When they returned to Area 9, the Distorted Space that Wei Zitong's ability had destroyed had already returned to normal. Layers upon layers of space overlapped and intertwined, like countless funhouse mirrors reflecting one another, making anyone who looked at them dizzy.
Nothing here looked normal. Everything was twisted and distorted, and the space itself was full of uncertainty. Something that appeared to be right before one's eyes might actually be hundreds or thousands of meters away, while something that seemed distant could very well be right in front of them. Only those with a certain understanding of space and wormholes could determine the exact situation through repeated attempts and verification.
But that was where the difficulty lay. There was someone inside who could use Space Control to alter areas that had already been mapped out, making them unfamiliar once more.
Of course, to do that, the person had to be within a certain range—at the very least, they had to use a wormhole to bring themselves within an appropriate distance of the target area.
That was Du Qiangwei's plan: have Wei Zitong continuously disrupt the original balance of the surrounding space and force their opponent to show himself and deal with it. Whether he attacked Wei Zitong or secretly repaired the space, Du Qiangwei would be able to sense the faint spatial fluctuations—as long as she did not use her own spatial abilities.
And if the opponent refused to show himself, Du Qiangwei could simply lead Wei Zitong forward and sweep through the area, leaving him nowhere to hide!
It was an extremely complicated plan, one that drained both physical strength and mental energy. The two of them had to remain tense at all times, constantly guarding against a sneak attack. Disrupting the spatial balance also required Wei Zitong to continuously expend energy. Outside, he could recover energy quickly, but not in here. Every bit of energy had to be used carefully, or they would never be able to sweep through the entire map in the end.
Both of them had waited outside until their injuries and energy had fully recovered before entering Area 9. Otherwise, neither plan could have been carried out.
Wei Zitong and Du Qiangwei exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Then he stepped forward, raised a hand, drew a cross over his chest, and solemnly declared, "God said: The space within a twenty-meter radius shall no longer be distorted!"
The instant he finished speaking, the surrounding space began to stretch and straighten, repeatedly twisting to varying degrees. It was like a snake whose head and tail had been gripped tightly, struggling without end.
A faint smile played on Du Qiangwei's lips as she gracefully walked to Wei Zitong's side and erected a spherical spatial shield. First, it was to prevent the shifting space from causing Wei Zitong unnecessary harm. Second, it was to guard against a surprise attack from their opponent.
The reason they were acting so much like charlatans was also part of the plan. It was meant to confuse their opponent and keep him from figuring out Wei Zitong's true ability.
When she had first suggested it, Wei Zitong's expression had been so awful that she always had the urge to laugh. Watching this bastard say something so embarrassingly juvenile with a constipated look on his face made even the hand controlling Du Qiangwei's spatial shield tremble.
Wei Zitong felt utterly ashamed. After saying those words, he kept a stiff face and tried his best to shift his attention to monitoring the enemy.
He could not think about it. Every time it crossed his mind, his face would burn red, and he would want nothing more than to find a hole and crawl into it!
After waiting for a while, the space within the twenty-meter radius completely stabilized. At the same time, the distorted spaces nearby began collapsing to varying degrees, yet the enemy still did not appear.
Wei Zitong and Du Qiangwei had expected this. With how cautious their opponent was, he definitely would not show himself from the start. He would wait until their guard was at its lowest before making a move.
So they continued forward, constantly creating spatial collapses and throwing the surrounding space into such chaos that even wormholes could no longer be calculated.
Du Qiangwei gave it a try, then shook her head at Wei Zitong, indicating that she could no longer calculate wormholes amid such chaotic space. At least, her own Super Gene Computing Power was insufficient to do so.
"Just because you can't calculate one doesn't mean he can't either. We should still be careful," Wei Zitong said.
"Who are you looking down on?" Du Qiangwei's expression immediately darkened. Like summer weather, it changed without warning—clear skies one moment, storm clouds the next.
Wei Zitong gave a bitter smile. "That's not what I meant. After all, he's Third Generation..."
