Chapter 192: Beating Up Little Kids

The terrain in this area was highly unusual. To the left lay an expanse of fissured ravines, scarred by laser beams comparable to a main cannon's bombardment. These crisscrossing trenches covered such a vast area that bypassing them was nearly impossible.

To the right was the Heavy Radiation Zone. Trapped in the middle, their only options were to press forward or retreat.

"It's a horde of radiation beasts, run!" Simon shouted sharply. Even without his command, the Guard Corps had already sprung into action, harboring absolutely no desire to fight back.

These were not mere biochemical beasts; they were radiation beasts, creatures far more terrifying and powerful. One only needed to look at their hideous, massive bulks to realize this chilling fact.

The Guard Corps moved with incredible speed, but the horde of radiation beasts was just as fast. Hideous roars blotted out the sky, and the distance of two kilometers between them was shrinking rapidly.

Tuya shielded Moduo. The surrounding members of the Guard Corps remained completely silent as they became fully armed.

The charging beast horde did not have a particularly wide formation, spanning only about five to six hundred meters. As long as they could cross that distance, they would largely avoid a head-on collision with the stampede.

However, for the current Guard Corps, those mere hundreds of meters felt like an insurmountable chasm.

"Protect the Princess and leave first!" Simon gritted his teeth. Wearing armor stripped from a squad member, his eyes were resolute, exuding an imposing aura of facing death with equanimity.

Tim's eyes flickered. He hesitated to speak, but ultimately did not stop Simon. Instead, he quietly took a few steps back, hiding himself among the Guard Corps members.

In a short period, they had already crossed three to four hundred meters, but their speed was still not enough.

Li Yu's figure blurred in a flash of teleportation. With Moduo in one arm and Tuya in the other, he moved at blinding speed, completely clearing the beast horde's attack range in an instant.

"Thank you..." Tuya looked slightly dazed, primarily because that burst of speed had been overwhelmingly fast.

Li Yu nodded. Since he had just promised to guarantee her future wealth and glory, how could he simply watch her die?

"Help!" Within the Guard Corps, Tim's expression shifted slightly. Staring at the rapidly approaching beast horde, he couldn't help but cry out.

Li Yu cast his gaze toward Tim, then glanced back at Simon, who was facing death with equanimity. The contrast in their character was truly staggering.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled before splitting open. Massive red and black tentacles, resembling ferocious giant snakes, erupted from beneath the earth and swept violently across the battlefield.

A large number of Guard Corps members were swatted into the air, crashing heavily back down onto the ground. Meanwhile, Li Yu's eyes gradually lit up.

'Huh, aren't those Red Crystal Stones on the tentacles?' he thought. He recalled what Tim had mentioned earlier—that the Heavy Radiation Zone used to be a Red Crystal Ore Mine.

"Well, that saves me a lot of trouble..."

Li Yu's eyes gleamed as he leaped into the air. In the eyes of the onlookers, he shrank into a tiny black dot in the sky before plummeting rapidly toward the very center of the beast horde.

In the next instant, a gale-force shockwave erupted in the center of the horde, kicking up massive clouds of dust and blasting blood into a fine crimson mist.

Dozens of radiation beasts around his landing zone were swatted away, flying over a hundred meters and crashing into other beasts.

Thud-thud-thud...

One by one, the radiation beasts slammed into the ground, tumbling miserably through the sand.

The Titan Colonization Armor covered his entire body, its cape snapping wildly in the wind. Beneath his feet, the Splinter Deployment Armor transformed into metal Cubes that smashed deep into the ground.

The Splinter Deployment Armor could function as his personal armory, which was remarkably convenient.

A small crater resembling a ring mountain blasted open in the earth, leaving a wide clearing all around Li Yu.

The horde surrounded him from all sides, roaring furiously. The breath steaming from their snouts formed cloud-like wisps in the dusty air. They pawed and hooved at the ground, too apprehensive of this uninvited guest to lunge forward immediately.

"What is he trying to do?!" Tim's emotions spiraled out of control. Faced with a life-and-death crisis, he could no longer keep up his facade.

"Couldn't he have just saved us first? Why is he playing the hero?"

