Chapter 18 Desperate Situation

Outside the Sentinel Base, on the uneven, crimson ground, a massive figure, nimble as a rabbit, darted behind a towering boulder hundreds of meters high.

This figure was none other than the Pseudo-V Generation Mech, You Qi.

Although exploring further was extremely dangerous, Su Mo hadn't given up. He still chose to advance, taking the risk.

However, he was even more cautious now.

He carefully observed the area. Not far ahead, a group of mutated Baka Beasts were moving forward. These Baka Beasts were enormous, the smallest being over ten meters tall, and the largest reaching hundreds of meters. Their bodies were covered in crystal-like formations resembling red crystals.

Among them, there were fifty or sixty IV-types, and the leader was at least a V-type.

Su Mo took a deep breath.

Just then, he felt the mech shake slightly. He instinctively looked down.

A mutated Graytooth Rat, about two or three meters tall, with red eyes, was biting You Qi’s thigh, its teeth nearly breaking, but it showed no sign of letting go.

The monsters on Valley God Star were more brutal and irrational than those in other areas.

Su Mo’s mouth twitched slightly. He carefully reached out and snapped the neck of the Graytooth Rat, trying not to crush it and release the scent of blood.

He had learned a trick over time: killing monsters too violently would easily attract other monsters with the scent of their blood.

After dealing with the bothersome Graytooth Rat, Su Mo narrowed his eyes and stared at the Baka Beast herd, looking for a way around them.

However, at that moment.

Rumble!

The ground shook slightly.

Su Mo was startled and turned to look. To his right, a giant humanoid figure over 500 meters tall appeared.

Each step it took caused the ground to tremble slightly.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the humanoid creature, other than its shape, had nothing in common with humans. Its entire body was red, covered with bulging, red, wriggling tumors. These tumors emitted scarlet light from time to time. Its head had three round, red eyeballs, and its mouth was like a chrysanthemum, with red tongues occasionally darting out.

"What the hell is that?"

Su Mo asked, his brow furrowed.

"Unknown data. It should be a newly mutated species, or the database is corrupted. Judging from its strength, it's only a V-type," the Artificial Creator—Devourer said.

As soon as it finished speaking, the giant's head suddenly turned in Su Mo's direction.

Su Mo felt like he was being watched by a venomous snake. All his muscles tensed naturally, and he entered a state of readiness.

Time ticked by.

Su Mo had never felt time pass so slowly.

In reality, it was only seven or eight seconds. The giant monster turned its head back and continued walking in the direction of the Baka Beasts.

Su Mo breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had survived a disaster. His throat felt dry.

The Artificial Creator—Devourer said in a low voice, "You were almost discovered."

"I know. I can't explore any further. Let's retreat! There are too many monsters around here. If a fight breaks out, it won't be a one-on-one battle. It'll be a gang fight. Even the strongest person can't handle that."

Su Mo's eyes became even more serious. After careful consideration, he finally decided to retreat.

"Mm!"

The Artificial Creator—Devourer didn't object. In its eyes, Su Mo had done a great job of venturing this far.

......

Inside the Sentinel Base, Qian Chengxue was searching with her team.

As they passed a corner, they saw a row of mechs standing still, with a IV-generation bio-mech at the front.

"It's the Zhang family's bio-mech, Iron Shell!"

Lin Muxi recognized it at once.

Qian Chengxue immediately controlled her mech to approach. As soon as she touched the Iron Shell mech, the entire giant machine collapsed.

Lin Muxi and the others were startled. Then they realized that the internal organic matter of this bio-mech had been completely devoured, and even the bones had turned to waste. Only the externally embedded armor and circuits remained. They were so shocked that they were almost speechless.

"This..."

They had seen many powerful monsters, but they had never seen one that could devour a IV-generation bio-mech so completely.

Moreover, there was no sign of any fighting. How terrifying was that?

At this time, members of the Lin family inspected the other third-generation mechs. Suppressing their discomfort, they reported, "They're all dead. The method of death is the same."

