Chapter 749.3: KABOOMZ

Operated by an agility type player, the four barrels erupted in a relentless barrage. Tracer rounds stitched together an impenetrable net across the night sky. There was no need to aim. Those winged creatures were throwing themselves straight into the guns. Within moments, the open ground before the field research institute became carpeted with severed limbs and mangled flesh. A dense rain of blood drifted down from above. The arrival of the anti-aircraft vehicle dramatically boosted the morale of the soldiers around the institute. The battle, which had been teetering on the brink of collapse, once again swung back in their favor. Then, something unexpected happened. A suit of biological exoframe suddenly plummeted from the sky and crashed heavily into the outer wall, punching a massive hole straight through the reinforced concrete. Two soldiers from the Guard Corps firing from a nearby window were killed instantly. Several others stumbled backward as shattered chunks of concrete rained over them, initially believing they had been struck by artillery. Only after the dust settled did they see what had arrived. Without hesitation, another two soldiers of the Guard Corps raised their rifles and opened fire. The monster moved so quickly they couldn't even follow it. Before they could fully raise their weapons, a barbed tail lashed across the chest plates of their exoskeletons. Their ballistic inserts shattered instantly and the two men flew backward like baseballs struck by a bat, coughing up blood before crashing heavily into the wall and losing consciousness. The remaining six soldiers around them showed brief surprise. However, it only appeared for an instant. Every one of them was among the New Alliance's most loyal warriors. Long ago, they had prepared themselves to lay down their lives for the administrator. Not a single one of the six even so much as inched backward. Facing the monster without fear, they all squeezed their triggers and a storm of orange muzzle flashes erupted throughout the corridor. However, the monster clad from head to toe in the biological exoframe simply ignored the torrent of bullets. Charging straight through the hail of gunfire, he rushed toward the emergency stairwell at the side of the corridor. Its nose could smell it, that rich scent of life! It was an aroma so intoxicating that made every fiber of its body tremble with excitement. He longed to tear that man out of the azure exoframe with its claws! Not only that. The unknown disturbances detected by the psychic interference module, combined with the coalition’s unwavering determination to defend the location confirmed his suspicion. The coalition’s supreme commander, the New Alliance's administrator... He had to be there! Fortunately, those troublesome people were probably still trapped inside Blood Peak's tunnels. This time, no one can stop me! "I know you're here! Hahahahaha! Bet you never expected this! I came looking for you!" Laughing maniacally, the Beast King roared as his claws flashed. Two soldiers died instantly. The remaining four were hurled away by his savage attacks, crashing onto the floor, slamming into walls, or being thrown clean through windows. Like a crazed beast, he whipped his enormous serpent-like tail through everything within sight. Destroying everything in its path, he swept through the first floor before charging down the stairwell toward the lower levels. The flames of war had suddenly engulfed the research institute itself. No one had anticipated such a sudden turn of events. Sheltering inside the basement, the researchers stared at the security monitors with expressions of terror. Whether they came from the New Alliance, or Cloud University in Ideal City. Creatures like that had existed only in zoos! No, even the mutated creatures kept in zoos possessed nothing approaching its level of destructive power. Not even a Deathclaw could compare! Hyrja's face turned slightly pale as she gulped in fright. Clearspring City had never been exactly safe, but everyone from Shelter 404 had always protected her well. Ever since leaving Shelter 117, it was the closest she had ever come to death. Standing at the edge of the crowd, Lu Bei glanced around hurriedly. Just as he was about to escort the administrator away, he suddenly realized that the man was already gone! At that exact moment, the biological exoframe rampaging through the corridors suddenly looked as though he had been struck head-on by a speeding train. With a howl, the Beast King was launched violently backward. The violent shockwave blew away the dust. Standing at the far end of the corridor, a lone figure was revealed. Struggling back to its feet, the Beast King violently shook his hideous head. He looked toward the end of the hallway in confusion. What exactly just hit me? The instant he saw the figure, his dark emerald pupils... Or rather, Kubo’s pupils, contracted sharply. That azure exoframe! There’s no mistake. The very armor once worn by Seven Villard! That’s the administrator's inheritance. "Looking for me?" Holding the Nitrogen-Powered Hammer in one hand, Chu Guang stared expressionlessly at the creature before him. "Hahahahaha!" After locking eyes with him for half a second, the Beast King burst into wild laughter. His hideous grin bordered on madness, like a gambler who had just lost everything at the table. 