Female Mechanical Cyborg

In the park.

Several Public Security Team members drew their weapons in succession, unleashing a barrage of gunfire at the Heretic Cultist, aiming every shot at the heart and head.

Within moments, they had riddled the cultist—who was in the midst of transforming into a Giant Mutant Rat—with enough holes to resemble a sieve.

Yet, despite being covered in bullet wounds, the cultist simply collapsed, its body continuing to mutate unabated.

Even after several follow-up sniper shots blew its head apart, the mutation process persisted.

"Jiangbei West Road, City Park. A Heretic Cultist is undergoing Giant Mutant Rat transformation; ordinary firearms are failing to inflict lethal damage!"

"Preliminary assessment indicates the fusion of Rat King Gene!"

"We are unable to contain the situation. Requesting the deployment of a Mechanical Cyborg for support!"

Seeing that they could not handle the current predicament, the captain of the Public Security Team immediately contacted the city's headquarters to request Mechanical Cyborg reinforcements.

"Captain, it's getting back up!" a team member shouted.

The cultist, which had been lying motionless on the ground just a moment ago, had somehow managed to stand.

The features of the Giant Mutant Rat were becoming increasingly prominent; thin, long whiskers sprouted, the mouth elongated into a snout, and the face became covered in coarse fur, turning it into an upright, walking Ratman.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Hold it back!"

"Keep firing and pin this beast down!"

"We only need to hold it for two minutes until the Mechanical Cyborg support arrives!"

"Stop it! Don't let it leave the park!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

Under the captain's command, the officers retreated while maintaining a steady stream of fire, using suppression to prevent the Ratman from escaping the park.

Outside the park.

Upon hearing the captain's words from within the park, Lin Zichen abandoned his vehicle entirely, scooped up Shen Qinghan from the backseat, and sprinted away.

The situation had escalated far beyond his expectations; he had to escape this area immediately.

[You are sprinting at full speed while carrying a load: Blood Qi +4, Speed/Stamina +2, Body Coordination +2, Running Speed +2, Running Technique +2]

[You have sprinted 1000 meters at full speed while carrying a load: Blood Qi +400, Speed/Stamina +200, Body Coordination +200, Running Speed +200, Running Technique +200]

In just over a minute.

Lin Zichen had carried Shen Qinghan over a thousand meters, putting a safe distance between them and the dangerous park.

Although it was only 1000 meters, the intensity was so high that he had to lean on his knees, gasping for air.

Seeing this, Shen Qinghan immediately ran into a nearby convenience store, bought a sports drink, twisted off the cap, and handed it to him so he could catch his breath.

Lin Zichen took the drink but didn't drink it immediately, still struggling to catch his breath.

He couldn't swallow while his breathing was still so ragged.

"Oh no, Xiao Chen, I forgot the Ghost Shadow Squid meat in the bike basket!"

Shen Qinghan suddenly remembered, her small face filled with anxiety.

Lin Zichen felt a pang of heartache at the news.

His first instinct was to go back and retrieve it, but his reason quickly stopped him from doing anything so foolish.

The park was still extremely dangerous; returning rashly would likely lead to an accident.

He had to wait and see.

He would ensure his own safety first, observe how the situation developed, and then decide whether or not to go back for the Ghost Shadow Squid meat.

Just then, a loud roar echoed from the sky.

It sounded like a high-displacement motorcycle revving its engine as it sped past, the vibration making his ears buzz and his eardrums ache.

Lin Zichen looked up, following the sound.

It was a Mechanical Cyborg!

But it was only a fleeting glimpse; it flew hundreds of meters away in an instant, making it impossible to discern its appearance.

Still, he could guess that it was definitely the support the captain had just requested.

With a Mechanical Cyborg on the scene, safety should be guaranteed.

Thinking this, Lin Zichen decided to go back and retrieve the Ghost Shadow Squid meat.

He turned to Shen Qinghan and said:

"Wait here for me. I'm going back to the park to get the Ghost Shadow Squid meat. I'll be right back."

"I'm going too!"

"I'll be faster on my own."

"Alright then, be careful on your way and come back quickly."

"Mn."

Lin Zichen said nothing more and quickly turned to run toward the park.

Because he wasn't carrying Shen Qinghan this time, he made it back to the outside of the park in less than a minute.

At this moment, the park was filled with a large amount of purple-blue smoke, and the sounds of intense fighting could be heard from within.

Ignoring this, Lin Zichen quickly ran to his bicycle, stopped, and opened the basket to take out the Ghost Shadow Squid meat.

The moment he held it in his hands, his nose caught a faint, putrid stench.

He sniffed, and it was coming from the bag containing the Ghost Shadow Squid meat.

Lin Zichen was immediately struck by a bad premonition.

With some trepidation, he opened the bag to take a look at the Ghost Shadow Squid meat inside.

To his dismay, he discovered that the meat had already spoiled, showing clear signs of decay.

It's over!

After the Life Origin is devoured, the meat doesn't stop spoiling; there's just a time delay!

What should he do now?

How was he supposed to explain this to his parents when he got back?

Lin Zichen felt deeply troubled.

Just then, even more violent sounds of fighting erupted from the park.

Accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound that resembled both a rat and a human.

The next moment, a slender figure shot up from the thick purple-blue smoke, hovering high in the air thanks to the powerful Anti-Airflow Propulsion Device beneath its feet.

Lin Zichen looked up at the sky, and what met his eyes was a female Mechanical Cyborg.

Her chest was flat, crafted from pure alloy, with a circular glowing area in the center that appeared to be an energy pump.

Judging by this alloy frame, she looked stronger than the male Mechanical Cyborg he had encountered in an alley back in elementary school.

Suddenly, the energy pump on the female Mechanical Cyborg's chest flashed with an extremely dazzling light.

The next moment!

A terrifying beam of energy erupted from the energy pump, blasting downward toward the ground below!

Immediately following, a loud "BOOM" rang out!

The previously pitch-black park was instantly illuminated for the most part.

A moment later, the light dissipated.

The park, which had been filled with noise, was now completely silent.

All that remained was a faint smell of scorched earth.

Lin Zichen stood frozen in place, stunned by the scene before him.

This female Mechanical Cyborg could actually fire a Laser Cannon?

Shanhai City was only a small prefecture-level city; did it really have Mechanical Cyborgs of such a high level?

The power of that Laser Cannon shot looked terrifying.

It was hard to imagine to what extent a biological body would need to evolve to withstand the damage of such a Laser Cannon shot... Lin Zichen fell into deep thought.

On the other side, the chest of the female Mechanical Cyborg high in the air was smoking, the area around it charred black.

It was evident just how scorching the energy beam released from there had been.

Confirming that the Ratman below had lost its life, the female Mechanical Cyborg did not linger, turning and flying away.

Lin Zichen watched her depart, his mind filled with complex thoughts.

He owed his current physical fitness, which far exceeded that of his peers, entirely to his daily diligent training.

Yet, Mechanical Cyborgs didn't need to do anything; they only needed to install powerful alloy equipment to possess overwhelming destructive power.

This shortcut to strength was truly enviable.

Just as Lin Zichen was lost in these stray thoughts, the captain of the Public Security Team and his subordinates emerged from nearby, jogging into the park to clear the scene.

Seeing this, Lin Zichen hesitated for a moment before following them inside.

He wanted to see just how much destruction the female Mechanical Cyborg's Laser Cannon shot had caused.