Nearby, Simon turned his head and stared at Tim, finding the man almost entirely unrecognizable. It left him slightly dazed, as if he were looking at Tim for the very first time.

'Tim was never like this...' he thought.

Countless radiation beasts bared their fangs and claws, finally lunging at Li Yu. He merely stomped his foot lightly. The Cubes beneath him quivered, crackling with electric arcs.

Mechanical arms extended outward, rapidly assembling into various firearms that took aim in all directions.

Boom-boom-boom!

Light cannons fired relentlessly. The approaching radiation beasts were riddled with holes, collapsing heavily to the ground with agonized howls. Their blood soaked into the desert sand, turning it into a foul, viscous muck.

For a moment, not a single radiation beast could get anywhere near Li Yu.

However, the radiation beasts numbered in the tens of thousands. They surged forward wave after wave, seemingly endless and driven by sheer, berserk fury. Not only did they swarm Li Yu, but they also turned their sights on the nearby Guard Corps members.

The stampede charged with incessant roars, shaking the earth with a rumbling violently enough to drown out the deafening blasts of gunfire.

Tim and the others blanched. The surging beast tide approached rapidly like a terrifying tsunami. Compared to the sheer scale of the horde, their small group was utterly insignificant, looking as though they would be swallowed whole in the very next second.

The vanguard of the radiation beasts opened their bloodthirsty maws, flashing filthy, yellowed fangs. A foul stench washed over the guards as the creatures prepared to pounce.

Crack-crack-crack!

Suddenly, relentless artillery fire erupted from deep within the beast horde. The blinding explosions seemingly chased away the gloom of the night, lighting up the area as bright as day for a fleeting moment and illuminating everyone's faces.

Then, a faint, almost imperceptible roar echoed out. It sounded nothing like a standard radiation beast, carrying a distant and mysterious resonance.

The radiation beasts charging at the Guard Corps faltered in unison. They skidded to a halt and turned their heads back to look behind them.

Tim's spirits lifted. Seizing the opportunity, he hastily led the Guard Corps further away. As he gazed back toward the center of the beast horde, his pupils contracted sharply.

Simon pursed his lips and did not force himself to hold the line either. When given a chance to live, who would willingly throw their life away?

His eyes were filled with complex emotions. He never expected Li Yu to be someone with a cold exterior but a kind heart. Despite their previous clash, the man had still been willing to save him.

In the center of the horde, Li Yu had assembled a Mechanical Giant Hand over his right arm, which currently gripped a massive red and black tentacle in a vice-like hold. With his left hand, he hefted the Ship-breaking Blade and swung it down mercilessly.

The thick tentacle was severed cleanly in two, spraying a thick, black liquid that carried clusters of shattered Red Crystal Stones.

"It really is them!" Li Yu's gaze grew increasingly fervent. The Splinter Deployment Armor beneath his feet went into overdrive, the emblem of the Power of the Cube flashing rapidly as energy surged out frantically.

The dense array of firearms unleashed an endless torrent of power. Any radiation beasts that dared to approach were shredded to pieces. The rest hung back in fear, creating a grim standoff between cold machinery and torn flesh.

A rain of blood pattered against the outer shell of the Titan Colonization Armor, leaving the metal gleaming with a wet, crimson sheen.

A second later, the ground nearby began to bulge and churn once more.

The Combat System quickly locked onto the anomaly. Shrouded in crackling electric arcs, Li Yu darted forward, moving as fast as a lightning bolt.

He smashed a punch straight through the earth, striking the ferocious tentacle. At the very moment of impact, The mechanical structure of his right hand unfurled along his arm, transforming his fist into a Magnetic Energy Iron Fist over a meter wide. It channeled his Genetic Power, crackling with purple electricity and pulsing with terrifying force.

The sheer impact was overwhelming. The instant the storm-charged fist collided with the red and black tentacle, the surrounding ground cratered nearly a meter deep, blasting a ring of sand outward as endless thunder and lightning spread frantically in all directions.

Boom!!

The red and black tentacle was completely obliterated, exploding into a massive shower of Red Crystal Stones once again.

"Roar!"

The next moment, accompanied by a bizarre bellow, a unique wave of spiritual power surged outward. The eyes of every radiation beast instantly grew bloodshot as they flew into an absolute frenzy!