20 years... No, was it 23 years? 24? They had left the shelter so long ago. All he remembered was that around the 190th year of the Wasteland Era, the residents of Shelter 117 had split into the Gravekeepers and the Torch. After leaving, so many things had happened. Compared to everything that followed, the conflict between the Gravekeepers and Torch had become almost insignificant. He could barely even remember that stubborn old man anymore. Thinking back, the old fellow hadn't actually been so bad. He was just a little too stubborn. From Boulder Town to the Death Coast, they had encountered countless monsters that devoured human beings. Compared to those creatures, their administrator had actually been quite the gentleman. "... That's right. I've been looking for you. I've searched so hard for you, esteemed administrator." A chilling smile spread across his lips as he spoke. He flexed his long, razor-sharp claws. Behind him, his tail rose like that of a rattlesnake, coiling into an attack posture. Then he continued casually, "You shouldn't be wearing that exoframe. The last man who wore it lost to us 23 years ago." Chu Guang didn't seem to care. He merely stared calmly at the grotesque creature before him and snorted "You talk too much..." Before the final word had even left his mouth, the Beast King exploded forward like an arrow released from a bow. Those words had merely been a distraction. He had deliberately tried to lure Chu Guang into exposing the slightest opening. His explosive legs shattered the corridor tiles beneath his feet and the sonic boom of his charge rattled the windows that still remained intact. He swept forward like a hurricane. The biological exoframe represented the culmination of everything he had learned throughout his life! Its terrifying destructive power was the greatest masterpiece he had ever created. Not even a nitrogen shield could possibly withstand a blow with the force of an electromagnetic cannon! "GO BACK TO HELL!" His excited roar burst from his throat, but his claw reached Chu Guang even faster than his voice. Before he could celebrate victory, before he could bathe in his enemy's blood, a force like a cannon shell slammed directly into his face. His hideous features were literally driven into his skull. The horrifying impact seemed to strike even his very soul and for an instant, his consciousness nearly flew out of his stolen body. His body quickly caught up with his departing soul. Both were launched backward together before crashing heavily onto the floor. The Beast King was completely dumbfounded. He had clearly seen the hammer still held in place. It still stood exactly where it had been. He wasn't the only one stunned. Kubo, whose body he had hijacked all the way here, was equally shocked. Unlike the Beast King, Kubo had seen exactly what happened. The thing that smashed into its face wasn't the hammer. It was a fist. It was a fist that was basically an iron cannon! Not only that. Spiderweb-like cracks spread beneath Chu Guang's feet as large sections of concrete had shattered inch by inch. The entire corridor looked as though it had been blasted by artillery! This guy is the real monster! Despair filled Kubo. It desperately struggled against the Beast King for control of its own body, trying to escape. A one-on-one fight offered absolutely no chance of victory. It would take at least five of it to hold that monster back! Continuing the fight was no different from committing suicide. Unlike those old monsters hiding safely inside the Sanctuary, Kubo knew it only had one life. The Beast King could die again and again, but it couldn't. Looking at the monster writhing on the floor, Chu Guang casually shook his right fist. Trying to ambush me? That's a bit lacking in sportsmanship. Then again, it wasn't as though he only knew how to use a hammer. His fists worked just fine when it came to beating people up. "After listening to all that nonsense, I think I know who you are. You're the 'Beast King' hiding inside the Sanctuary, right?" Chu Guang said casually. The Beast King glared at him viciously from where he lay on the floor. White vapor leaked from between his teeth. His dark green eyes still burned with murderous intent. Clearly, he had no intention of giving up and was still waiting for another opportunity to attack. Well, that suited Chu Guang just fine. Even if the creature begged for mercy, there was no reason to spare it. Glancing at the shallow dent imprinted across the knuckles of his steel gauntlet, Chu Guang looked indifferently at the so-called Beast King. "... Is that all you’ve got?"