"That's exactly what you meant!" Du Qiangwei did not even know why she was so easily angered. "I'll show you what happens when you force a wormhole calculation under these conditions!"
"Don't—" Wei Zitong had no time to stop her. In the very next instant, his pupils constricted sharply. Du Qiangwei had actually succeeded in calculating it, and on the other side was a patch of normal space!
Du Qiangwei herself froze, lowering her head in disbelief to look at her palm.
Wei Zitong believed that after all the blows and trials she had endured, the strengthened portion of Du Qiangwei's Super Gene had been awakened, allowing her to reach the level of a Third Generation Super Soldier.
But in the next moment, his heart lurched. That also meant the enemy was capable of calculating wormholes even within such chaotic space!
"Watch out!" Wei Zitong grabbed Du Qiangwei, who was still standing there in a daze. He had already sensed it—the opponent would attack in the next instant!
An utterly ordinary-looking bullet shot out of the wormhole Du Qiangwei had calculated. It grazed her cheek, leaving a deep bloody gash!
Du Qiangwei abruptly snapped out of it and instinctively raised a hand to cover her injured cheek. Her expression turned incomparably dark!
First, the opponent had scarred her face. Second, keeping watch had been her responsibility, yet her momentary distraction had nearly gotten her shot in the head again!
She immediately broke free from Wei Zitong, then flung her other hand—the one not covering her face—into the wormhole. Hundreds of throwing knives flew into it with sharp whooshes!
Wei Zitong's scalp went numb. He hurriedly yanked Du Qiangwei back again and shielded her behind him, then cast an "Indestructible" buff on himself!
The very next instant after he applied the buff, the hundreds of throwing knives flew back through a newly opened wormhole from the other side, striking Wei Zitong all over with a clattering chorus!
Wei Zitong felt like he had become Ge Xiaolun, who had taken disaster for him that day. His entire body shook like a sieve, and even his voice came with a bizarre tremor. "Y-y-y-you're t-t-t-too i-i-i-impulsive..."
Seeing Wei Zitong take the hit for her, Du Qiangwei felt warmth rise in her heart. She felt neither nervousness nor regret. For some reason, hearing that bizarre trembling voice even made her want to laugh.
Once the throwing knives were spent, a Godslayer No. 1 bullet came straight at them. Wei Zitong's "Indestructible" buff was already at its limit and could not block the bullet at all. He had no room to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as it pierced his chest, because Du Qiangwei was behind him!
After piercing Wei Zitong's body, the bullet's kinetic energy was exhausted. It struck Du Qiangwei's Dark Alloy Armor weakly with a crisp ding. That sound seemed to possess some kind of magic, freezing Du Qiangwei completely. A spray of blood splattered across her face, yet she did not notice at all. She instinctively reached out and caught the Godslayer No. 1 bullet, her expression blank...
It was not until Wei Zitong shouted that line she knew so well amid a spray of blood—"Wormholes are forbidden from being calculated here!"—that she snapped out of her daze. She reached out and caught Wei Zitong's limp body, then screamed hoarsely, completely forgetting that this was only the Virtual World, that death was merely an experience...
"You bastard! Idiot! Moron! You don't have an Undefeated Body or Dark Alloy Armor! Why did you block that Godslayer No. 1 bullet? Why? Aaaaaah!"
"Even with Dark Alloy Armor... it still wouldn't block it..." Wei Zitong spoke with difficulty as he spat blood. Because his genetic adaptation had failed, his body had not been strengthened. Godslayer No. 1 dealt far too much damage to him. Unlike Du Qiangwei, who could keep going even after having a hole blown through her skull, he could feel the energy in his body rapidly draining away...
So this was what death felt like? This was the third time he had experienced death, but this time, the sensation was especially clear. Perhaps it was because his physical condition was stronger than during his previous two deaths, so he had not died immediately.
But this time, he felt no fear of death at all. Because he knew that in here, death truly was nothing more than an experience...
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