Act.7 · Advanced Animals
Foreword:
Showing sympathy for the weak is the greatest disrespect to nature!
--Adolf Hitler
[Part 1: Musical Code]
Xue Ming kicked aside the corpse of the firewood, rummaged through the headless body of the commander, and while cleaning up the battlefield, he tore off the shoulder insignia of the frogman's pressure suit, only to find something else underneath.
"Teacher A Ling, this is..." A swastika-shaped flag appeared in his hand.
"They are the Axis demons from half a century ago." Su Ling's tone was icy. Her face was expressionless, but one could see the aggressive fire in her eyes.
The Master of Ceremonies rushed to Xue Ming's side, his eyes filled with disbelief, and kept calling out to her in Russian.
"How could this be? How is this possible? Although the Heaven's Ladder belongs to the Madness Butterfly Sect, they have always been helping us!"
Su Ling immediately switched to Russian and shouted sternly, "You're not young anymore, you should have seen the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in the newspapers of your time—these scum dared to sit under the Monument to the People's Heroes and eat human flesh, without a doubt, they are enemies, enemies who deserve to die."
On the pedestal of the statue in the center of the square, there are still frost-covered cans of human flesh.
When the old engineer saw these things clearly, his eyes turned frightened. He dared not touch the VIP guest, put his work vest back on to keep warm, and could only grab Xue Ming's arm and head towards the power workshop.
"Follow me! Quickly! Quickly, quickly!"
Xue Ming followed the Master of Ceremonies quickly forward, and heard the old man speaking hurried Chinese with a thick lisp.
"Young man! We've made a mistake, we've made a mistake! Hurry up! Hurry up!"
The Grandfather's flustered behavior made Xue Ming feel uneasy.
"What have you got wrong?"
Ms. A Ling jogged alongside the two, explaining to Xue Ming, "This place is sparsely populated. To deal with the Titans, there are only about twenty able-bodied men who can be of use. They must have given all the industrial facilities and weapons workshops to these well-equipped ogres."
The old engineer's eyes widened as he roared at Su Ling, "I don't know their true identities! In this desolate place, if a group of people suddenly appeared to help us fight the giants, anyone would lower their guard!"
"I didn't mean to blame you." Su Ling suddenly grabbed the Grandfather's trousers, lifting him up like luggage, and, wearing heavy iron armor, began to run faster. "I'm just curious, why are you so panicked? Is there some very important facility in this city? Some very powerful weapon? It absolutely cannot fall into the hands of these ogres?"
The old engineer leaned forward and pointed to the road on the northwest side, gesturing for Su Ling to run in that direction.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Yes! It's [materialism]!"
Xue Ming, panting heavily, was trying to run at full speed while carrying the heavy armor weighing over thirty pounds. Hearing the name "[materialism]", he remembered that his brother Xingchen had mentioned it before.
This thing is an all-terrain weapon platform built by a Soviet weapons design bureau.
The Master of Ceremonies spoke very quickly, wanting to explain everything clearly to the two passengers.
"More than 30 years have passed since the collapse of the alliance. I am the last surviving engineer in the power plant group. The other research groups in high-energy physics and chemical industry either returned to the station or went back to Russia to find other opportunities."
The Grandfather looked regretful and sad.
"VIP Su Ling! And you! Jiang Xueming! I beg you, please let me live. If I die, and Yibu dies on the beach—then probably no one will know how to activate [Materialism]!"
He personally handed over RSH's legacy to the followers of the Lord of Cinder.
"I didn't expect these guys to be our mortal enemies—I only knew they were followers of the Madness Butterfly, and perhaps we could use their motive of stealing runes to wipe out the giants and expand humanity's territory."
Xue Ming immediately asked, "What if that [materialism] you mentioned falls into the hands of these people?"
"No, no!" the veteran engineer said firmly. "It's an all-terrain launch platform for nuclear weapons. To activate it, you need to know its nuclear codes. I'm not worried about what the enemy might do to it; they probably don't even know about [materialism] yet."
The three of them ran wildly down the street for more than 400 meters before finally stopping outside the power workshop.
The old engineer landed awkwardly under Su Ling's armpits, still feeling a strong sense of dizziness when he stood up.
He first ran to the technicians' warehouse in the power workshop to change into a welder's heat-insulating protective suit, wrapping himself up tightly. As soon as he came back, he started chattering non-stop.
"I thought these minions of the Lord of Cinder were friends, comrades. I only knew they wanted to become the afterglow of the sun, but I never imagined they were a man-eating sun—if I were really eaten by them, you probably wouldn't even be able to open this door. I'm afraid of dying, very, very afraid of dying! Comrade! I can't die! There are still very important things waiting for me to do!"