Qian Chengxue said in a deep voice, "Stay alert. This monster is probably good at ambushes and is extremely dangerous."

She now had a very bad feeling. She had never seen such a cunning monster.

Qian Chengxue also felt exceptionally troubled.

Monsters from the Negative Universe usually had little intelligence, but if one appeared with intelligence, it would be extremely dangerous.

"Understood!"

Everyone responded.

Rumble~

Just then, a huge explosion came from not far ahead.

Followed by the sound of intense gunfire.

Qian Chengxue raised her head and said, "Someone has found it. Let's go!"

"Okay!"

Lin Muxi and the others shuddered and responded quickly. Although they were afraid of the enemy's strange attacks, they were less afraid once the enemy was discovered.

In a relatively wide area.

Several third-generation mechs lay on the ground, their sturdy bodies cut in half.

Only one IV-generation bio-mech, Red Turtle Dove, was left, with one leg removed, lying on the ground.

The pilot of this bio-mech was Xiao Yan, a core member of the Xiao family.

Her face was filled with fear, and she had completely lost the will to fight. She controlled the damaged bio-mech to crawl out.

"Help! Someone, save me!"

......

Unfortunately, she didn't crawl far before Hagok leapt over and stomped on the Red Turtle Dove mech.

Peng~

"Ah!"

Xiao Yan screamed in agony.

Hagok didn't care about Xiao Yan's cries. Countless tiny red tentacles spread out from its body again.

Xiao Yan became even more terrified, her beautiful face contorted.

Dong, dong~

At this moment, Qian Chengxue and the others emerged from a corner in the distance and saw this scene.

"Save me!"

Xiao Yan saw a glimmer of hope, like a drowning person grasping at a straw.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she was pierced by red tentacles and drained in an instant.

Of course, her bio-mech, Red Turtle Dove, suffered the same fate. The internal biological matter was sucked completely dry.

Lin Muxi and the others felt like they were in the dead of winter.

After seeing Hagok clearly, Qian Chengxue realized they had made a very foolish mistake. They had underestimated the enemy.

It wasn't that the enemy was avoiding them, but that the enemy was hunting them.

This wasn't a IV-type monster at all, but a terrifying V-type monster.

"We can't win. Scatter and run!"

Qian Chengxue shouted.

Lin Muxi and the others were trained by Lin Yaotian, after all. Although they were extremely frightened, reason quickly suppressed their fear. They didn't hesitate to follow Qian Chengxue's orders and scattered in all directions!

Hagok's terrifying pupils revealed a fierce glint.

Just as it was about to chase after them for a massacre, two heavy tactical missiles, Grizzly Bears, were fired at it.

Before fleeing, Qian Chengxue launched a fierce attack without hesitation. Of course, she didn't expect the attack to be effective. She just hoped to draw its attention to herself so that the other Lin family members could escape.

Rumble~

A terrifying explosion and scorching flames swept out.

However, Hagok walked out of the explosion unscathed. Its eyes were fixed on Qian Chengxue, who was fleeing. Its body gradually became transparent and eventually disappeared.

While fleeing at high speed, Qian Chengxue checked the scene behind her.

She realized that the monster was gone. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt the shadow of death looming over her.

Qian Chengxue tried her best to calm down. The enemy could turn invisible, and it was likely that she would be caught.

With that thought, Qian Chengxue made a bold decision. She maneuvered Night Watch in a sharp turn, and after the third bend, she quickly rushed into a relatively narrow passageway.

At the same time, she maneuvered the Night Watch mech to hide in an open, small mechanical storage room.

The room was filled with idle mechanical parts.

She turned off all the power systems of the Night Watch mech and stood next to the wall by the door, holding her breath.

No more than two seconds after Qian Chengxue hid, a transparent behemoth arrived silently.

Hagok looked left and right, sniffing the air.

As it passed the mechanical storage room, it turned its head to look inside. It stopped, gazing at the piles of mechanical parts emitting the smell of oil.

Hiding behind the wall, Qian Chengxue instinctively felt the danger approaching. She suppressed the panic in her heart and didn't make any movements.

