The First Analyst of the Interstellar Era

Chapter 55 : White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain

Flames exploded around the water-dwelling frog. The water attribute energy factors were frozen, completely impossible to mobilize. The flames, holding the advantage, pierced the frog's body through the thorns.

Several forces combined, causing its swollen belly to inflate to an extreme. When the explosion occurred, it burst like a balloon with a "pop."

Purple mucus splashed into the surrounding seawater. The powerful water attribute energy was also ignited, raising layer upon layer of huge waves.

Seawater, mucus, energy factors, and storms pounded against the energy shield.

Looking at the reefs below that had been corroded by mucus and then tossed away by huge waves, Zhou Chen patted Puluo's shoulder.

"This shield is well-made. When the shield opens, it gives such a sense of security."

Thinking that his mecha might become like the reef, Zhou Chen felt a shiver of dread.

Gu Qinxue's flames penetrated the frog's eyes, extracting the energy crystal, then retracting it back to the long whip as the fire gradually subsided.

"Mecha energy consumption 12%," she tossed the energy crystal to Chen Sui. "How's the damage?"

"19%, still acceptable."

After scanning the energy crystal, looking at the devastation caused by fire and artillery in front of her, with water pressure increasing and mecha energy consumption soaring when moving in seawater, Chen Sui circled a high-density area on the map.

"Spiritual body fluctuations have appeared here. Judging by the energy body convergence situation, I suspect there's a supply point."

Chen Sui shared her discovery.

Zhou Chen rubbed his waist and walked out from behind Puluo's shield, which was retracted, returning to its staff form.

The weapon Chen Sui designed for Puluo could switch between staff, umbrella, and shield forms, corresponding to attack, movement, and defense benefits respectively.

Puluo waved his hand, and Chen Sui asked: "How is it? Are you adapting well?"

Puluo had always leaned toward high defense, stacking damage absorption. Although he had only tested the umbrella form so far, he happily swung the staff several times. The solid staff body was very heavy; apart from him, others would struggle to wield it one-handed with ease.

"Yes, it feels great to use, and after energy infusion, both counter-damage and diffusion abilities are strong."

Otherwise, it couldn't have withstood the fierce waves earlier.

"The thorny whip is also good, with a wide explosion range. Compressed energy is suitable for spaces with limitations."

Gu Qinxue was accustomed to long-range bursts. Close combat would make her seem awkward. Once trapped by energy, her attack range would diminish, greatly reducing her damage output.

But Chen Sui's design for the Thorny Fire Whip's energy infusion could compress her energy, triggering an enhanced explosion similar to a shell, strengthening long-range attacks while compensating for her lack of close combat burst damage.

"That's good."

Chen Sui recorded their combat states, thinking about directions for further improvements, while also following the Commander's lead to judge subsequent terrain.

During the time they were dealing with the water-dwelling frog energy body, the system voice had already announced several eliminations.

Light pillars illuminated the direction of eliminations, alerting rescue teams while also reminding other teams: someone is here.

After ending the abrupt battle, Xie Chunshi looked at the map: "The supply point is to the north. We were brought here by the sky pillar, so we don't have a time advantage. We need to be cautious of ambushes from other teams along the way."

Chen Sui's energy fluctuations spread out in circles. An analyst's assessment of the energy field environment was crucial. She currently had only one confusion: "And there's the sky pillar. We can't predict its appearance or movement path based on energy fluctuations. According to the map determined by energy fluctuation directions, we've been swept from the eastern sea domain into the northern sea domain."

The sea domain divisions in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain were segmented according to energy base station signals. The nearest signal Chen Sui currently connected to was the northern base station.

The unclear reason for the sky pillar's appearance was indeed a problem. The team didn't have information about the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain. This was also one of the Competition Committee's test points: examining whether teams could quickly gather information when encountering unfamiliar energy fields.

"We know there are islands within the sea domain. Based on our descent situation, white sand islands would be dissolved by water pressure and collapse when sky pillars appear. According to energy theory, could the sky pillar be brought by the dissolution of white sand?"

On the way to the supply point, the team channel offered different analyses based on their descent situation.

Zhu Jing Fu was relatively lucky. Although their start wasn't smooth, they were the first to learn about white sand islands and sky pillars.