The Master of Ceremonies welding torch, ignoring the mechanical combination lock on the door, and went to the boiler exhaust vent in the room. He fumbled through dozens of complex pipes and valves, trying to find the correct hidden door.
Xue Ming looked at the outer wall of the power workshop. The layout was similar to that of the refinery, with no windows and all wastewater and exhaust gases being discharged underground through hundreds of pipes. Everything was designed to resist the Death Morpho Butterfly and the giant's subordinates.
After clearing away the layers of mortar, the Master of Ceremonies picked up his welding torch, located the seven pipe valves, unscrewed the handle, and aimed the flame at the valve interfaces.
Grandfather's arms moved like he was playing an accordion, shifting the flames and constantly changing the position of the welding torch nozzle according to the musical score, causing the gas chamber in the pipe to play clear notes in response.
Teacher A Ling remembered this song, and she hummed it softly.
"That morning, I woke up from a dream."
"Goodbye, my friend, goodbye, goodbye!"
The Grandfather sang along with the coded musical notes.
"Una mattina mi son svegliato."
[That morning, I woke up from a dream.]
"Eo ho trovato l'invasor."
Invaders have invaded my hometown.
As the high-temperature spray gun completed its first beat through the valves of varying lengths, a low hum echoed from the power workshop door.
A gust of Hot Wind, carrying a damp, warm musty smell, rushed out of the room. The air filters on Xue Ming and A Ling's heavy armor broke down instantly; they had already endured too much suffering.
The room door, 150 centimeters thick, was propelled by sixteen hydraulic rods and slowly opened under the pull of gleaming iron wheel rails.
A bright red flag hung on the maintenance track, suspended upside down in Workshop No. 1, which was several meters high, covering the main stage for the cultural performance next to the workers' rest room.
On the left side of the entrance is a nine-combination mechanical lock with a roller mechanism, while on the right is a steel bottle radiating a dark red heat. The mercury inside, heated by the high temperature flame, will gradually push open the lock cylinders one by one. Only by unlocking the locks in a specific musical note sequence can this 150-centimeter-thick door be opened.
Before the veteran engineer could even introduce himself, he rushed to the diesel generator set to reconnect the power supply to the ancient workshop.
Besides the safety lights, rows of red flags came into Xue Ming's view under the dim light.
They covered the base frame, like engineers dusting off the products in the factory before leaving. Only blurry shadows could be seen through these bright red curtains.
These illusory figures are about six meters tall, and under the red and orange light source, they present sharp, defined shadow lines.
Xue Ming wanted to sneak inside the red flag to find out what was going on, but he had only taken two steps—
At that moment, he felt a splitting headache.
Bloodshot veins suddenly appeared on the whites of his eyes, and a strong sense of malice locked onto him.
The doors to the power workshop were about to close when, just before they sealed shut, an uninvited guest squeezed in.
"That was close! That was close! That was close!"
He's a man--
--He had no beard, and was tall, standing nine feet tall.
Su Ling and Xue Ming had to look up to see the guy's forehead.
The intruder appeared to be around thirty years old, with deep nasolabial folds, bluish-gray pupils, and brownish-red irises. There was a distinctive linear pattern around the pupils.
He has a high, straight nose, thin, long lips, and visible canine fangs.
His wingspan is approximately 280 centimeters.
To elaborate on this guy's equipment, he was practically armed to the teeth.
His MOLLE suit was custom-made, with waterproof trousers and rubber boots. He carried six guns, with trigger guards and grips customized to his physique, designed specifically for his giant-like build.
"Did you see that? I almost died just now!"
The man's face was turned towards Xue Ming, but his eyes were fixed on Su Ling, and he spoke in English.
Why aren't you all saying anything?
He brushed the dirt off his shoulders and tore off the epaulettes of the Sun Chariot, revealing the swastika-shaped banner inside.
Or perhaps—
In an instant, the Heaven's Ladder's tone plummeted to freezing point.
"--Our cooperation is over? You want to keep all the equipment in this house for yourself?"
Xue Ming felt as if a thousand needles were stuck in his head. He could barely look at the enemy; even lifting his heavy eyelids was extremely difficult.
It was as if the enemy brought with them the aura of death and terrifying spiritual pressure of Niflheim when they appeared.
In the [Phoenix]'s digitized vision, his mental shield shattered almost instantly. His previously calm Madness Index fluctuated wildly, his brain became fragile, and his body began to stiffen.
The enemy's health bar on his forehead was gray, like that of Death Giant, and his signature kept changing, making it seem that even Teacher A Ling had difficulty directly identifying the enemy's detailed attributes through his Soul Power.
"My goodness!" Su Ling was stunned for a long time before finally uttering this ridiculous statement, "What kind of monster are you that you can grow so big? My encyclopedia needs another update."
