Chapter 78: Let Me Take a Drag

BANG! Lu Luo kicked open a door. Observer instantly scanned the room while Gu Fangyi stood ready to shoot. No life forms. Next one! "No life forms. Next one!" Exploring a new area for the first time, Lu Luo was quite cautious, as he was still unsure of the potential upper limit of the Exotic Species’ strength here. He and Gu Fangyi adopted a back-to-back, rotating formation, advancing slowly. Consequently, their pace was very slow. For safety, Lu Luo had to proceed this way. Only after eliminating all dangers in the mall could they consider establishing a base there. I’m still too inexperienced with exploring beyond the Wall. When will I become a qualified Wasteland veteran? Although Lu Luo had gathered extensive knowledge about the Wasteland through Observer, book learning was entirely different from firsthand experience. What Lu Luo needed to do now was to familiarize himself with the environment beyond the Wall as quickly as possible and convert this knowledge into tangible experience. Just as the two arrived at the supermarket’s main area, Lu Luo faintly heard some strange, incomprehensible noises. "KSHHH~ VREEEP~" "TLAK~ ZHEEN~" Translation from Observer: Intruders detected. Attack? Wait a little longer. Let them get closer. Mechanical Species location locked: the checkout counter by the supermarket shelves ahead. The unsettling sounds emanated from the supermarket’s checkout counter area. Seeing Observer’s prompt, Lu Luo’s expression turned strange. Were these two Mechanical Species discussing how to deal with them right in front of him? "Brother Gu, there’s something wrong with the checkout counter. Aim." Gu Fangyi didn’t speak. He simply made a fist gesture, then immediately raised his rifle and aimed. Lu Luo had already drawn his blade and charged towards the two "talking" checkout counters. Translation: He’s discovered us! How is that possible? What do we do? I don’t know! First Tier Mechanical Species, Electronic Mutant Type II, a very basic mechanical variant. Lu Luo’s Qi He flared, and his blade flashed, splitting the checkout counter and the shelves before it in two. A shower of sparks erupted from the damaged machine. There shouldn’t be any electricity here, so these sparks were clearly abnormal. Simultaneously with Lu Luo’s attack, Gu Fangyi fired continuously at the other Mechanical Species, shattering its screen. However, this Mechanical Species hadn’t died. It staggered to its feet, resembling a bizarre robot with a checkout counter for a head. The iron railing connected to its arm had mutated into a cylindrical weapon, which it swung towards Lu Luo. Lu Luo ducked to dodge, then used his fingers to push himself back up. He vaulted over the railing, his Qi He-enhanced kick striking the Mechanical Species’ knee joint like a hammer. CRACK! Metal snapped. Lu Luo drew his pistol and fired five shots into its mechanical head, killing the Mechanical Species. After killing the two Exotic Species, Lu Luo didn’t rush to use Devourer. Instead, he piled the corpses together and continued exploring the supermarket with Gu Fangyi. As they fought, the two became increasingly coordinated and skilled. They cleared the second and third floors, killing a total of eleven First Tier Exotic Species. Including the carnivorous rat from downstairs, Lu Luo had harvested just over 200 energy. He increased his Strength attribute to 8, keeping the remaining 80-odd energy in reserve. This was mainly because the environment was highly dangerous, necessitating a larger energy store. 「...」 Downstairs, Qi Xinzhu heard the gunshots and sounds of fighting from above. Her attention was entirely focused on the battle. She didn’t even notice a dark shadow quietly drifting behind her. The sounds have stopped. Is their fight over? This was also Qi Xinzhu’s first time beyond the Wall. Being alone, she felt a little nervous. This had nothing to do with her strength; like Lu Luo, it was a matter of experience. However, Lu Luo had better adaptability. While Qi Xinzhu was strong, adaptability and strength were often unrelated. The shadow behind her slowly extended an arm, gently resting it on Qi Xinzhu’s shoulder. Qi Xinzhu’s body instantly stiffened. She repeated in her mind several times: Is that Lu Luo? Back so soon? But what’s he doing? I am a Believer of Light who serves Li Ming. Li Ming is before my eyes; the Holy Light is with me. Qi Xinzhu’s fair face flushed crimson as she involuntarily began to recite her prayers. But she quickly sensed something was wrong. The pressure from the hand on her shoulder intensified, already causing her pain. Qi Xinzhu’s complexion turned deathly pale. What on earth is he trying to do? His hand is so cold! And it’s hurting me. Confused, Qi Xinzhu turned her head. What appeared before her was completely different from what she had imagined. It was a monster, pitch black all over. Even the dozen or so eyes on its face were pure black! "AH!" 