Chapter 16: Echo's Fang

The envoy from Shelter No. 3 arrived faster than expected, and more directly.

Outside the base, a tall, lithe woman in a well‑tailored black combat suit stood there. She was about twenty‑three or twenty‑four, with a pretty face, yet her brows and eyes carried a detached, scrutinizing air of someone long above ordinary people. Two steady‑aura guards followed her, eyes sharp, clearly elite.

"Team Leader Chen, Miss Su Yu?" the woman said, her voice cool and unemotional. "I am Lin Wei, officer of the Field Operations Department of Shelter No. 3. By order of Team Leader Luo Heng, I am here to invite you both, and your 'Echo' squad, to join our 'Flame'."

It was not a request, more a notice.

Chen Mo looked at her with calm eyes: "We appreciate Team Leader Luo Heng's 'kindness'. However, 'Echo' has just been formed, and we prefer to develop independently."

Lin Wei seemed to have anticipated his refusal, a barely perceptible curl appearing at the corner of her mouth: "Team Leader Chen, a clear person says no hidden words. Miss Su Yu's abilities were already demonstrated in the Tide Battle; such strategic‑level power should not be buried in a tiny Shelter No. 7. Our 'Flame' can provide better resources, a broader platform, and... safer protection." Her gaze, meaningfully, swept over the base behind Chen Mo. "As far as we know, the eyes watching Miss Su Yu are not only ours."

It was both an incentive and a threat.

Su Yu stood behind Chen Mo; hearing that, her body tightened slightly, and she instinctively clutched the edge of Chen Mo's coat.

Chen Mo stepped forward, completely blocking Lin Wei's gaze toward Su Yu. His voice remained steady, yet carried undeniable firmness: "Her safety is my responsibility. The future of 'Echo' is decided by us. Officer Lin, please return."

Lin Wei's smile faded, her eyes turning sharp: "Team Leader Chen, refusing the invitation of 'Flame' is not a wise choice. You should know that in this world, a genius without a backer often ends up... perishing prematurely."

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy, as if sparks were splashing in the air.

At that moment, a booming voice interjected: "Officer Lin, when will the hands of Shelter No. 3 be allowed, without any report, to reach straight into my Shelter No. 7's territory and scoop people?"

Zhang Zhen strode in with several officers, his expression unfriendly. He had clearly received the news and arrived in time.

Lin Wei saw Zhang Zhen, her expression unchanged, and gave a slight nod: "Director Zhang, we are merely following a normal talent recruitment process. After all, people strive for higher ground."

"That also depends on whether people are willing to go," Zhang Zhen sneered, stepping beside Chen Mo, his stance clear. "Chen Mo and Su Yu are heroes of our Shelter No. 7, and important partners of ours. Your recruitment ends here."

Lin Wei glanced at the resolute Chen Mo and Zhang Zhen, realizing today was doomed to be fruitless. She gave Chen Mo a deep look, then a quick glance at Su Yu behind him, and left a line: "I hope Team Leader Chen will not regret today's decision."

Having said that, she turned and left with the two guards, clean and decisive.

"Damn, these guys are relentless!" Zhang Yang watched Lin Wei's retreating back, spat a mouthful.

Zhang Zhen turned to Chen Mo, his face solemn: "The 'Flame' squad holds great influence in Shelter No. 3, and Luo Heng is notorious for never letting a grudge go. When you go on missions in the future, you must be extra careful."

Chen Mo nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Director; we will be careful."

Zhang Zhen hesitated briefly, then added: "Additionally, there's a mission that might suit your current situation. It can let you temporarily avoid 'Flame's' edge, and also let your squad quickly hone together and boost strength."

"What mission?"

"Clear the 'Abandoned Petrochemical Plant' fifteen kilometers to the southeast," Zhang Zhen produced a document. "That site is infested with a large number of newly mutated, polluted monsters, threatening an important supply route. Two squads sent there previously suffered losses and turned back. The mission is rated B+, its danger not low, but the reward is extremely generous, including a batch of rare materials from the shelter's stock and weapon schematics. Most importantly, the location is relatively isolated, far from Shelter No. 3's main activity zone."