"My name is Peter Sergei, a VIP of the Abyssal Railway! Listen up!" The man was as strong as a young beluga whale. He took only two steps forward, his large boots kicking up a cloud of dust as they stomped in the workshop. "If you know what's good for you, leave here immediately and hand this engineer over to us. The power we possess is not something you can stop."
Su Ling pulled off her helmet. "No, no, no! Don't go any further!"
Sergei was surprisingly gentlemanly; he truly refused to go any further.
He didn't want to create irreconcilable conflicts with the people at the station. These VIPs had different abilities and were all excellent resources for the Lord of Cinder. It would be a waste if they fought in such a cramped room and no fresh essence was left behind.
Xue Ming covered his head, still unable to extricate himself from the terrifying spiritual pressure.
Sergei's weight data suddenly appeared in his mind's eye.
--688 kilograms.
This data was estimated by Teacher A Ling based on the dust and floor vibrations.
[Part ② Lack of Martial Morality]
Sergei said to Su Ling, "I agree to your request, and you should agree to mine. You told me not to go any further, so I'll stay where I am. I want you to hand over the workshop and the engineer. You must also keep your promise. This is a fair and just exchange— Ming De likes this kind of ceremony, and I miss you both."
"No! No, no, no, no! That's not it!" Su Ling took off her helmet and then started taking off her armor. "Do you have a problem with your comprehension? Your head is so big, you should be smarter than those small fry in the square, right?"
Sergei frowned. "Don't you intend to talk business with me?"
Su Ling deftly removed the iron helmets from her body. The heavy sound of steel plates hitting the platform echoed in the workshop. She pointed to the old man trembling in front of the diesel generator set.
"I understand you want the equipment in this workshop, so why do you want to take it with you?"
Sergei bluntly stated, "I will eat him, digest him, and absorb him."
After removing the last piece of equipment, Su Ling tossed aside the grease-covered air purifier, revealing her waiter's uniform and quick-drying bodysuit. She tilted her head back and carefully observed Sergei from a distance of more than ten meters.
"You can eat people? Are you a blood-soaked [carnivore]?"
Sergei, proud and arrogant, immediately grinned and laughed, "I am far superior to the Calamity Beasts! I am the child of the [Fireman]! A half-blooded descendant of giants, I was the one who guided the Lord of Cinder here. If you are willing to hand this Engineer over to me, I will devour him; perhaps that will be another great achievement."
"How old are you?" Su Ling suddenly asked the other person's age.
Sergei immediately replied, "I am thirty-three years old, still a child in the legends of the giant race—so, VIP of the Abyssal Railway, I advise you not to oppose me. In my long life, you are but a mayfly that lives only a day, unable to shake this great tree. To pity the weak is the greatest disrespect to nature."
More numerical values appeared in Xue Ming's eyes--
--[Phoenix] is determining the detailed data of this hybrid giant.
His maximum output, explosive speed, reflexes, and comprehensive combat skills.
His health points were no longer an invisible gray, but gradually turned into a light pink, and then slowly turned into bright red.
His core strength limit is around 1.5 tons, and his finger strength is over 300 kilograms.
Judging from the amount of sweat and the sheen of his skin, this guy's metabolism is very slow, and there is a lot of frozen, dry, and cracked dead skin on his neck.
Judging from the speaking speed, unnatural eye movements, and the speed of pupil focusing, the efficiency of the brain in transmitting instructions still falls within the scope of carbon-based organisms. The neural reflexes are similar to those of an elephant. When trying to move a finger, the electrical signal travels from the brain center to the palm, which is more than 150 centimeters away, with a delay of at least 180 milliseconds.
This is a slow, high-health, and incredibly powerful target.
This is the divine power of the Phoenix.
As long as they spend enough time in the same room with the subjects being observed, all members of the team can help Professor A Ling collect data.
Sergei said to Su Ling, "Human life is insignificant and fleeting, while you have already evolved a soul power. I do not wish to kill you, a higher animal. If one day you are willing to become a Lord of Cinder, I will continue to guide you and help you obtain runes—and all you need to do is send this old man, who is on his deathbed, into my stomach to gain my friendship."
In the freezing temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius, without the protection of her heavy armor, Ms. A Ling shivered from the cold. She pulled open the collar of her bodysuit, seemingly trying to offer some fan service.
"--I don't understand." Sergei's expression turned awkward and restrained. "I don't want this kind of friendship; beauty cannot buy it."
"Did you misunderstand something?" Su Ling pulled out two BUR drill rocket launchers from her collar. They were only 70 centimeters long and weighed 3.5 kilograms. They were hidden in front of Teacher A Ling's bra, which was usually an embarrassing disguise for her figure.