「...」 Still upstairs clearing the battlefield, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi immediately tensed upon hearing the scream. Although Lu Luo wasn’t particularly fond of Qi Xinzhu, she had helped him and had always been friendly. Besides, they were currently temporary teammates. He might not take Qi Xinzhu exploring, but both emotionally and rationally, he couldn’t ignore her if she was in trouble. "Downstairs." The two quickly descended. When they reached the second floor, they realized their worries had been entirely unnecessary. No wonder Fat Ding and You Xiaoqi were so nervous around her. This woman’s strength... Lu Luo frowned deeply. At that moment, Qi Xinzhu was relentlessly pummeling a blackish-red, unidentifiable mass with her fists. Her gaze was vacant, and the thing beneath her could no longer be described as merely mangled flesh and blood. It was a pool of dark reddish-black gore mixed with white bone fragments. Even Observer couldn’t determine the species. Even so, Qi Xinzhu didn’t stop, hammering away so fiercely that the floorboards nearly shattered. "Stop it! You can’t even tell what it was anymore!" Hearing Lu Luo’s voice, Qi Xinzhu turned her head, her expression still blank. When she saw Lu Luo, the emotional dam she had desperately maintained finally burst. Yet, with her reserved personality, she couldn’t bring herself to make any impulsive emotional displays, like rushing over to hug Lu Luo. So, Qi Xinzhu could only lower her head and cry silently. "I’ll go upstairs and keep watch." Gu Fangyi was very considerate. The two had already cleared the upstairs, so it shouldn’t be dangerous for him to go up now. Qi Xinzhu’s emotions are highly volatile. It’s unexpected that this woman is so vulnerable. Is this what you call a fragile mindset? However, the complex relationship between the three of you is becoming increasingly difficult to understand! You’re alone with the young lady; won’t Brother Gu get jealous? Scram! Lu Luo took a couple of steps and stopped in front of Qi Xinzhu. Wouldn’t a normal person assume Lu Luo was about to comfort the girl and take advantage of her vulnerability? Of course not. How could he possibly console Qi Xinzhu? She was a member of the Church, a Believer of Light, and Lu Luo disdained associating with Believers of Light. "Hey, scoot over a bit. Let me see if I can still absorb anything." "???" Qi Xinzhu was momentarily unable to comprehend Lu Luo’s words. Scoot over? Absorb anything? Those words were just too... suggestive! She was a pure Believer of Light, after all! "What are you gawking at? Move it, or it’ll all drain away." "Drain away?" While Qi Xinzhu was still puzzled, Lu Luo had already pushed her aside. The Devourer’s tendrils plunged directly into the dark red mass on the ground—what could no longer be called flesh—and Lu Luo began another round of absorption. You are devouring an unknown Second Tier Exotic Species. Preliminary estimate: 37 energy points. Lu Luo read Observer’s prompt, his heart aching. A Second Tier Exotic Species provided at least 100 energy, and now most of it was wasted. This was a Second Tier Exotic Species! In this entire mall, there seemed to be only one! That was practically a loss of a hundred million! What crime did this perfectly good Second Tier Exotic Species commit to deserve such treatment from you? Did you have to pound it into paste? All the Exotic Species here are my private property! You’ll compensate me! "So, when you said ’absorb anything,’ you meant this?" Qi Xinzhu looked at Lu Luo’s pained expression, unsure whether to cry or laugh. Shouldn’t the focus be on her crying and Lu Luo coming to comfort her? Am I less valuable in his eyes than the corpse of a Second Tier Exotic Species? Nearby, Lu Luo had already absorbed most of the gore from the floor. He shot Qi Xinzhu a displeased look. "What did you think I meant?"