Zhou Chen wasn't curious about how sky pillars were born. Having experienced that spinning sensation, he only wanted to know: "With the high water pressure inside the sky pillar, could a mecha with full energy push its way out?"

Chen Sui recalled the inside of the White Sand Sky Pillar, where high energy formed a space-like isolation with suddenly increased water pressure, requiring mecha energy to increase not just by multiples.

"Very difficult, and while the mecha is breaking free from water pressure isolation, it must also resist energy factors. The damage level would increase explosively. If the energy factors of the White Sand Sky Pillar reach a sufficient concentration, they could directly destroy the mecha."

By "destroy," she meant activating the protection mechanism, equivalent to elimination.

Zhou Chen cursed under his breath, "So if we encounter a sky pillar, we can only be carried along? That's so frustrating. At least with energy bodies, we can fight. This leaves no room for resistance."

Xie Chunshi, leading the way, heard this and turned to remind him: "Isn't the most dangerous thing in energy fields their unpredictable environments? Don't underestimate the energy storm accumulation triggered by descent sacrifices."

Chen Sui nodded, also comforting him: "Don't worry, if you're afraid, other teams are too. Besides, doesn't the sky pillar seem like an express train? Relying solely on our mechas, it would take three days to push from the eastern sea domain to here. The sky pillar only takes a few short hours."

From her words, Xie Chunshi quickly understood Chen Sui's implied meaning.

"You mean, using the sky pillar to travel?"

After saying this, he considered its feasibility.

"The White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain energy field is vast. With one hundred teams scattered, not only is it impossible to gather face-to-face, but in the same sea domain, if there are few spawn points, teams might not encounter each other even in ten days."

"That's why the Competition Committee added survival," Chen Sui only realized later. "Teams are scattered and hide flexibly. Selection under such circumstances is meaningless. Survival and resource allocation are meant to incite internal conflicts. The higher the mecha points, the better. Just watch, once the sky pillar's rapid travel capability is known, we won't be the only ones with designs on it."

Weak teams wanting to pass the elimination round by surviving would need to find sufficient resources. Strong teams wanting to kill weak teams for mecha points would need to capture other teams besides resources. In an energy field where resources and teams are scattered, transportation between sea domains could only be achieved through sky pillars.

Hearing this, Zhou Chen showed a desperate expression: "So we're not just not avoiding it, but actually crashing into it?"

"Am I some kind of masochist?"

Zhou Chen mumbled to himself.

Chen Sui heard his whisper and held back a smile as she marked fixed points in the channel.

"We're approaching the sea domain ahead. Stay alert."

Vision was blurry in the seawater. Light could be seen penetrating the upper layer, but beyond a hundred meters deep, it was completely dark.

Entering the deep water area was Xie Chunshi's order. He speculated that if distant teams occupied advantageous conditions, they might observe from high-visibility positions. The deep water area could effectively conceal their location.

Although the energy consumption from water pressure was high, it was indeed safer comparatively.

About ten meters away from the spiritual body fluctuation point, Chen Sui noticed a huge, pitch-black trunk in the distance.

Upon closer approach, she discovered jagged rocks—it was actually an island buried below sea level.

"Damn, another island?"

Zhou Chen saw it from afar, recalling the island-shattering experience when they first entered.

Chen Sui immediately investigated the island's situation.

"Something's wrong," she quickly constructed an energy body diagram in the team channel. Meanwhile, Xie Chunshi had already begun building a holographic map. Merging the two maps and comparing with the white sand island situation, Chen Sui suddenly discovered an anomaly: "The white sand island had few energy fluctuations and floated on the sea surface, with no support beneath the sea domain. If the white sand island that merged into seawater and split open is a false island, then this current one must be a real island."

Zhou Chen's mind was full of the word "island," his head swelling from it all. "White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain, playing mind games with me, huh?"

Chen Sui didn't continue the idle chat with him. The sea environment was very unfavorable for Zhu Jing Fu. They needed to find a landing point, as both outputs struggled to find suitable energy convergence in such an environment.

"Go up to the island?"

She asked, looking ahead.

Xie Chunshi lowered his gaze, signaling the outputs to protect the analyst. "Let's wait."

