Chapter 74: Charging Forward Recklessly

Rule number one for female drivers: When there's a road to heaven, I won't take it; when hell has no door, I insist on knocking.

"Yahoo———!"

Accompanied by Eluca's exhilarated scream, the speeding Harmony seemed a beast hell-bent on breaking through the thick walls, charging madly under the protection of its electromagnetic shield. It pressed forward without pause, crushing every obstacle in its path—whether sentry bunkers or dilapidated factories, all collapsed with thunderous force beneath its tiger-like assault. Viewed from Ferren's perch atop the crane, it looked as if a brazen earth dragon was rampaging across the land. Such a spectacle inevitably drew the attention of the Professor Yangs, each charged with one hundred thousand volts; these monsters shrieked, and without hesitation, surged at the steel giant that had just invaded their hunting grounds.

"Whoa, what is that thing?"

Seeing one Professor Yang lunge headlong, only to be flung aside by the electromagnetic shield, Eluca startled—but she cared little for what these creatures were. The wilderness was rife with mutated monsters born of the energy network; whatever they were, her only plan was to destroy them. Everything else—she could think about it after.

"Laser machine guns, ready to fire!"

Eluca shouted as she slammed her fist onto a nearby red button. Instantly, Harmony began to transform. Its once-smooth shell split apart, exposing hidden black cannons; three heavy laser machine guns emerged from its flanks and rooftop, as if a roaring beast had finally revealed its razor-sharp claws at the sight of prey.

"I'm counting on you, Sister Chris!"

"Leave it to me."

Responding to Eluca's call, Chris nodded, then raised her head and fixed her gaze on the screen before her. Her pupils contracted rapidly, circles of light appeared, rotating and aligning. Then, with a swift motion, Chris pulled the trigger.

"Boom boom boom boom boom———!!"

In a flash, laser beams powerful enough to pierce armored vehicles erupted, scattering like heavenly flowers into the darkness. Bright crimson rays streaked from Harmony like torrential rain, tearing and sealing everything around. The monsters found themselves at the heart of disaster; under Chris's Absolute Lock, escape was impossible—they were riddled with laser beams, their bodies reduced to piles of charred, nauseating remains, dying with anguished wails.

It ended here.

Observing the battle below, Ferren nodded. The monsters, though formidable and threatening in numbers, shared a fatal flaw: they had no brains. Possessing immense power but intelligence no greater than zombies, they stood out as anomalies on these wastelands. Normally, the stronger a naturally mutated creature, the higher its intellect; only those who've survived countless battles grow cunning along with their strength. Yet these Professor Yangs, all power and no wit, were doomed.

Previously, Ferren would never have dared let Harmony charge in so recklessly. After all, it was merely a modified vehicle, not an indestructible iron fortress. If the enemy had managed a few stealthy RPG shots, the electromagnetic shield would have overloaded, forcing Harmony to retreat. But now, those troublesome foes capable of launching anti-vehicle weapons were either slain by the monsters or had fled, granting Ferren free rein to summon Harmony as support. And so far, the results were remarkable.

Next...

(Master, I've located the target.)

"Oh?"

Hearing Delin’s voice in his mind, Ferren raised an eyebrow.

"What are they doing?"

(Packing up, preparing to escape.)

"The wisdom of mortals..."

Ferren smiled.

"Then, as planned, block their retreat. Leave the rest to me."

(Yes, Master.)

With Delin's reply, Ferren looked up once more at the gathering place shrouded in darkness, then leapt from the crane.

"Life signals for Test Subject No. 3 have dropped by more than half! Director, they're almost all dead!"

Staring at the screen as dots of light vanished, a man in a lab coat, his expression grim, turned to the elderly man nearby. The elder’s face, already severe, grew even tighter. They knew Test Subject No. 3 had many flaws, but its combat capabilities were unquestionable. Yet who could have foreseen such swift annihilation at the hands of these unknown intruders? Had their entire line of thinking been wrong all along?

If Ferren knew what these researchers were pondering, he would surely laugh. Though their group was small, every member was a power-user; and power-users excelled not only in solo combat, but their synergy made them greater than the sum of their parts. Eluca and Chris’s teamwork was a prime example. Ferren chose Eluca as Harmony’s driver not merely for her prowess as a female driver, but for her formidable ability—Fierce Firepower. Harmony was not just a vehicle, but a mobile fire base, and Eluca's contact-based power was a perfect buff. The three heavy laser machine guns were already formidable; with Fierce Firepower, even Ferren doubted he could escape their crossfire unharmed. And with Chris’s Absolute Lock and Kurona’s Psychic Sense, Harmony became nearly impregnable.

Boosted by energy chips, Chris, Eluca, and Kurona now wielded third-level authority powers. With Harmony, they could easily devastate minor settlements; even the Ninth District would not be beyond their reach.

Of course, whether they could survive was another matter entirely.

“We must evacuate immediately… Damn it, is the experiment not finished yet?”

“We have three remaining subjects—at least fifteen minutes are needed!”

“Inform the supervisor: we’ll withdraw in fifteen minutes. Now, bring the three subjects at once! Begin the experiment!”

As the elder spoke, the sealed doors swung open. Three thin, trembling figures were escorted in by heavily armed guards. Their faces were drawn with fear, eyes wide as they surveyed the strange chamber. The elder, unmoved by their plight, stared coldly as if at corpses. He raised his hand and issued a command.

“Commence the final synthesis experiment.”