Chen Mo took the document and skimmed it quickly. A B+ mission is just right to test the true caliber of the 'Echo' squad, and also let Su Yu further hone her abilities in a relatively controllable environment.

"We'll take it."

Three days later, after thorough preparation and rest, the entire 'Echo' squad deployed, heading for the Abandoned Petrochemical Plant.

The factory area was shrouded in an eerie yellow‑green mist, the air thick with a pungent chemical stench and rot. Broken pipes, rusted storage tanks, and collapsed buildings formed a massive steel maze.

"The pollution energy here is intense; my perception is being interfered with," Su Yu frowned, straining to discern the chaotic energy fluctuations in the mist. "Two hundred meters to the left‑front, there are three... no, four energy reactions, each with strong corrosiveness."

Chen Mo gave a hand signal; Han Qing immediately raised his shield and moved forward, with Zhang Yang and Li Siwen guarding the flanks, the formation tight.

Soon, several oddly shaped monsters crawled out of the mist. They seemed a blend of melted plastic and flesh, constantly dripping viscous, highly corrosive liquid; they had no fixed shape, and their movement produced a teeth‑aching sizzle.

"Shield up! Target their cores with ranged fire!" Chen Mo ordered, simultaneously raising his hand for an Energy Shot; a white‑hot beam precisely struck the faintly glowing, semi‑visible core inside a slime monster.

"Puff!" The slime monster burst like a punctured water bag, corrosive liquid splashing everywhere, but Han Qing's shield held it firmly.

Thanks to Su Yu's warning and the team's coordinated cooperation, these troublesome slime monsters caused little trouble. Chen Mo also successfully duplicated an upgrade to Acid Resistance (stackable) and acquired a new skill, Sticky Bind (LV. 1).

They steadily advanced deeper into the factory, clearing various mutated monsters—polluted vines that spewed toxic spines, creatures that darted swiftly through pipes, and the 'Corrode‑Iron Worms' that moved like metallic centipedes...

Su Yu's perception advanced rapidly in combat. She began to distinguish the energy signatures of different monsters with finer detail, even vaguely predicting their next moves. Though she could not yet fully block the chaotic negative emotions, she could better control her mind and no longer be easily swayed.

"Ahead... is the core reaction zone," Su Yu said, pointing to a massive factory building with a huge hole torn in its roof, her face solemn. "Inside lies a tremendously powerful energy source... stronger than the previous Shadow Demon Wolf! And... I sense... a kind of chaos and... pain?"

Inside, the building's interior was spacious; at its center stood a massive, now‑idle reaction vessel. Beneath the vessel, amid mountain‑high piles of chemical waste and monster corpses, a huge figure slowly rose.

It was a colossal humanoid monster forcibly fused from countless discarded metals, twisted pipes, and rotting flesh! Its core was a rusted boiler, limbs were thick steel pipes, and its head bore several crimson eyes from different monsters, constantly rotating. Multicolored polluted liquid coursed over its body, emitting a nauseating stench and a powerful energy pressure.

【LV. 10 Pollution Aggregate (Elite)】

"Roar!!!"

The aggregate let out a roar mingled with metal grinding and flesh screaming, then snatched a thick steel pipe from the ground and hurled it toward Han Qing at the front of the squad like a javelin!

Its speed was astonishing!

"Careful!" Su Yu shouted urgently.

Han Qing's pupils contracted as he pressed his shield firmly in front of him!

"Bang!!"

A deafening blast rang as the steel pipe slammed into the shield; the massive force lifted Han Qing's feet off the ground, sending him sliding back several meters before he barely stopped. His arm holding the shield tingled, and the shield's surface even showed a slight dent!

What a powerful force!

