Chapter 2: The Helmet

Chapter 2: The Helmet

It was a Sand Hyena!

Due to the global climate upheaval, the transformation of land and sea, and the spread of certain man-made radiation sources, the biological system had undergone significant changes. After the initial devastations and the trials of natural selection, some former species, upon exposure to radiation, adapted better than humans, giving rise to new, stronger varieties.

From the hyena clan emerged the unique Sand Hyena of the Crimson Desert.

As it emerged from the ground, Sui Xin noticed its smooth, shiny black skin that resembled leather, its slender body, and sharp limbs. Its head was pointed, with protruding skull bones that had a metallic texture, as hard as diamonds.

Its head resembled a shovel, designed for swiftly digging through the sandy soil beneath the surface to approach its target.

In terms of digging speed, it couldn't possibly catch up to the vehicle. It could only mean they had been lying in wait here.

An interesting note—the Sand Hyena was trainable.

"Sands are coming up!" Sui Xin warned.

The fastest Sand Hyena was fierce. Bursting out from the ground alongside the speeding car, it used its sharp claws to leap onto the tall tire. The tire was thick and resilient, but the Sand Hyena's destructive power was formidable. With a single swipe, it left a menacing scratch on the tire. If they were allowed to keep tearing at it, the tire would soon burst!

Snipers are designed for high-altitude and long-range attacks with severe damage, making them ill-suited for close combat against small, spectral targets like the Sand Lizards. It would also be a waste of energy. After confirming that they were out of the enemy's firing range, Ye Chen decisively rolled down the car window.

Whoosh!

An eager Sand Lizard abandoned its pursuit of the tire and leaped upward.

Bang.

Ye Chen's assault rifle met its head.

With a direct shot to the head, blood splattered onto Sui Xin's side. She instinctively touched her neck, feeling the scorching stench on her fingertips.

It was a scent similar to a fish corpse rotting in a summer trash bin for two or three days.

Zhanghe and the others also chose to eliminate the Sand Lizards at close range. Even so, more and more of these creatures kept emerging from the sandy ground nearby.

Seven vehicles, firing in coordination, kept the Sand Lizards at bay...

"They're catching up."

"Shal is merely a delaying tactic, those damned creatures. Who knows how much rotten human flesh they've used to breed such a horde of them."

"It seems to be the Crimson Zone's Red-Eye organization, damn it, those freaks!"

Sui Xin had already spotted a dozen or so jerry-built off-road vehicles racing towards them from afar. The rooftops of the vehicles were occupied by snipers, not all equipped with precious long-range cannon guns, but mostly with assault rifles.

With her naked eye, Sui Xin couldn't make out the details. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a pair of glasses, which, with their high magnification, allowed her to discern the various skull and human limb graffiti on the vehicles, as well as nude female figures. Most of the occupants inside appeared sinister, their attire and hairstyles exuding the wickedness of the Wasteland factions. Some even wore eyeballs as earrings, still dripping with blood.

Upon catching sight of them, she noticed one person wearing similar glasses, who seemed to have seen her as well. He grinned, revealing blackened teeth stained with some unknown pigment, and with one hand on his gun, he raised the other to make a finger-crossing gesture at her.

Startled, Sui Xin's expression shifted slightly, averting her gaze. But in that moment,

Rustle!

A monstrous Shal dog-head suddenly pressed against the car window, replacing the terrifying image of the person outside. Its snarling face, baring fangs approximately five centimeters long beneath its upper jaw's flesh, and its sharp skull, now aimed directly at Sui Xin through the glass.

Bang!

The impact struck, and although the car window was made of special material that withstood the blow, it developed a faint crack.

Once the enemy's range was within reach, the reconnaissance team would be unable to focus on shooting Shal. They'd have to divert their attention to attacking the foe, leaving Shal free to continue targeting the tires or windows.

"Damn it, can't you shoot with a gun?!"

Zhanghe despised Sui Xin the most for being a liability. If he were in her position, he'd dare to shoot through the window...

"I can't. It'll get inside if I open the window."

The consultant was thin, with slender fingers that seemed too weak to even hold a backpack, let alone a gun. Scolded, he panicked and retorted.

"Useless! That's why I'm telling you to shoot, what are you looking for?! Don't tell me you don't have a gun?"

Zhanghe and Lin Dan had just started to appreciate Sui Xin's knowledge, but once in combat mode, they still detested non-combatants who slowed them down.