Li Yu sensed the distinct mental fluctuation brewing in his surroundings.

"Where do you think you're escaping to?" Li Yu chuckled darkly. His Combat System had already locked onto the retreating, severed tentacle.

Rumble—

He moved in a flash, pushing forward with an unstoppable force. Deploying an array of attacks one after another, he carved open bloody pathways through the beast horde.

The Splinter Deployment Armor moved in sync, manifesting entirely as energy firearms that offered greater penetration and devastating firepower. The Thrusters on the back of the Titan Colonization Armor spewed chaotic exhaust flames.

Like a speeding rocket, Li Yu charged toward the bulging ground in the blink of an eye. The Thrusters beneath his feet flared, driving a swift and impossibly heavy stomp into the earth. Crimson magma erupted from the cracks, incinerating a vast number of radiation beasts in the process.

His knee sank deeply into the tentacle. A force capable of shattering a mountain was concentrated into that narrow point of contact, blasting out a shockwave-like surge of air from thin air.

Rumble!

Following the path of the tentacle, the ground continuously exploded open, guiding Li Yu's line of sight further into the distance.

Bending his knees, Li Yu launched himself high into the air, soaring skyward to continue his pursuit. Left without a target, the horde of radiation beasts turned back to chase after him.

The remaining members of the Guard Corps looked at each other in dismay, feeling as if they were in a dream. Had their life-and-death crisis really been resolved just like that?

But why had that man chased after it? Was he really that brave?

"Where is he going?" Simon was completely bewildered. Wasn't saving them enough? Why did he have to keep chasing it?

'Wait a minute...' Simon suddenly realized something. 'Did he really just do that to save us?'

Li Yu's figure gradually closed in on the Heavy Radiation Zone. His Combat System's radiation index was skyrocketing. At the very edge of the zone, several massive tentacles stood completely upright.

"So you're not afraid anymore?" Li Yu didn't hesitate for a second. With an open hand, he punched deeply into the core of one of the tentacles, piercing straight through it.

"You... useless..."

A bizarre voice echoed in Li Yu's mind, resembling some form of mental fluctuation.

Boom!!

Violent electrical currents burst from his hand. The tentacle ruptured like an exploding water barrel, blasting shattered Red Crystal Stones everywhere as if a shower of gems were falling from the sky.

Bang-bang-bang-bang!

Li Yu's footwork was blazingly fast. He threw several heavy, forceful straight punches into the nearby tentacles. Not a single ounce of energy was wasted; the full brunt of his power drilled directly into their fleshy bodies.

Squelch!

Immediately after, the tentacles spewed vast amounts of viscous black matter, erupting like vile fountains.

In truth, these tentacles were entirely composed of Red Crystal Stones and this dark, sticky liquid.

Fear was a basic biological instinct. They had only been fighting for a brief moment, yet the tentacles had been utterly crushed and devastated from the start.

Li Yu's overwhelming strength made it feel completely outmatched. Unwilling to continue the one-sided slaughter, the creature panicked and attempted to flee.

Before Li Yu, the tentacles possessed no ability to resist and simply exploded one after another. Following the trail of detonated limbs, Li Yu pressed deeper into the Heavy Radiation Zone.

With the Thrusters on his back and feet firing simultaneously, he rocketed into the air. From the sky, Li Yu firmly locked onto the bulging ground below, his Combat System cleanly displaying its precise coordinates.

"Let's see just what the hell you are," Li Yu muttered, flying toward the deepest part of the radiation zone. Whispering black mist permeated the area, making it nearly impossible to see. Even his detection systems had begun to fail.

Swarms of radiation beasts blocked his path, only to be torn into mincemeat by the Splinter Deployment Armor's artillery. Even the bloodthirsty radiation beasts were visibly intimidated by such a brutal display of carnage.

However, it was clear that the tentacled creature possessed a unique ability to control the nearby radiation beasts, perhaps due to the influence of the Red Crystal Stones.

The beasts that had momentarily hesitated suddenly found their eyes glowing a furious crimson. Emitting low, uneasy roars, they lunged forward once more.

An endless stream of radiation beasts completely encircled Li Yu. As far as the eye could see, the surrounding five or six miles were packed with hideous monsters.