At this moment, Hagok seemed to smell something. It stopped lingering and quietly moved forward.

In fact, Hagok's hunting instincts and sense of smell were very strong, but these talents were more sensitive to living things, such as bio-mechs. They were much weaker against purely mechanical mechs, which it usually located by the smell of oil.

......

Meanwhile, not far away, Wang Ce was searching with Li Ze and the others, piloting the IV-generation mech, Night Watch.

"Strange, why haven't we found any trace of it yet? It should be this way."

A member of the Wang family's elite asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry. That guy can't escape," Li Ze said confidently.

Wang Qing said to Li Ze with some concern, "Li Ze, be careful if a fight breaks out later."

"Don't worry, Qing'er. I know what I'm doing," Li Ze replied with a smile.

At this moment, a pair of transparent eyes silently locked onto the Pseudo-V Generation Bio-Mech, Crimson Dragon Fly.

Hagok looked like it had found an incredibly delicious prey.

Then, without making any noise, Hagok went around to the corner of the passageway ahead.

At the moment of approaching, Hagok slowly opened its bloody mouth, revealing its terrifying teeth. Then, it raised its crescent-shaped blade.

Li Ze felt a strange chill. He vaguely felt a fluctuation in the air and instinctively sensed danger. He maneuvered the Pseudo-V Generation Bio-Mech, Crimson Dragon Fly, to jump back and warn, "Be careful!"

In an instant, Hagok slashed down with a powerful blow.

Ka.

A III-generation mech, Hunting Hyena, was directly cut in half. The terrifying Hagok revealed itself.

"A monster!"

The Wang family's team fell into chaos.

Wang Ce shouted, "What are you waiting for? Attack!"

Then, the elite members of the Wang family maneuvered their mechs to attack Hagok.

Hagok's scarlet eyes stared straight at Li Ze. Its hundred-meter-long blade-like tail swept across!

Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves!

Ka!

All the mechs that attacked were instantly destroyed.

Wang Ce's face turned ashen as he watched so many members of the Wang family die on the spot. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Bastard!"

Wang Ce maneuvered Night Watch to rush forward, slashing at Hagok with his super-alloy blade!

Ka!

The blade struck the AT field barrier. The huge force of the impact caused Wang Ce's mech to stagger backward. His face was filled with horror.

Hagok seemed to be enraged. It raised its sharp blade and swept it toward Wang Ce.

"Grandpa!"

Wang Qing cried out anxiously when she saw this scene.

At this moment, Li Ze maneuvered the Crimson Dragon Fly to rush forward, wielding a particle blade to block the attack.

The two collided, sparks flying everywhere.

The terrifying power was transmitted through the particle blade directly to the Crimson Dragon Fly. Li Ze's entire mech staggered back several steps before stabilizing.

He was horrified. It was so strong?

But he could only grit his teeth and rush forward, wielding the particle blade and slashing with overwhelming force.

"Die!"

At this moment, Hagok squinted its eyes and swept its crescent-shaped blade across with the speed of a fleeting meteor!

Ka!

The right arm of the charging Pseudo-V Generation Mech, Crimson Dragon Fly, which was holding the particle blade, was directly severed.

"Ah!"

Inside the cockpit, Li Ze clutched his right arm and screamed in agony, as if his right arm had been cut off.

"Not good!"

Seeing this, Wang Ce ignored the danger and maneuvered the Night Watch mech to charge forward, slamming Hagok with the prismatic super-alloy shield in his hand. But the shield crashed into its AT field barrier.

Although it had no effect, it successfully drew Hagok's attention.

It turned its head from Li Ze to Wang Ce, seeming to be provoked. It whipped its tail around.

Ka!

Wang Ce's prismatic super-alloy shield shattered into pieces. The entire mech was struck in the abdomen, creating a terrifying gash. It flew out and crashed into the metal wall next to it, paralyzed.

Li Ze also took the opportunity to distance himself.

Seeing the prey retreating, Hagok wasn't in a hurry. It decided to start with the small snacks first and walked towards Wang Ce.