As soon as he finished speaking, a blue light appeared in his hand, and a huge vortex began swirling from the hundred-meter-deep sea domain.

The sea surface immediately became turbulent.

The two teams occupying high-visibility positions on the island saw this and aimed their guns at the energy convergence point. Just as the vortex was sucking downward, a water column suddenly shot skyward.

The two teams instinctively fired their guns in that direction.

Under cover of the rolling waves, the Zhu Jing Fu school team, which had already escaped upward, was almost blown apart by energy projectiles flying into the water.

Gu Qinxue's long whip pulled Zhou Chen out of the explosion range: "Watch where you're going! Want to be eliminated?"

Admonished by her, Zhou Chen patted himself in fear: "Damn, that's sneaky. These people are actually ambushing."

"Can you determine their position?"

Chen Sui judged positions by sound and could roughly determine locations. Just as she was about to nod, she saw Zhou Chen take out his gun, drop his joking manner, and become serious: "Of course, am I so easy to bomb?"

Chen Sui was stunned, noticing his sudden change in attitude. The previously somewhat dazed person had suddenly entered a combat state, his cannon charging.

Xie Chunshi had worked with him before, and although this was their first time in a competition energy field, they quickly adapted to the rhythm.

"Zhou Chen, control your position. Xinxue, maintain output. Puluo, go around to the side and take the analyst up to the island."

Xie Chunshi quickly assigned tasks, and Puluo looked at Chen Sui, ready to follow her actions.

Chen Sui marked points on the map. "Take out the high-position outputs first."

"Clear the high positions, force them into close combat."

She reminded them, then separated from the school team underwater.

Chen Sui established energy isolation around the two, preventing other analysts from detecting spiritual body signals. Meanwhile, the school team suddenly burst from the water surface.

After firing, seeing the seawater continue to surge with no one emerging, the two teams were stunned, looking at each other. "What's going on?"

"Is it a sky pillar?"

While the two teams were confused, a black shadow suddenly leaped out from the water surface.

"Hi, friends! After an intense and exciting battle, are you feeling tired?"

Zhou Chen greeted enthusiastically, his voice amplified through the mecha, startling the ten people who had set up an ambush on the hillside around the island.

"Output, charge!"

One Commander reacted in advance, the command escaping his lips.

As guns were aimed at Zhou Chen's position, before the charging energy cannon could fire, several water columns suddenly shot up from the seabed!

Water vapor scattered, blurring the vision ahead. The water columns from the seabed curled higher and higher, eventually raising a huge wave near the island.

The huge wave smashed the approaching shells back into the sea, creating water splashes several meters high.

"What the hell is that?"

The Commander hadn't yet reacted, instinctively retreating with the analyst in another direction, avoiding the tsunami-like wave crashing down.

However, the expected splash of waves didn't occur. The already ejected seawater suddenly dropped in temperature, instantly condensing into ice, forming an ice path from the sea surface to the island.

Zhou Chen's mecha landed heavily on the ice path, his cannon charging and fiercely blasting toward the mountain opposite.

"Hey, that's not fair play!"

The just-frightened Commander faced the incoming artillery, his mecha raising a shield to block.

The energy cannon exploded on his shield, causing his hand to shake several times. The analyst behind him, seeing this and noting the subsiding cannon fire, quickly peeked out and fired a shot toward the ice path.

A barrage of artillery fire sounded.

Gu Qinxue and Xie Chunshi emerged from the seawater. Before the analyst's shell could hit the ice path, it was intercepted midway by a distant energy cannon, exploding in midair.

"It's Zhu Jing Fu!"

The other team, seeing the paint markings on the mechas, knew that while many could print buildings on mechas, only Zhu Jing Fu was universally recognized throughout the stars.

"Weren't their outputs supposed to be half-broken? Why are they so arrogant?"

The other team's Commander angrily said: "Stop reading StarNet marketing accounts. You actually believe that?"

The person who was rebuked pressed his lips together, also realizing the information discrepancy. "Let's go after their analyst first. Damn, don't let them onto the island."

Keeping Zhu Jing Fu trapped at sea gave them an advantageous position. Once on the island, the dynamics of offense and defense would change.