"Let's go."
Lingtong grabbed Wang Jixuan's arm and jumped forward, using the jet stream from the wings behind them to land directly in front of the supply station.
Wail—
The entire camp erupted with alarms!
"Beasts?"
Wang Daolong's voice was calm but carried a hint of excitement.
"Yes," Lingtong replied, pulling him into the supply station.
Three professional mechanics were already at their posts.
Wan Xiaoqi sat in front of a row of screens, her small hands quickly pressing buttons as she connected to the internal monitoring network of the mine, identifying the areas under beast attack.
Uncle Tai, wearing exoskeleton armor, effortlessly laid down two black metal boxes and began the final checks before use.
Wan Jie walked over, connecting a long machine to Lingtong's mechanical arm as she lay on the operating table in the center of the workshop.
It took just over twenty seconds.
Wan Jie: "The mechanical arm is functioning normally! Energy pathways are clear!"
Uncle Tai: "Activate the third configuration for narrow terrain! Configuration is normal!"
Wan Xiaoqi shouted: "The beast attack area is in the central rest area of Mine No. 6! There are at least thirty beasts, including specialized drilling types, most of which are basic energy reactions! Classified as a small wandering group! The message has been synced to the combat zone... Orders have been issued! Engage but do not pursue! Firepower bombardment is allowed! Protect the main structure of Fortress 76! Support will arrive in half an hour!"
"Understood."
Lingtong took a deep breath, and as she opened her eyes, the mechanical arm lit up with blue light.
Wang Jixuan felt a surge of powerful energy from Lingtong.
She had activated the combat mode against the beasts!
The two metal boxes emitted engine sounds, and then various ‘armor dismantling modules’ flew out, wrapping Lingtong's arms, back, waist, legs, and feet in white armor!
Wan Jie carefully brought over a helmet that matched the armor and placed it on Lingtong's head.
Battle Maiden: Blade Form!
Wan Xiaoqi pressed a button, opening the left roll-up door of the supply station, and Lingtong took a running stance.
"Um..."
Wang Jixuan stepped forward: "Can I come with you?"
"No need," Lingtong's voice came from behind the helmet, "You are my support team; it's my responsibility to protect you."
Wang Jixuan nodded immediately, without further argument.
Lingtong looked ahead, and flames shaped like butterflies appeared behind her. She leaped forward a few meters, her body flying close to the ground!
Outside, cheers erupted.
"Battle Maiden!"
"Major Lingtong has launched! Let those beasts die!"
"Quick! Deploy reconnaissance drones! We can't rely solely on Major Lingtong!"
Wang Jixuan stood there, slightly lost in thought.
Uncle Tai patted Wang Jixuan's shoulder and laughed: "Cool, right? Behind every successful man, there is a..."
"A spine!"
Wan Jie chimed in quickly:
"Xiao Wang, come with me to put on the power armor!
"We're short on manpower, so if Lingtong needs support later, we three must deliver supplies to places the mechanical dogs can't reach!"
"Okay," Wang Jixuan nodded immediately, "I can do it! I promise to complete the task!"
Wan Xiaoqi shouted: "The boss has entered the mine and is expected to reach the beast activity area in one minute!"
Wan Jie gestured to Wang Jixuan in the corner, showing him how to wear the power armor, while calling out:
"Wan Xiaoqi! Mark all the beast activity tracks to avoid our Battle Maiden being surrounded by enemies!"
"Yes!"
Wang Jixuan realized that Wan Jie, who usually cooked for everyone and was gentle, was actually the commander of the supply station.
Wang Daolong put on the exoskeleton armor and quickly adapted to how it worked.
He felt uncomfortable.
It was like having his lower body encased in a simple armor made of several metal tubes, with a high-elastic structure underfoot and a flexible battery pressing against his hips.
Although the exoskeleton armor was a 'divine tool' for ordinary people, it had its limitations: it provided lighting, reduced weight, and increased running speed, and could carry powerful weapons and shields.
But ordinary power armor had restrictions on maximum stride frequency, and the top running speed was set to a limit that a soldier's body could withstand.
Wearing it to fight would actually lower Wang Daolong's strength.
Wang Jixuan asked, "Can I not wear it?"
Wan Jie immediately replied, "If we need to carry these heavy boxes later, we have to."
"Okay."
Wang Jixuan considered the need to move around in front of others and continued to adapt to the power armor.
He snuck back to his room while Wan Jie wasn't looking and put on a vest he had made.
Talismans, bone-piercing nails, and three crystal cores that still had spiritual energy were all on him.
He worried that the beasts would sense the three crystal cores, so he stuck two magic suppression talismans on top.
'I still need to follow local customs.'
He slipped out through the iron door and ran to the workshop, searching through Uncle Tai's storage room for some weapons.
He found a large-caliber rifle with a grenade launcher, which had a low firing rate but high lethality, said to be able to penetrate the weak armor of basic beasts in very narrow areas.
He also grabbed a small shield generator for the mech and the corresponding battery accessories.
Two boxes of grenades, the size of baby fists, with various types like high-explosive, shrapnel, electromagnetic pulse, and interference pheromones.
"No! Xiao Wang!"
Amid the engine's roar, Uncle Tai, who had adjusted the two large mechanical dogs, walked over in his power armor:
"What do you need so many weapons for? If we encounter beasts on the way, just close your eyes."