"Grandpa! Li Ze, quickly save Grandpa!"

Wang Qing rushed forward, shouting.

"Patriarch!"

At the same time, many members of the Wang family present saw that Wang Ce was about to be in danger and rushed forward without regard for their safety.

However, Hagok casually swept its sharp blade across, killing all the mechs that came to stop it, as if cutting vegetables. Only Wang Qing's Night Watch was spared, being knocked away. However, deep blade marks also appeared on the prismatic super-alloy shield in her hand.

Li Ze's whole body was trembling as he watched this scene. Fear welled up in his heart.

Then, he actually maneuvered the one-armed Crimson Dragon Fly and fled.

Wang Qing's face was filled with disbelief as she saw this. Something seemed to shatter in her heart.

Her eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly put those thoughts aside and rushed towards Wang Ce!

"Grandpa!"

Seeing Wang Qing rushing over, Wang Ce's old face flushed red with anger. He shouted, "Qing'er, get out of here!"

"No."

Wang Qing replied through gritted teeth.

Seeing this, Wang Ce wanted to forcibly start the mech, but the entire Night Watch mech was sparking with electricity and couldn't move at all.

He couldn't watch his granddaughter come to her death.

At the same time, Hagok's shadow loomed over them.

In an instant, Wang Ce went berserk and activated the Night Watch's self-destruct device and the two Grizzly Bear missiles in the ammunition bay.

Rumble!

A huge explosion swept out, engulfing Hagok and blasting Wang Qing away.

Wang Qing's mech crashed heavily to the ground.

She maneuvered the mech to get up and looked at the raging flames of the self-destruction. Tears streamed down her face.

"Grandpa..."

At this moment, Hagok walked out of the exploding flames unscathed. Not even a single black scorch mark was on its body.

Its eyes stared straight at Wang Qing.

At this time, Qian Chengxue maneuvered Night Watch to burst out from the side at lightning speed. She grabbed Wang Qing's mech arm and dragged her into another narrow passageway.

"Let's go!"

Wang Qing's mind was in a daze. She let Qian Chengxue drag her along.

At this moment, the remaining Wang family elites on the scene shouted.

"Fight it to the death! Stop that monster! Let Miss Qing'er go!"

A dozen surviving III-generation mechs, Hunting Hyenas, charged madly towards Hagok.

Hagok didn't hold back. It swung its sharp blade, its body flashing like lightning!

All the dozen Hunting Hyena mechs exploded.

After dealing with all the prey, Hagok walked to the severed arm of the Crimson Dragon Fly. Countless red tentacles seeped out of its body, wrapping around the arm and draining it.

Its eyes became increasingly excited. Then, it abandoned Qian Chengxue and the others and looked in the direction that Li Ze had fled. It chased after him.

......

On the other side, Li Ze was running away in a panic, clutching his arm. His mind was filled with the terrifying image of Hagok.

Just then, Li Ze ran headfirst into Ye Wei.

Ye Wei was piloting a Night Watch mech, leading more than twenty of her sisters.

When she saw Li Ze, she was inexplicably happy. But when she saw Li Ze's disheveled state, she was stunned. Then, she asked with concern, "Mr. Li Ze, what happened?"

Li Ze, who was fleeing in a panic, changed his expression. He suppressed the fear in his heart and said to Ye Wei, "Go help them! They're besieging the monster over there. I've been injured and have temporarily withdrawn from the battle. I came out to find reinforcements."

"Okay."

Ye Wei had always admired Li Ze, so she naturally believed his words without a doubt. She quickly responded.

Then, Ye Wei led her team forward.

Li Ze watched Ye Wei lead her team forward. The fear in his heart subsided a little. With someone to hold it back, he should be able to buy himself some time.

He didn't hesitate and hurried away.

"Sister Ye Wei, something's not right. Why don't we hear any sounds of fighting up ahead? Is that Li Ze lying to us?"

Several of Ye Wei's sisters asked uneasily.

"How is that possible? Don't talk nonsense. What kind of person is Mr. Li Ze? How could he lie to us? The monster must have been driven all over the place and ran far away."

