A loud bang shattered the silence of the base. Searchlight beams cut through the night like lightning, illuminating the dark spot where Lu Zhaoming and Qinglian were hiding as if it were daytime.
The air was thick with the smell of metal, and every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.
Lu Zhaoming gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes flashing with cold light, and he gritted his teeth and growled, "System, time delay, max it out!"
Buzz—
In an instant, the whole world seemed to be slowed down.
The energy blast that was originally hurtling towards them slowly trailed a dazzling tail of light in the air, freezing the guards' ferocious faces and gaping mouths into a comical moment.
Lu Zhaoming, like a cheetah with bulging muscles, suddenly leaped out, grabbed Qinglian who was still standing there in a daze, and with a burst of speed, performed a graceful "Lingbo Weibu" (a martial arts technique) in the almost frozen rain of energy bullets, pulling her back from the edge of death's scythe and narrowly escaping to another, more solid cover.
"Pfft—" As soon as he landed, Lu Zhaoming felt as if he had been hit hard on the back of the head by an invisible battering ram. Stars flashed before his eyes, the world spun, and his stomach churned.
The damned side effects of the trial system are now surging forth like a volcanic eruption!
"Warning! The mental interference module is at 99.8% load! It's about to crash! Please stop using it immediately!" The cold system notifications kept flashing through his mind, almost killing him.
Lu Zhaoming clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead like dragons, large beads of sweat rolling down his pale cheeks. His voice was hoarse and distorted from the pain, carrying a hint of suppressed madness.
"We...we have to end all this quickly." Lu Zhaoming endured the excruciating pain that felt like his brain was about to boil, his crimson eyes fixed on the still-humming "life energy extraction" device, especially the lone data interface that was protruding out. At this moment, in his eyes, it was both the entrance to hell and possibly the only chance of survival.
He suddenly gave Qinglian, who was still in shock beside him, a hand signal that only the two of them understood, his eyes fierce and resolute: "On my command, prepare for a full-scale attack!"
Qinglian nodded, and the two of them, one in front of the other, quickly moved forward along the narrow passage and finally arrived in front of the device.
Lu Zhaoming quickly unplugged the data interface and plugged it into his terminal.
The moment the data was transmitted, he felt as if his brain had been violently electrocuted, the pain almost making it hard to breathe.
But he gritted his teeth and persevered, finally bringing the crucial data back to the base.
Inside the outpost, the blacksmith had been waiting for a long time.
He took the data interface, quickly connected it to his workbench, and began analyzing it skillfully.
A few minutes later, a look of surprise appeared on the blacksmith's face: "This is a detailed structural diagram of a life energy extraction device! If we can reverse engineer it, we might be able to find a way to reduce the side effects."
Eagle nodded and said in a deep voice, "Very good, Lu Zhaoming. Your performance this time was outstanding. Next, we need more time to study this data."
Lu Zhaoming frowned, still harboring a lingering doubt.
He quickly went through the recent signs in his mind, feeling that something was amiss.
Just then, Qin Wan'er suddenly appeared at the stronghold, ostensibly to provide support, but in reality to secretly observe Lu Zhaoming's condition.
She asked, feigning concern, "I heard you haven't been feeling well lately. Do you need any help?"
Lu Zhaoming keenly noticed her unusual behavior and responded calmly, "Thank you for your concern, but I can handle it."
A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed Qin Wan'er's face, but she quickly regained her composure.
She smiled at Lu Zhaoming: "That's good. But if you really need anything, just let me know."
Lu Zhaoming sneered inwardly, but maintained a polite smile on his face.
Just then, Qinglian accidentally discovered that Qin Wan'er had installed a miniature tracker in the stronghold and immediately informed Lu Zhaoming.
Lu Zhaoming remained calm, but he already had a plan in mind.
He deliberately said to Qin Wan'er, "We plan to raid the White Robe's main control center and need more manpower. Are you interested in joining us?"
Qin Wan'er, however, hopes to be given a suitable position.
Lu Zhaoming nodded in agreement, already having a plan in mind.
The system interface suddenly popped up a prompt: "External signal interference detected, which may affect the stability of the trial system." Lu Zhaoming realized that Qin Wan'er's purpose was not only to track her, but also to try to sabotage the system.
He used the time-delay function to silently remove the tracker during the brief pause and secretly recorded Qin Wan'er's behavior as evidence.
Qin Wan'er seemed oblivious, her face still bearing that hypocritical smile.
Lu Zhaoming's unease grew stronger.
He looked up at Qin Wan'er.
“In that case, let’s act together.” Lu Zhaoming’s voice was deep and firm, his tone carrying an unquestionable resolve.
Qin Wan'er smiled slightly and nodded in agreement, "Then it's settled."
Just then, Lu Zhaoming suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if something was quietly approaching. His gaze instantly sharpened like an eagle's, as if he had already foreseen everything that was about to happen.
The atmosphere in the team was extremely tense, almost like sparks flying during welding.
The clanging of metal equipment and the faint smell of sweat, mixed with a sense of tension that inevitably precedes great undertakings, permeated the small assembly point.
Lu Zhaoming's handsome face was now as if it had just been coated with frost, looking extremely cool, but his eyes were like searchlights, scanning back and forth among the people who were about to set off.
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