Wang Jixuan asked, "Then how do we ensure supplies are delivered?"
"Generally, we need a saturated support, which requires at least six people carrying the same equipment to deliver supplies." Uncle Tai said seriously:
"This isn't the front line; it's just a few dozen beasts. Lingtong can handle it with her eyes closed.
"The chance of Lingtong's mechanical arm and configuration having issues is very small. We're just wearing the power armor as a precaution. The military support has already been called, and a team of special forces will arrive soon!"
Wang Jixuan's thoughts raced.
He was eager to go down.
The beasts were the main reason he came here: to hunt them, obtain crystal cores, and speed up his cultivation.
Lingtong would return to the front lines after her recovery;
This was the best and safest opportunity for Wang Daolong;
A chance to get crystal cores.
"I want to go down now."
Wang Jixuan said seriously:
"It's to fight the beasts, not to help her; she doesn't need my help for now."
Uncle Tai shouted firmly: "Young man, I know your hormones are running high! Lingtong's strength might put some pressure on you, but this is not a joke! You're just a junior mechanic; according to wartime principles, if there's a support mission later, you'll be the first to deliver supplies without needing to say it! Not to mention, we have two large mechanical dogs!"
Wang Jixuan looked in the direction Uncle Tai pointed.
He saw two three-meter-long silver mechanical dogs.
These had previously curled up in special boxes and were the main support force for the Battle Maiden.
"I need to fight the beasts."
Wang Jixuan pursed his lips, his left hand gently shaking as a flame flickered in his palm.
"This?"
Uncle Tai blinked, lowering his voice:
"We know you're Mu Liang and that you've taken down many gangs and low-level spiritual practitioners, but... what can an E-level practitioner do against beasts? Don't be foolish; only D-level practitioners are qualified to fight them."
Wan Jie's voice came from the side: "Unless you can convince us right now."
Wang Jixuan leaned back slightly.
He decided to tell a little white lie.
...
Five minutes later.
In the dark mine, Wang Jixuan, wearing power armor and carrying a huge black metal box, rapidly descended.
Occasionally, a few small carts would come up the tracks, carrying terrified miners.
Two groups of soldiers, mostly in power armor, were rushing down, but they couldn't match Wang Jixuan's speed and were overtaken by him.
Explosions echoed from below;
The combat zone was still quite a distance away.
Wang Daolong's mind raced, his senses searching for any beasts that might charge at him, recalling his earlier conversation with Uncle Tai.
Alright, he had told a lie again...
"I must go down today.
"Not to prove myself or show off, but to... support Lingtong.
"Yes, support Lingtong.
"Uncle Tai, Wan Jie, you all know I can alleviate Lingtong's pain because of my abilities. My ability is to assist and enhance; Lingtong suffered a mental shock from a beast earlier, leaving her with a strange aura in her brain.
"I can't dispel it all at once; I can only massage her every day.
"She's actually in more pain than we see.
"What I'm most worried about is not whether Lingtong can handle these beasts; she definitely can. What I'm worried about is the possibility of traps targeting her down there.
"The Battle Maiden is a top human combat force that the beasts prioritize eliminating; she is a candidate pilot for terrifying mechs.
"So, let me go.
"I won't go directly into the battle; I'll carry supplies and wait at the edge of the combat area, doing my best to protect myself.
"If Lingtong gets into a critical situation before support arrives, I can provide nearby assistance; it might only buy her half a minute, but that half a minute could be crucial..."
With this reasoning, Uncle Tai and Wan Jie stopped arguing.
Then, Uncle Tai took out his treasured item, which was the bulky, heavy, black-plastic-looking—
A single-soldier mini laser cannon.
This thing was expensive, prone to exploding, and usually required a full squad to be equipped with one, and it consumed a lot of energy, with poor endurance.
Compared to large-caliber kinetic weapons, it had a significant disadvantage in cost.
The key point was that it could penetrate the defenses of basic beasts!
This weapon had only six shots available; usually, if it could take down one beast, it had fulfilled its purpose.
Wang Daolong had already turned off its safety mechanism.
As he rushed forward, two auras suddenly entered his senses.
Beasts!
Wang Jixuan's mind conjured a blurry image as he stopped, looking down the branching path. A few dozen meters around the left corner, two basic beasts were swinging their blade-like limbs, chasing a speeding cart, their limbs stained with fresh blood!
Found them!
The owners of the crystal cores!
He accelerated his training, ensuring he could secure the most important resources for foundation building before he died!
Wang Daolong stepped forward again, the power armor's engines whirring as he continued to accelerate and dive down, raising the mini laser cannon, his senses tracing the beasts' movements.
He crouched, jumped, and fell towards the corner of the mine, landing in a single-knee position, the mini electromagnetic cannon's sight lining up in front of him.
His knee struck the solid ground!
"Wang Zheng!"
Wan Xiaoqi's voice blared through the power armor's built-in speakers:
"There are beasts ahead! Don't go!"
Wang Jixuan slightly pursed his lips, his heart turbulent yet calm as he aimed through the sight at the terrifying forms of the beasts, locking onto the areas where their demonic energy was most active, and pulled the trigger.
(End of Chapter)