Sui Xin's lips quivered, yet he didn't dare touch his gun. Zhanghe rolled his eyes, reluctantly diverting his attention to wait for Shal to shatter the window before taking the creature down. Secretly hoping Shal would bite her to death, he intentionally delayed his shot, urging her vociferously to create a gap in the window. If Shal lunged at her throat, she'd expose her head and neck to him.

A single bullet would suffice for the task.

Now that the enemy had been exposed, she served no further purpose.

However, this fumbling Consultant Su wasn't as obedient as she seemed. Suddenly, she pulled something out of her backpack.

A sausage?

No, why would you pull out a sausage at a time like this? To flaunt your privileged lifestyle as a middle manager in the corporation?

As a frontliner, the salary provided by the conglomerate could afford some food, but most people wouldn't indulge in such luxury. They'd stretch a single Alliance coin to five, considering a sausage was worth one coin and could be diluted with water to feed two children, providing sustenance for an entire day.

But this person, after taking out the sausage, shakily tore open its packaging.

And then...

Squeak, squeak, squeak. The tender red flesh rapidly darkened and rotted upon contact with the air, seemingly developing a slimy film. It emitted a pungent odor.

Damn it!

Terrible smell...

The moment it came into contact with the air, it rapidly oxidized, releasing a peculiar gas.

Everyone, almost overwhelmed by the putrid stench, was stunned. Ye Chen glanced at it but didn't say anything. The timid consultant, resembling a delicate cabbage, hastily threw the sausage out the window—right at Zhanghe.

Probably intending to toss it outside, she was too nervous and missed her aim, landing the sausage on Zhanghe's side, just shy of his shooting window.

Ye Chen could sense the commotion of the Shars outside, coupled with the odor and their natural tendency to scavenge for decaying flesh. He suddenly understood.

"Zhanghe, throw it far away!"

Zhanghe watched in horror as the disgustingly stinky sausage landed on his leg, giving him the sensation of a garbage bin tipping over onto him.

But he immediately grabbed the sausage and hurled it outward!

The major conglomerate had strict selection criteria, and their combat personnel typically possessed exceptional physical prowess or abilities. On average, they were much stronger than those from informal backgrounds. Even Zhanghe, with his incessant chatter, possessed remarkable arm strength, launching the sausage more than 40 feet away.

It landed right next to an approaching, ugly enemy off-road vehicle.

Roars echoed.

Dozens of Shars charged crazily towards the commotion.

Sui Xin's gaze flickered across the mark on Zhanghe's pants before he averted it, maintaining his weak and pale appearance...

Seizing the chaos among the enemy, Ye Chen took aim with his gun.

The car's windows were not bulletproof.

Bang!

The driver was instantly killed with a shot to the head.

The vehicle flipped over.

Taking advantage of the Shars clustering together, Ye Chen yelled, "Pangox!"

Pangox promptly aimed his sniper cannon at the vehicle.

Aiming at the fuel tank beneath the flipped vehicle.

Boom!

The car exploded, and flames engulfed a substantial number of Sharps.

"Damn it! Does Tiange's squad even have a chemist?"

"No, there's no intelligence suggesting that."

"So they do have medication to deal with the creatures from the Crimson Zone. Damn, these major corporations are ridiculously wealthy!"

The young man with an eyeball dangling from his ear pressed the back of his tongue against his upper jaw and suddenly said, "Perhaps there really is a pharmacist among them."

He remembered the girl's physique, her skin, and her timid, helpless demeanor, which didn't resemble that of a front-line combatant. Instead, she seemed more like one of the knowledge reserves or tech-savvy individuals cultivated within a large corporation.

That would be very useful.

"Surround them! Don't let them escape."

Before Ye Chen could ask Sui Xin more questions, they found themselves swarmed by the desperate outlaws.

Perhaps they were afraid that without Shal's assistance, their escape would be impossible.

Ye Chen knew that if the exploration team really got stuck here, failing the mission before even reaching the base, not only might he die here, but even if he managed to escape, Tianxi would execute him.

Useless trash had no right to survive – someone had to take responsibility for the loss of Tianxi's armed resources.

With a grim determination, Ye Chen commanded, "Initiate Operation-01: Sweep and Clear!"

At his order, everyone was startled. Sui Xin seemed to realize the situation belatedly, while Jenny panicked and hurried over to help her put on the secondary safety harness and protective helmet.

After donning the helmet, her face and brain were cushioned by special sponge material inside, allowing her to see outside and breathe normally.

