered.
"Let's find a nearby base station first. The analyst's condition isn't good; we need to find another team's analyst to help."
Jiang Zhongyu could initially rely on energy barriers to resist the snow plain's ice-attributed storm, but after this snowstorm move, the spiritual domain's barrier likely couldn't hold up. His fainting was very likely due to his spiritual domain being too severely eroded by ice-attributed energy.
Ink Hills' detection radar was somewhat confused by the surrounding signal influence, but fortunately, Zhang Yingjie was very reliable. Using just simple maps, he could plan good routes, confirming the main base station location.
Ink Hills counted their available energy, supporting the analyst as they moved toward a nearby base station.
The passage of time in the Aurora state didn't feel strong. If not for the Commander keeping track of time, they might not have been able to answer the analyst, who weakly awoke several hours later.
On the way to a nearby base station, Jiang Zhongyu suddenly moved a few times. Feeling this movement, the Ink Hills members stopped, placing him on a black rock protruding from a hill.
"Maybe we should pry open the cockpit and check?"
Jipuna looked at the analyst's ink-blue mech.
"It should be fine; the mech's emergency device hasn't ejected the cockpit," the mech intelligence would detect the driver's condition; without ejection, it meant Jiang Zhongyu's condition wasn't serious. Xin Ming pressed her lips, calling Jiang Zhongyu's name several times.
At one of her calls, a response came from the cockpit.
"Sister Xin......"
Xin Ming's face showed joy: "Little Yu is awake!"
She pulled her teammate.
Jiang Zhongyu moved his fingers a few times, feeling the snow surface beneath him, struggling to open his eyes, his voice faint: "Sorry, the energy storm driven by the snowstorm affected me too much."
His tone was very apologetic. As an analyst fainting caused enormous trouble for the team. The team moving with him was equivalent to losing perception of surrounding energy fluctuations.
Zhang Yingjie patted his shoulder, comforting him: "Don't say these things; it's not your fault. How do you feel now?"
Jiang Zhongyu explored his spiritual domain's condition, a flash of wonder suddenly crossing his eyes: "Hmm?"
Then, he hurriedly spread his perception to sense the surrounding situation: "Aurora state?"
"Yes, but looking at the situation, the ice-attributed energy storm still exists." Zhang Yingjie said.
"Though still present, it's somewhat declining," Jiang Zhongyu showed a pale smile, which was also why he awoke. "It seems in the Aurora state, the thunder-attributed storm still has the upper hand. This energy fluctuation, the thunder-attributed storm is still rising, already able to completely suppress the ice-attributed energy."
"What about you?" Xin Ming asked further. She didn't care much about the energy field's energy storm type, only concerned about whether her teammate was still alright.
Jiang Zhongyu's eyes carried some warmth: "I'm much better, Sister Xin. Everyone needn't worry. Though there's still energy storm interference, it's already much lighter than the Red Moon state."
"We're preparing to go to a nearby base station. If we encounter other teams, we'll need their analyst to organize your spiritual domain," Zhang Yingjie explained. "Energy invasion isn't a small matter."
Jiang Zhongyu was about to say he could conduct the organizing himself, but as soon as he controlled his spiritual domain energy, he felt tsunami-like surges, dizziness immediately pressing down, his heart rate soaring. He suddenly breathed with difficulty, this sudden intense panting making all four Ink Hills members look over with concern.
Jiang Zhongyu quickly stabilized his spiritual domain's waves, his back breaking out in a cold sweat, somewhat fearfully saying: "This Aurora state's energy invasion is actually more troublesome than the Red Moon state."
The Red Moon state could be blocked by barriers alone, but the Aurora state's energy storm seemed much more violent, leaving wounds with very strong reactions.
Jiang Zhongyu needed far more than spiritual organization; at a serious level, he might need healing.
An analyst could certainly perform healing themselves, but in his current condition, even utilizing energy control was somewhat difficult. After recovering somewhat, perhaps there would be a chance.
"Once I recover a bit, I shouldn't need help from other analysts," Jiang Zhongyu didn't much hope for Ink Hills to make such a trade with other academies.
Firstly, it would make him feel very guilty. Ink Hills would definitely give up some benefits, which would make him feel like a burden to his teammates.
On the other hand, although he was an analyst, he was still an awakened one. Foreign energy invasion would still cause discomfort like other awakened ones.