Ye Wei scolded unhappily.

However, she was actually starting to worry in her heart. She vaguely felt that something was wrong. Li Ze's voice sounded a little strange when he was talking to her, as if he was panicking.

Before she could figure it out, a terrifying figure suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of her. A sharp blade pierced through her mech's abdomen.

Ye Wei's mech instantly became paralyzed. The terrifying figure of Hagok was reflected in her eyes.

Then, countless red tentacles extended from Hagok's body.

Ye Wei's face revealed the most despairing expression she had ever worn.

"No! Ah!"

......

A shrill, desperate scream echoed throughout the area.

On the second level of the Sentinel Base, Qian Chengxue was dragging Wang Qing along a narrow passageway. Emergency lights flickered overhead.

The only sounds echoing through the narrow passageway were the steady footsteps of the two mechs running.

Qian Chengxue turned her head to look back every so often.

Even though she didn't see any monsters, her nerves were stretched to the limit, like a taut string.

It was as if a monster would jump out at any moment.

Wang Qing gradually recovered from her grief. She said to Qian Chengxue with great gratitude, "Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. We're sisters, after all. Besides, now's not the time to say such things. We haven't escaped danger yet. That monster must have temporarily targeted other prey and hasn't chased us yet," Qian Chengxue said calmly.

"What do we do now? We can't beat it. Li Ze was defeated in just a few moves. Grandpa is dead too," Wang Qing replied dejectedly.

Qian Chengxue was shocked to hear this. No matter how weak Li Ze was, he was piloting a Pseudo-V Generation mech. He was defeated in just a few moves? That was too exaggerated. How terrifying was that monster? She couldn't believe it.

"This Sentinel Base is no place to stay. Let's go to the first level and try to leave this base."

Qian Chengxue didn't have a better plan. She could only choose to leave this place first.

......

On the other side, at the entrance to the Sentinel Base.

Lin Yaotian returned with Lin Hai and the others. Their mechs were damaged to varying degrees, and they had lost a few men.

Lin Hai sighed inwardly when he saw the Sentinel Base. He muttered in a low voice, "We finally made it back safely."

Of course, he didn't dare say that to Lin Yaotian. His father had been in a bad mood ever since they set out, because they hadn't found the main force.

However, as soon as they stepped into the base, they ran into Xiao Qijin, the disheveled patriarch of the Xiao family, who was fleeing in a panic.

"What happened?"

Lin Yaotian stopped Xiao Qijin and asked in a deep voice.

"Lin Yaotian, why are you back?" Xiao Qijin said, trembling.

"What are you talking about? We went to scout the whereabouts of the main force and were unsuccessful, so we naturally had to come back to rest. What happened? Why are you panicking?" Lin Yaotian realized that something was wrong, even if he was dense.

"Get out of this Sentinel Base! There's a super-terrifying monster inside, hunting our people like crazy. As soon as it catches you, it will devour you until there's nothing left."

"What about Qian Chengxue and the others?"

"I don't know. They might still be down there, or they might have been killed."

Xiao Qijin said in horror.

"Father, let's go down and save them!"

Lin Hai was shocked to hear this.

"Don't go down! You can't beat it! That monster is ridiculously strong. The IV-generation mechs are like trash in front of it. I even ran into Li Ze. He lost and is now running away like a stray dog."

Xiao Qijin tried to dissuade them.

Hearing this, Lin Yaotian turned to Lin Hai and the others and ordered, "Take the others back to the Blue Whale. I'll bring them up."

"How can that be, Father? How can we let you take the risk alone?"

Lin Hai and Lin Xiaoyu were anxious. If what Xiao Qijin said was true, then the inside of the Sentinel Base must be extremely dangerous.

"When did I allow you to question my orders? Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the family!"

After saying this in an uncompromising tone, Lin Yaotian turned and piloted the Silver Light mech to rush into the base alone.

Lin Hai watched Lin Yaotian descend. He stomped his foot and gritted his teeth.

"Let's go!"