"Disperse! Attack its joints and those spots that look like energy nodes!" Chen Mo ordered calmly, his body shifting as Shadow Step activated, vanishing instantly from his spot and reappearing like a wraith behind the aggregate's side. His tactical axe, glowing with Corrosive Poison Saliva, cleaved fiercely at the junction of a pipe‑formed 'leg'.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew! The tactical axe succeeded in breaking through the rusted metal, but the damage was limited!

The aggregate winced in pain, its massive arm sweeping back, generating a foul wind!

Chen Mo had already retreated thanks to his extreme agility, while continuously firing Energy Shots, disrupting the aggregate's rotating eyes.

Han Qing held the frontal pressure, while Zhang Yang, Li Siwen, Wang Hu, and Zhao Lei harassed from the sides, striking its relatively vulnerable spots. Liu Qian anxiously monitored everyone's condition from behind.

Su Yu shut her eyes tightly, fully sensing the energy flow within the aggregate's massive body. Chaotic, violent, saturated with pollution... yet deep within that chaotic core lay a relatively stable point radiating the strongest energy fluctuations!

"Found it! Its core is slightly left of the chest, behind that half‑melted valve!" Su Yu snapped her eyes open, shouting loudly.

Chen Mo's gaze hardened! This is the moment!

He activated Shadow Step again, his form merging with the shadows, instantly circling to the aggregate's front and appearing directly before its chest! The next attack in stealth mode dealt greatly increased damage!

The tactical axe's Corrosive Poison Saliva glow was unprecedentedly intense, and he channeled all his spirit power, compressing the Energy Shot's force onto the axe blade!

White‑hot energy intertwined with grim‑green toxic light, making the tactical axe seem like a demonic weapon from hell!

"Die!"

Chen Mo exerted all his strength, fiercely stabbing the tactical axe into the point Su Yu indicated—the core behind the half‑melted valve!

"Boom——!!!"

Accompanied by an earth‑shattering roar and a blinding flash of energy, the pollution aggregate's massive body shuddered violently, its chest blown open with a huge hole! Countless contaminated parts and flesh sprayed everywhere, and the energy source at its core instantly dimmed and shattered.

【Successfully killed LV. 10 Pollution Aggregate (Elite), gained 800 experience points!】

【Level increased to LV10!】

【Death Echo triggered! Successfully copied skill: Pollution Resistance (LV. 1 Passive)!】

【Pollution Resistance (LV. 1): Passive skill. Slightly increases resistance to various toxin, radiation, corrosion, and other environmental pollution damage.】

The massive amount of experience let Chen Mo level up directly, a stronger sense of power surged through his whole body. At the same time, he acquired a new resistance passive skill, further boosting his survivability in this harsh environment.

The battle ended, the factory interior was a mess.

The members of the Echo Squad watched the aggregate crash to the ground, then glanced at Chen Mo standing axe‑in‑hand, his aura growing ever more unfathomable, their eyes filled with excitement and pride.

This was their first tough battle since forming, facing an elite monster far above their level, and they won! Moreover, they won cleanly and swiftly!

Su Yu walked up beside Chen Mo, looking at him without speaking, but the trust and reliance in her eyes became more evident. She finally began to believe that perhaps she could truly control her own power and find her way forward under this man's protection.

Chen Mo put away his tactical axe, his gaze sweeping over the members' exhausted yet resolute faces.

The Echo Squad's fangs had already begun to show.

Chen Mo bent over, digging from the pollution aggregate's remains a magic core larger than any he'd seen before, its energy purer—an 【Ordinary Magic Core】—and a sheet of paper shimmering with blue light—the 【Exquisite Tactical Axe Forging Blueprint】.

The harvest was abundant.

But this was only the beginning. Chen Mo knew that beyond the factory, the world held even stronger enemies and unknown mysteries waiting for them.

"Clean the battlefield, gather useful materials. Withdraw within ten minutes."

His voice echoed in the spacious factory, firm and steady.