Zhang Yingjie didn't express an opinion, seemingly agreeing. The Ink Hills members, seeing he had just woken, took a brief rest on the spot.
Jiang Zhongyu was still trying to organize his spiritual domain, controlling energy. Currently, his perception was quite limited, not even noticing the slightly raised bulge in the snow layer behind him.
The Ink Hills members spread out around him. Jipuna and Zhao Jingzhi were already excitedly stomping on the snow.
Zhang Yingjie vigilantly watched the surroundings, occasionally lowering his gaze to check the channel map. Xin Ming looked up at the aurora, watching the light screen sway, feeling the energy storm sweeping over the mech.
"Does Little Yu need a fire stone?"
Hearing Jiang Zhongyu's weak coughing during this time, she hurriedly passed him fire stones and energy liquid.
Jiang Zhongyu waved in refusal. After adding anti-freeze agent to his mechanical heart, his condition had improved greatly. Currently, only his spiritual domain situation was somewhat difficult to alleviate.
But Jiang Zhongyu, feeling the increasingly weak ice-attributed storm, began to show smiles on his face, regaining vigor.
After a while, he could recover, and his spiritual domain situation could also be resolved.
This thought brought color back to his face.
Just when none of the five Ink Hills members anticipated it.
Under the aurora night, a black gold mech like a ghost shadow concealed itself in the distance.
Her mech figure's outer layer rippled with blue light, a special coating allowing her to perfectly blend into the surrounding environment, even suppressing energy fluctuations extremely well.
Chen Sui had barely escaped the lightning snow monster group, not daring to stop at all along the way, directly rushing toward the nearest secondary base station.
She encountered many energy bodies on the way. With insufficient cannon energy, even though she could fight with a spear, she couldn't withstand the lack of nutrition liquid. In the snow plain, heat loss was extreme, and she quickly felt hungry.
The drawback of energy bodies, Chen Sui thought, was that without energy crystals, they didn't even have bodies; otherwise, she could roast one on the spot in the snow plain—who needs nutrition liquid?
She thought resentfully, and as her thoughts gradually settled, seeing several familiar black dots in the distant snow, she accelerated to get closer. The rugged rocks on the hilltop and the curved mountainside all concealed her figure, with the Blue Fin coating making her undetectable.
Only upon approaching did Chen Sui recognize Zhang Yingjie's group through the eye-catching ink-blue color and Ink Hills totem patterns.
Jiang Zhongyu hadn't noticed her?
Chen Sui instinctively intensified her energy shielding, but Ink Hills showed no vigilance at all. Chen Sui sensed something was wrong, looking toward the center, her energy tentatively sweeping across.
Whoa?
She raised her eyebrow end.
The Ink Hills analyst's energy fluctuation was truly weak. Could he be injured?
But Chen Sui quickly understood.
The Aurora state's transformation hadn't weakened the ice-attributed energy in the energy field; it even showed an increasingly heavy trend. If not for the Aurora state's lightning storm strengthening, completely suppressing the ice-attributed storm, Jiang Zhongyu's condition would probably be more serious.
Thinking of this, Chen Sui's mood suddenly became heavier.
She had to speed up. The Aurora state's lightning storm was still strengthening, and its impact on Zhou Chen would grow increasingly severe.
With this thought, Chen Sui was about to pass by toward the base station, but as her energy perception returned from Ink Hills, her gaze suddenly changed.
A murderous aura rose up.
The moment energy perception swept over, Jiang Zhongyu's fine brows slightly furrowed, an extremely uncomfortable strange feeling surrounding him.
"Zhang Yingjie—"
Before Jiang Zhongyu could finish, the Team Leader, who was checking the energy field situation, immediately looked up, his sensor glasses flashing: "Alert."
The soldier and agile attacker, originally playing in the snow, immediately became serious. As they drew their guns, spirit bodies rose from behind them, looking toward the front.
Chen Sui flipped her spear in hand. Seeing Ink Hills members seemingly on alert, all facing her position, she tilted her head slightly.
The black gold mech leaped up from the snow, instantly flying up from the hillside. While Ink Hills only noticed a black shadow flashing through their field of vision, before they could aim, Zhang Yingjie heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Your Ink Hills analyst is so weak, yet you're all so far away. Aren't you afraid something will happen?"
