“Da da da da da——!!!”
“Boom! Boom! Boom—!”
Violent metal storms and exploding fireballs instantly plowed through the dense swarm of Fungus Skeleton Warriors, leaving behind death tunnels of blood, flesh, and metal fragments flying everywhere! The unprepared Fungus Skeleton Warriors were torn apart and blown away, and silver-gray fragments and sticky juices were poured out like a rainstorm.
"roar--!!!"
Then, the ground shook violently! Several heavy tracked trucks, also covered in thick armor and with huge spiked ramming horns welded to their fronts, like steel mammoths, roared from the other side of the ruins, violently smashing through the crumbling rubble, crushing the low-level fungal debris blocking their way, and rushed in recklessly! The trucks were filled with people.
That was the "Wild Fangs"! They were the most unruly, untamed, nomadic force in this wasteland, embracing the law of the jungle! They wore armor cobbled together from mutant hides and discarded metal plates, their faces smeared with greasepaint, their eyes filled with naked madness, greed, and utter disdain for order. They wielded crude yet powerful live ammunition, poison-laced spears, and some even carried crude flamethrowers, howling like bestial beasts.
"Crown! The Crown of Thorns!" A bald, burly man with a massive scar across his face and a necklace of animal teeth dangling from his neck stood atop the lead truck, roaring through a megaphone. His greedy gaze fixed on the two crowns of thorns atop Pei Du and Xu Shuangyao, each gleaming with a faint crimson glow. "Grab them for me! The Fungus Master is nothing! It's time for someone else to sit on the throne of this wasteland! Tear these silver cans apart!" The heavy minigun in his hand unleashed long tongues of flame.
Three forces! The silver torrent of order in the Fungus Dome, the fleeing "Twin Carriers" represented by Pei Du and Xu Shuangyao, and the "Wild Fangs" who suddenly appeared to seize power and the throne!
A chaotic meat grinder took shape in an instant!
“Puff!”
The alloy dagger in Pei Du's hand accurately pierced the throat of a charging Fungus Skeleton Warrior, and the sticky, cold juice splashed on his hand. He twisted his hand with his backhand and kicked another charging enemy away with his foot, his movements as sharp as lightning. But more Fungus Skeleton Warriors came like a tide. They had no fear, only the cold procedure of executing orders. At the same time, several crude crossbow arrows coated with deadly poison also "swooshed" past his body and deeply nailed into the wall behind him, the arrow tails trembling by themselves - cold arrows from the "Wild Fang"! These lunatics didn't care who their target was. Anyone who stood between them and the crown was an enemy!
"Protect Shuangyao!" Pei Du screamed, his voice nearly drowned out by the explosions and roars. He spun abruptly, his blade flashing like a streak of light, forcing back several Fungus Skeleton warriors who were attempting to flank Xu Shuangyao. A member of the Ravens grunted as a rusty, mycelium-encrusted axe, hurled from the chaos, struck him in the shoulder. Blood instantly coated half his body.
"Ahhh!" A stifled cry of pain emanated from Xu Shuangyao's side. She wasn't a combatant, but leaning against a massive, broken stone pillar, her fingers swiftly working on a portable terminal on her wrist, a faint blue light flickering. The mental strain of the Crown of Thorns and the hellish scene before her had left her face as pale as paper, her forehead covered in sweat. A desperado from the Fangs of the Wilderness had taken advantage of the chaos, leaping towards her, brandishing a barbed machete, his eyes the frenzied glow of a beast upon its prey.
Pei Du's eyes were bloodshot! He was too far away to rescue in time!
At this critical moment, Xu Shuangyao suddenly raised her head, a fierce look of determination flashing in her eyes! She was not powerless to resist! She was wearing a crown! An invisible spiritual force suddenly erupted from her like a shock wave!
"Get out of here!" The thought was like an invisible hammer!
The Wild Fang man who had lunged at her suddenly froze, his face instantly filled with immense fear and confusion! As if he had seen something extremely terrifying, his movements became completely distorted. The machete in his hand dropped to the ground with a clang. He clutched his head tightly with both hands, letting out a shrill, inhuman howl. He turned and scrambled away, even knocking down one of his companions.
Mental shock! The Crown of Thorns grants the ability to forcibly interfere with lower minds!
However, the backlash from forcibly mobilizing the crown's power was immediate. Xu Shuangyao's body lurched violently, and a sweet, fishy taste welled up in her throat, which she forced down. Her vision darkened, and she heard a sharp ringing in her ears and the repetitive, cold "purification" command from the Fungus Dome. The crown's thorns seemed to take root in her consciousness, draining her life force.
"Shuangyao!" Pei Du finally fought his way to her side and supported her shaky body. Her arms were cold and her pulse was alarmingly fast. "How is it?"
"I'm not… dying yet..." Xu Shuangyao gasped, a trace of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth, her eyes fixed on the terminal screen on her wrist. On the screen, a topological diagram representing the vast plant-based data network deep underground flashed frantically, and countless red dots indicating abnormal activity spread like a virus. "They're 'awakening'… much faster than expected… The forced connection to the fungal dome has stimulated them… They're… resisting!" Her voice was filled with disbelief and shock.
At this moment, a cold, sticky, and intensely spiritually polluted aura once again clung to Pei Du like a maggot on his tarsal bones! It was even stronger than before! Even more real!
"Adu...my son..." The hoarse, phlegm-heavy whisper sounded again in the depths of his mind, accompanied by a clear, disgusting cough.
Pei Du's entire body was shaken! The scene before him instantly twisted and peeled off!
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