Sui Xin observed the dozen off-road vehicles outside firing wildly, trying to hinder the exploration team from breaking through the encirclement, all the while advancing under the cover of their firepower. They were indeed closing in.

These people were seasoned hunters in the wilderness.

As they approached the perilous proximity of two hundred meters... Ye Chen pressed the red button before him, his fingerprint scanning for authentication.

A mechanical voice sounded out.

"Initiating-01, activation, launch!"

In a swift 1-2-3, Peng Xi's head disappeared downward... and the vehicle's roof snapped shut with a crunch.

The other tanks followed a similar procedure.

On the Red-Eye Organization's side, with such a large-scale hunt in progress, the young man with the eyeball pendant suddenly cried out sharply, "A major attack is coming! Retreat quickly!"

It was too late.

The Tank S501 had already released a hovering compass-like drone from its roof, roughly three to four centimeters in diameter. It flew upward and began spinning on its own.

In just one second, it could spin at high speed for more than a dozen rounds. But in the next second, it opened its valve, seemingly expelling its contents through centrifugal force.

This was the Heaven Seal's weapon development codename - Dynamic-01.

Its weaponry surpassed long-range blaster rifles in specifications, with a higher level of technological sophistication and energy intensity. It swiftly unleashed three points of blue radiance, akin to the vertices of an equilateral triangle, which streaked through the air and landed with a resounding "pat" on the circular perimeter of the approaching Red-Eyed Organization's fleet that had encircled them at a 360-degree angle.

As the young man cried out in astonishment,

These three devices, upon initial inspection, resembled intricately crafted silver leaf darts that children often play with. Upon hitting the ground, they flashed repeatedly with a series of beeps.

Then,

Boom!

The triangular points detonated.

The explosion was over ten times more powerful than the previous projectiles.

Naturally, the cost difference was even greater. Just this set of Move-01 would burn through 30,000 pounds.

The immense force of the blast instantly demolished the five enemy vehicles closest to it. Their cars, unable to withstand the impact, had their windows shatter and frames collapse, killing those inside before they could even utter a scream.

Flames raged fiercely.

The impact was so powerful that it shattered the windows of all the other vehicles... or flipped them over entirely.

Total devastation.

At this moment, Ye Chen pressed his earpiece and coldly informed everyone.

"The counter-hunt has begun."

"Eliminate them all within five minutes!"

With so many vehicles destroyed and the distance between them being so close, the armed personnel immediately jumped out of their cars like dumplings, weapons in hand.

Only Sui Xin and Jenny remained still. However, Jenny was there to pinpoint enemy locations from a distance, assisting with sniping.

As she helped, Jenny observed Sui Xin and noticed how nervous he was. Whenever someone approached a certain range outside, he would instinctively move away from the window.

"Don't be afraid. We have the numbers and the superior equipment on our side now. These ragtag bunch can't possibly be... Ah!"

Bang!

A sudden heavy thud atop the car roof startled Sui Xin, and before she could react, a dark figure slid down and fixed its gaze upon her.

Through the car window, Sui Xin saw that the person wore a bloody eyeball dangling from their ear.

In their left hand, they sported a metal knuckle-duster in the shape of a triangular spike, which they viciously traced a circle around the window.

The window had already been cracked by the earlier collision with Shal.

This knuckle-duster was made of a special metal that could slice through composite steel glass.

Sure enough, after disrupting the structure of the window, they fired at it.

Bang!

The entire window shattered.

Sui Xin was not a combatant, nor did she possess exceptional physical prowess. Amidst the shattering glass, she frantically leaned away in fear... but her collar was grabbed by the assailant, pulling her body to the window's edge like a chicken.

The person intended to drag her out through the window. The shards cut into her arm, causing pain. In response, Jenny immediately drew her gun, but her body was a step too slow... Meanwhile, the car door on the other side was flung open, revealing a monstrous creature that drooled at the sight of Jenny.

"Woman!"

He was about to grab her and make a getaway.

Bang!

A bullet missed its target as the man also had a sensory device, allowing him to dodge at the last moment and shoot back. Lin Dan, who had arrived on the scene, used the nearby vehicles for cover, forcing the man out of his car. However, instead of retreating, the man switched covers and steadily closed in on Lin Dan, reaching a distance of just three meters before they were both leaning against the same vehicle.