Chen Sui's tone was somewhat harsh, seemingly criticizing Ink Hills.
She moved too quickly for gun positioning. Ink Hills saw her still in front, then in the blink of an eye, she had reached them.
In reality, the four weren't far from the analyst, able to guarantee immediate reaction, but in Chen Sui's view, this distance, compared to the lightning snow monster behind Jiang Zhongyu, less than two meters away, was still far.
Before Ink Hills could react, they saw the distant black shadow instantly reveal the complete form of a black gold mech upon contact, then a gust of wind raced past.
Chen Sui directly swept past the Ink Hills members, advancing from analyst Jiang Zhongyu's side, her spear swinging at his side, bringing up a revolving cold gleam.
Zhang Yingjie's gaze flashed, looking toward Chen Sui's figure.
"Wood-Born Flower."
Just hearing her cold command, a green light lit up behind her. Vines from above instantly extended, encircling Jiang Zhongyu's mech, pushing him back.
"Xin Ming."
Zhang Yingjie quickly caught the pushed Jiang Zhongyu.
The analyst still didn't understand what had happened. Just as he could see the black gold mech, he saw a metal face sweep past his eyes. Though he had only met Chen Sui once, through that momentary crossing, seeing the mech's cold face, he instinctively thought of that thin girl's face, and those eyes like emeralds soaked in deep water.
The named Ink Hills strong attacker immediately realized something was wrong. Ghost Flower appeared in her palm, directly following along Wood-Born Flower's vines toward Chen Sui's figure.
The bulge in the snow moved, finally finding among the energy fluctuation groups the best and most delicious target to handle, just about to form a body from the snow when it saw the targeted food pushed away.
The lightning snow monster emitted a howling-like angry roar, the snow layer immediately rolling like waves.
A human-shaped snow pile monster protruded from the snow surface, with lightning crackling around it.
Not just one lightning snow monster; around Ink Hills, several lightning snow monsters emerged from the snow layer.
But this batch of lightning snow monsters was obviously lower in level and fewer in number than the batch Chen Sui had encountered earlier.
She swung her spear across her front, her lip corner lifting in a somewhat mocking smile. The spear thrust directly forward, splitting the lightning about to strike at Jiang Zhongyu.
"Crack—"
A burst of sound rang out. The spear, carrying green light, directly exploded the lightning, thrusting toward the snow monster's abdomen.
The four-edged spear blade began rotating upon contact with the snow monster. As the spear head pierced the snow monster's body, the rotating four-edged spear blade burst with a dazzling green light, quite similar to the swaying aurora in the sky.
The green storm directly tore apart the lightning snow monster's body. Lightning instantly spread across the spear, exploding outward like fireworks.
Chen Sui threw out the spear without touching it. Lightning exploded in front of her, not harming her in the slightest.
But the lightning snow monster wasn't so lucky.
Its body was directly shredded, large snowflakes swept open by the four-edged spear blade. The snow plain's fierce wind blew, carrying the snowflakes midair, directly forming a wind vortex under the aurora, spreading around, like heavy snow falling.
The four-edged spear blade directly cut through the lightning snow monster's body, stabbing into the snow layer. Half the spear completely disappeared into the snow, with lightning exploding on the snow surface.
As the lightning gradually extinguished, Chen Sui's hand finally gripped the spear, and by this time, Wood-Born Flower's vines had already pierced through the lightning snow monster's body, with Ghost Flower on the left and right, completely controlling the lightning snow monster group.
The black gold mech gripping the spear didn't lunge out again but rose early, picking up the energy crystal that had burst out from the snow layer.
Green light flickered as she raised the mech's hand.
"Snap!"
A loud finger snap exploded in the energy field.
With that sound, on Wood-Born Flower's vines, countless spikes instantly burst out, like thorny branches.
"Bang bang bang—"
Several consecutive explosions, and the lightning snow monsters' bodies were simultaneously blown apart.
Vines carrying energy crystals emerged, while the lightning snow monsters' bodies quickly turned to snow flurries, directly exploding on the ground, flying midair.
When Jiang Zhongyu looked back, he saw the black gold mech in the fluttering heavy snow, holding a fiery red spear, walking toward him.
On Xin Ming's Ghost Flower, black gas had just dug out energy crystals from the lightning snow monsters, with tentacles retracting toward the huge flower cluster behind her.