Yet, accompanied by an energy eruption from the Splinter Deployment Armor that fired waves of scorching light cannons, not a single radiation beast could pose a threat to him.

These radiation beasts were undeniably much stronger than the biochemical ones—some had even reached the threshold of a C-class lifeform—but they still couldn't stop Li Yu's advance.

His surroundings turned into a literal meat grinder. Tens of thousands of radiation beasts were ripped to shreds by his relentless gunfire, dyeing the dark brown earth a deep, ghastly red.

As Li Yu ventured deeper, the numbers of radiation beasts began to dwindle. It was unclear if he had simply slaughtered them all or if something else was at play.

Upon reaching this point, Li Yu sensed a distinct force field permeating the air. It felt similar to the power Simon wielded, heavily mixed with spiritual power.

Li Yu lightly stomped his foot. The ground fractured into a web of cracks as massive amounts of crimson magma surged up from below. Roaring flames swelled outward, gradually illuminating the desolate area.

Hideous tentacles flailed in the surroundings, weaving an intricate, chaotic net. Black blood, laden with Red Crystal Stones, oozed along their surfaces. Every single one of these appendages extended from a massive, central creature.

Calling it a "creature" didn't seem quite right. It looked more like a giant, oval-shaped black bowl inverted upon the earth, standing over ten meters tall.

Its exterior was covered in a transparent membrane that held slowly circulating black fluids. The entire mass swelled and shrank rhythmically, much like a beating heart.

"This thing..." Li Yu pondered. He didn't launch an attack immediately, largely because the tentacles weren't attacking him either.

"You... can't beat... why..."

A mental fluctuation drifted over to him. Li Yu barely managed to decipher the creature's intent.

It roughly translated to: 'Who are you? I can't defeat you, so why are you attacking me?'

It was yielding.

'To think something like this could be born from radiation?' Li Yu couldn't help but marvel. The universe truly was full of boundless wonders.

"I want Red Crystal Stones. A massive amount of Red Crystal Stones," Li Yu relayed his demands using his own spiritual power.

"Those... mine... no..." The surrounding tentacles began to tremble violently.

"I know they're important to you, but if you don't hand them over, I'll kill you!" Li Yu wielded his Ship-breaking Blade, tracing it through the air as if calculating the best place to butcher the creature.

"Fine... I... give..." The tentacle monster ultimately gave in, projecting an aura of immense grievance.

'Why do I feel like a Villain bullying a little kid...' Li Yu experienced an inexplicable wave of déjà vu.

Immediately after, he watched the creature split open down the middle. The black liquid drained out in all directions, revealing a massive, condensed cluster of Red Crystal Stones at its core.

Incredibly, this creature had actually grown directly on top of the Red Crystal Ore Mine.

The tentacle monster transmitted another mental fluctuation: "Come... take..."

"Alright."

Li Yu stepped forward, Ship-breaking Blade in hand, pondering exactly how much he should carve away. Yet, the moment he closed the distance, the vast array of tentacles surged toward him.

They wrapped tightly around him, completely encasing his body. However, Li Yu wasn't surprised in the slightest. If a creature like this had truly been as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, then he would have been surprised.

An immense surge of spiritual power rushed toward him through the constricting limbs.

"Good body... I want!" The tentacle monster's mental fluctuations crashed against his mind like violent ocean waves.

The scepter emblem on the chest of the Titan Colonization Armor flickered faintly. The massive influx of spiritual power vanished without a trace, exactly like a stone dropped in the ocean, having absolutely no effect.

'You're seeking your own death, which saves me the effort,' Li Yu sneered coldly. If he really had to fight this thing in a prolonged, head-on physical battle, it might have actually taken him some time.

But attempting to take control of his body? That was pure suicide.

A violent storm of purplish-red electric arcs raged outward. The grasping tentacles instantly detonated, scattering a huge amount of red crystals in all directions.

"No... please... please..."

Leaping out from the pile of severed limbs, Li Yu brandished his Ship-breaking Blade. Completely ignoring the creature's pleas for mercy, he directly sliced open the transparent membrane. Copious amounts of black liquid spilled across the ground as the mental fluctuations in the area gradually faded into nothingness.