In a sudden move, Lin Dan leaped onto the car's roof. Before the man could react, he held his gun with his left hand and fired from above, taking advantage of his elevated position to snipe the man down. Whizzing backward, Lin Dan leaned back and slid off the roof, evading bullets from other Red-Eye Organization thugs that missed their mark due to his swift movement.

Moving targets were difficult to hit.

As Lin Dan landed, he rolled on the ground and kicked up, hiding behind another vehicle. Bullets riddled the car's body.

On the other side, the young man dragged Sui Xin towards a car but was stopped by an ominous shadow in front of them.

Close-range aiming wasn't ideal.

The man switched from his rifle to a short knife as he emerged from cover.

Swish!

The young man swiftly dodged to the side, and Ye Chen's short blade brushed past his hair, severing a few strands. The moment they fell, the youth rapidly clamped his hand around Sui Xin's throat.

"Back off!"

He pressed the terrifying sharp ring against her throat, forcing Ye Chen to retreat as he prepared to take Sui Xin hostage and escape.

Ye Chen narrowed her eyes.

The young man suddenly sensed danger, and indeed, Ye Chen's finger depressed the handle of the dagger. Tiny silver needles emerged from the back of the blade, hurtling swiftly towards the 1.9-meter-tall him.

At this height, the shorter Sui Xin couldn't shield him from the attack.

The young man's pupils constricted, and he reacted swiftly, stepping back rapidly. With that step back, Ye Chen had time to raise her gun.

Bang!

A bullet at this distance was deadly.

The youth was forced to abandon Sui Xin, leaning back and somersaulting in mid-air. He swiftly drew a curved blade from his waist and threw it with precision.

The curved blade whizzed through the air, swirling towards Ye Chen with cutting intent.

Ye Chen immediately retreated. Clang! The short blade struck, rebounding and embedding itself diagonally into the ground.

With a flick of his wrist, the magnetic force from his watch pulled the fallen crescent blade back, sending it soaring. Grasping the blade, he swooped in with an outstretched hand.

He had intended to seize Sui Xin, who he had just flung aside, but Chax and the others had already arrived on the scene.

"Damn it!"

"Kill him!"

Outnumbered, the young man from the Red-Eyed Organization gritted his teeth and hastily jumped onto an approaching off-road vehicle. With his left hand, he whipped out a curved blade, severing one man's wrist so violently that the hand, still clutching a gun, hit the ground. The blade was incredibly sharp, yet he simultaneously drew his own firearm with his right hand, aiming directly at Sui Xin's head.

Ye Chen was startled. Could this man attack accurately with both hands? Was he possibly at the "Scholar" level?

In this world on the brink of societal collapse, where resources were obtained primarily through "seizing," the term "Scholar" referred to an entry-level mastery of combat skills.

However, this person clearly held the belief that if he couldn't obtain Sui Xin, he should eliminate her!

Bang!

The bullet struck.

"Consultant Sui!"

"Sui Xin!"

As Ye Chen and the others anxiously called out, they witnessed the bullet striking its target with a loud bang, only to be deflected.

Not only was it deflected, but due to her inadvertently lowering her head at the perfect angle, the bullet... ricocheted back.

Ah!

The young man's shoulder was hit by the returning bullet, shocking him. In pain, his swinging earring fell off, followed by his eyeball, which sizzled as it was seared by the scorching ground.

How could a bullet bounce back like that? It wasn't some kind of superpower, was it?

—All because she was still wearing her helmet.

The helmet seemed to be made of some extraordinary material; bullets ricocheted off it like peas bouncing off steel, causing her only a slight jolt as she was pushed backward by the force, her head thudding against the car tire.

Of course, as a result of the reflection, the young man's shoulder was pierced, even his collarbone shattered.

He'd merely had his collarbone penetrated, while she'd hit her head on the car door!

It was evident how superior the helmet's material was, definitely a Class C material.

"Damn it, I hate these corporations!"

"Pathetic chicken, you'll regret this!"

The young man, clutching his wounded shoulder, used his magnetic wristwatch to retrieve the curved blade. As the car sped away, he roared in anger during his escape.

Bullets rained down on the car's rear, but alas, they failed to stop the fleeing figure.

"Was that the leader of the Red-Eyes?"

"I have no idea. There was no information about this person's identity in the report."

"Damn it, are the Intelligence Department just sitting around doing nothing?!"

A dazed and weakling, who had been knocked around, tried to support herself on the vehicle to stand up but lacked the strength. She responded with a sarcastic yawn.

It felt so uncomfortable; her head was spinning.

How did one take off this helmet again?