Jipuna, watching the approaching mech, couldn't help but quietly say: "Damn, is this how you show off?"
"Where did she learn that, making it so cool? Isn't she afraid of dying?" Zhao Jingzhi deeply sympathized, thinking of Chen Sui's finger snap exploding the lightning snow monster group, feeling his whole body boiling with a kind of low-key showing-off feeling.
"Do they have special courses at Zhu Jing Fu teaching how to look cool? One after another, all making such impressive displays."
There weren't many who couldn't show off.
Zhao Jingzhi felt somewhat unbalanced, making Ink Hills seem quite lacking in style.
Chen Sui hadn't noticed their inner activities. Looking at the caught Jiang Zhongyu, she first asked with concern: "Are you alright? I shouldn't have pushed you too far."
Jiang Zhongyu was momentarily stunned, hearing this slightly hoarse female voice, nodding and answering a beat late: "No, no problem, thank you."
He said "thank you" in a somewhat lower voice, his pale face showing a slight blush.
But Chen Sui wasn't looking at him anymore, directly engaging with the Ink Hills Team Leader.
"Commander Zhang, Sister Xin, what a coincidence meeting you here."
Xin Ming, seeing her turn her head and tilt her body slightly, with somewhat awkward posture, smiled as she approached: "Little Sister Chen Sui, why are you alone?"
She looked in the direction Chen Sui had come from, her tone soft and gentle, but Chen Sui's smile froze, slowly fading as she looked toward Zhang Yingjie.
"I just saved your analyst. Surely Ink Hills won't be so petty?"
Taking advantage of her being alone? That's not very honorable.
Chen Sui asked in return.
If Ink Hills wanted to fight, she could only run.
She currently had no energy, and no nutrition liquid, putting her at a great disadvantage in a fight.
Xin Ming looked at Zhang Yingjie.
The young man shook his head, his gaze somewhat appraising, contemplating for a moment, then smiling at Chen Sui, his steady voice showing no malice: "We won't."
"Zhu Jing Fu scattered in the snowstorm?"
Zhang Yingjie asked directly.
Otherwise, they wouldn't let an analyst act alone.
This academy truly had strange luck.
Zhang Yingjie thought secretly, fortunate that their analyst wasn't ordinary. If it had been other academies' analysts alone, it would have been a great opportunity to break through, directly eliminating a strong competitor for the defending position.
But Chen Sui—
Zhang Yingjie considered, but still decided against it. He still needed the Zhu Jing Fu analyst's help.
Just as the Ink Hills Commander sorted out the pros and cons, he saw the black gold mech in front extending a hand to him: "Commander Zhang, sorry, but do you have any nutrition liquid and energy liquid? Can I have some?"
Chen Sui also didn't want to be so direct in asking Ink Hills, but seeing Zhang Yingjie's intention, fighting wasn't going to happen, and there even seemed to be some hint of cooperation.
Her gaze swept over Ink Hills' weak analyst, instantly finding leverage.
Her righteous attitude made Jipuna's eye corner twitch violently.
Was it his imagination, or did the Zhu Jing Fu people all seem to have similarly thick skin?
Zhang Yingjie was also momentarily confused by this move. Xin Ming behind Chen Sui had already taken out the two items she mentioned.
The Commander smiled: "You're quite direct?"
He shook his head, signaling Xin Ming to give them to her.
Chen Sui finally got nutrition liquid, immediately downing one, raising her hand to give Xin Ming a thumbs up: "Thanks, Sister Xin."
Having filled her stomach, she looked at Zhang Yingjie, getting down to business: "Cooperate?"
Zhang Yingjie was already well-adapted to Zhu Jing Fu's straightforward, no-nonsense style, with no intention of being evasive.
He simply nodded: "How do you want to cooperate?"
"I need to go to the main base station, but there are too many energy bodies on the way. Partner up?" Chen Sui said.
Red Moon Snow Plain energy bodies were mostly distributed in groups. Alone, she could handle low-level energy body groups, but slightly higher-level ones could easily wear her down through rotating attacks. With Ink Hills' help, they could resolve issues faster.
"Alright."
"We each take our own points, parting at the main base station. To show sincerity, Ink Hills needs to provide me with resources."
Jipuna listened with his mouth twitching, resources on the tip of his tongue, acceptable, very Zhu Jing Fu: "Hold on, what can you do?"