Without much aiming, she fired two scorching flames at the big, clumsy guy a dozen meters away.
The single-barreled warhead of the BUR drill bit is extremely powerful, several times more so than a regular grenade or hand grenade.
"I told you to stand still so you wouldn't accidentally hurt the old man." Su Ling tossed aside the smoking heavy weapon, took out a military ration from her backpack, and threw it in front of Xue Ming.
The blast wave produced a scorching heat that nearly blew Xue Ming away. Shrapnel bounced between the iron walls of the workshop, tearing the Soviet red flag in two.
The old engineer left long ago.
--He was the first to flee, climbing the iron ladder to Workshop No. 2, hiding next to a sturdy electrical cabinet and watching the uncivilized VIPs on the first floor.
At that moment, Xue Ming, with his hunched back, caught the specially made military rations that Teacher A Ling brought him.
Before he even opened the package, he saw Ms. A Ling pull out a gleaming titanium-plated steel ruler from her waitress uniform.
That was Teacher A Ling's stick, a murder weapon made from Mingde's remains.
--Like a straight sword without a sharp edge.
Amidst the flames, Sergei clutched his head, then calmly straightened up, his body riddled with the firearms he carried, reduced to scrap metal by the bombardment of the drill rocket launcher.
His right side was covered in wounds, with bloody, palm-sized sores cut open by the blast wave and shrapnel from the rocket launcher.
He pursed his lips, like a bullied child, and actually started to cry.
"How dare you treat me like this! How dare you treat me like this?!"
The astonishing sound almost completely swept away the remaining smoke in the air.
Su Ling put on her earplugs, her expression remaining unchanged.
She opened her ration bag, stuffed Guangling San buns into her mouth to replenish her strength, gnawed clean the smoked meat dish of the beast's foreleg, not even bothering to wipe the oil from her mouth, and then swallowed a mouthful of Forget- Worry-forgetting Tea.
She ate incredibly fast, almost like a robot, solely to gain the energy boost from these underground delicacies.
Then they saw the giant's descendant pounce on this "frail and powerless" woman.
The heavy footsteps were like the sounds of yaks and elephants running across the African savanna.
Xue Ming's eyes were vacant and unfocused; there were no longer any UI prompts for the [Phoenix] in them.
Teacher A Ling has regained her Soul Power.
--We must give it our all.
As if by magic, the brilliance stones in A Ling's hands transformed from four different colors—blue, black, white, and orange—into four different colors. With a formidable enemy at hand, she tossed the stick aside and, as if washing clothes, fed it into her backpack with a quick, effortless movement.
Her slender, white fingers, once as white as jade, have now been adorned with ten red stones.
In the instant they made contact, Su Ling's two palms gripped Sergei tightly.
Do you know what this means?
It looked like two trucks colliding head-on; the shockwave overturned the tables and chairs on the performance stage.
A Ling's big boots left two bright red streaks on the floor, and the metacarpal bones of her feet scraped against the steel platform, leaving behind charred mud and fiery red bloodstains.
"This means I won't be able to shake hands with them at the fan club meeting."
A Ling suddenly leaned forward, her forehead slamming hard against the handle of the falling steel ruler, turning it into a deadly projectile that shot out like a cold arrow.
"I am tainted! I am unclean! -- Holding hands with a cannibalistic demon, these hands are incapable of bringing happiness to people!"
Sergei's knees buckled, and his arms instinctively tried to press forward and downward, using his weight to gain a greater chance of winning this wrestling match.
--His vision went black, and he saw the golden titanium-plated steel bar hurtling towards him, and then everything seemed to disappear into the distance.
Teacher A Ling raised her bloodied right leg and kicked the chin of the giant descendant who was still alive but not stiff.
She reached out and grasped the handle of the steel ruler that had pierced her skull; the red imprint of the ruler's end, resembling a signature, remained on her forehead.
[Acting evil on behalf of Heaven]
With a gentle twist, the titanium-plated steel ruler stirred within Sergei's skull, allowing air to seep into his closed eye sockets. Su Ling then slowly pulled it out.
Within the bloodied skull, near the thalamus, remained a fragile flame, like a rune in the head of Death Giant, shattered by the steel ruler and gradually extinguished.
The signature from the tip of the steel ruler remained inside the soft brain tissue.
[Ming De]
Xue Ming had only eaten a little over half of his military rations and hadn't had time to finish the sulphur rock chili water to boost his strength. The stuff was so spicy that it made him choke Xue Ming unable to breathe.
Teacher A Ling wiped the blood off the stick, her face pale with pain. She kept pouring White Lady's coffee onto the soles of her feet, while the red stone in her hand shattered into dust.
You can still hear the VIP's cries of pain.
"Aww! Aww! Aww! My baby! My baby, aww!"