He asked curiously.
Zhu Jing Fu being so righteous must have suitable items to exchange. He'd heard they had sharp eyes, able to see locations of all sorts of valuable things in energy fields.
Jipuna excitedly rubbed his hands, thinking Chen Sui would exchange with materials.
The analyst in the black gold mech just glanced at him briefly, then scanned the Ink Hills analyst: "Your analyst isn't in good condition. Spiritual healing, plus an energy barrier."
"Oh, and afterward, the energy field's energy won't affect him."
Chen Sui offered a bargaining chip Zhang Yingjie couldn't refuse.
Jiang Zhongyu's lips parted, about to speak, when he heard the Zhu Jing Fu analyst speak, her words carrying some urgency from the beginning: "I'll handle Ink Hills' energy monitoring all the way, with just one requirement: get to the main base station as quickly as possible. Commander Zhang, please lead the way."
Chen Sui's voice sounded with a hint of a smile.
Zhang Yingjie looked at the situation on the map, narrowing his eyes.
The Zhu Jing Fu analyst was in such a hurry to reunite?
He thought for a moment. Just as Jiang Zhongyu was about to say he could recover on his own, not needing Ink Hills to agree to her request, Chen Sui seemed to have anticipated this and directly looked at him: "You should be able to feel that the Aurora state's ice-attributed storm hasn't disappeared. You feel good now because the lightning storm has the advantage, but the two energies wax and wane. The ice-attributed energy is still accumulating, trending toward continuous growth. Can you be sure that when you've recovered somewhat, the fully charged ice-attributed storm won't invade your spiritual domain?"
Jiang Zhongyu paused, instinctively looking at Zhang Yingjie.
The Ink Hills Team Leader nodded, handing her an energy pipe: "Charge quickly, we're going to the main base station."
Chen Sui breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're in such a hurry? Shouldn't we collect more points along the way?"
"Hey? Are we still going to that secondary base station? How will you do the spiritual healing if we don't go?"
Jipuna circled around Chen Sui, chattering.
While charging her cannon, Chen Sui took out the energy shielding device she had made, waving to Jiang Zhongyu.
"We'll do it right here," she turned to look at Jipuna, the analyst's warning gaze penetrating through the mech, invisibly bringing a pressure to Jipuna, making him instinctively close his mouth.
With ears finally quiet, Chen Sui activated the energy shielding device she had prepared for Zhou Chen, preparing to perform spiritual healing for Jiang Zhongyu.
Zhang Yingjie looked at what she was holding, understanding flashing in his eyes.
As the two analysts were enveloped in an invisible barrier, Jipuna still peered in with some concern: "Hey, just the two of them? Shouldn't more people go in? I'm afraid if Little Yu suddenly goes berserk—"
Soldier Zhao Jingzhi gave him a look that said he was overthinking: "That's unnecessary. The Zhu Jing Fu analyst's close combat is very strong; even if Little Yu went berserk, he couldn't do anything to her."
"That's not what I'm worried about," Jipuna said profoundly. "I'm afraid if Little Yu goes berserk, she'll flatten him."
"I know the Zhu Jing Fu analyst isn't as weak as she looks, she's quite capable, but our analyst isn't like that."
Jiang Zhongyu really is as weak as he looks.
He was afraid their analyst would go berserk and end up being punched into the snow by Chen Sui.
After hearing this, Zhao Jingzhi indeed fell silent, then joined Jipuna in looking toward the barrier direction, his face also showing some concern.
Xin Ming wasn't worried. Seeing Zhang Yingjie's gaze fixed on a point, she approached and asked: "What's wrong?"
The Team Leader, returning to his senses, looked at Chen Sui's well-prepared analytical instruments and somewhat hurried posture, immediately confirming: "Someone in Zhu Jing Fu has a spiritual domain issue."
"Zhou Chen or Xie Chunshi." He quickly identified the targets.
Chen Sui's rush to reach the main base station was likely not just about reuniting with teammates but about these energy shielding instruments, possibly prepared for one of them.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yingjie's expression grew more serious.
If that was the case, they indeed couldn't delay.
Whether it was Zhou Chen or Xie Chunshi, neither situation was simple.
"Let's go to the main base station first. The points along this route are enough for us."
He quickly made route arrangements, finding the closest path to the main base station.