Collecting Materials

Luo Zhe and Luo Feng were the quickest. They gathered their gear right away, holding a Hexagonal Shield in their left hands and a Blood Shadow Battle Blade in their right, then waited by the rooftop's iron door.

Seeing them, Gao Feng couldn't help teasing, "Are you two planning to play door gods for us?"

Luo Zhe and Luo Feng exchanged a glance, then looked each other over. If they swapped the blades in their hands for golden whips and maces, they'd be a perfect pair of door gods.

Chen Gu couldn't help laughing, either. "Don't be in such a hurry. You have to wait for me to grab my tools of the trade. We'll be counting on them when we flee the battlefield."

Luo Zhe looked over and saw Chen Gu taking apart the heavy sniper rifle he'd used to kill the Bloodthirsty Tank and packing it into a wooden case. At the same time, he carried over the case and a metal chest full of ammunition for Zhang Ke. Then Chen Gu opened another metal chest and took out a fearsome machine gun. He wrapped belts of ammunition around himself, one end connected directly to the gun.

"Old Zhang, make sure you hold those steady. These are our tools of the trade. If we lose them, I'll be eating dirt for a long time!" Seeing Zhang Ke casually tuck the metal chest under his left arm, Chen Gu couldn't help reminding him.

Zhang Ke chuckled. "Relax, Old Chen. It's not my first time carrying these two big metal chests. Have I ever lost them? And if I do, I'll buy you a new set."

"Everyone's ready, so let's go!" Seeing they were all prepared, Gao Feng gave the order. Luo Zhe immediately opened the iron door, and the group hurried down the stairs and out of Blue Sky Residential District.

Five minutes later, Luo Zhe and the others were in a narrow alley, still keeping their original formation. The two rookies, Luo Zhe and Luo Feng, guarded Chen Gu in the middle, while their captain, Gao Feng, and Zhang Ke brought up the rear. Wei Tie, at the front, peeked outside, then turned back and said, "Captain, that Bloodthirsty Tank is dead on the ground."

"Nice shot, Chen Gu." Gao Feng gave him a thumbs-up.

High-powered firearms were highly effective against Beast Soldier Level monsters. But sniping a Beast General Level monster from long range required not only skill but also a bit of luck.

For example, there had been some luck involved in killing the Bloodthirsty Tank with a single shot. The only places on its head where a shot could kill it instantly were protected by its hardest bone: the skull. And the Bloodthirsty Tank's body was so massive that a gunshot wouldn't do much damage even if it hit.

So—

There were very few places where a single shot could kill it, such as its eyes or the area below the skull, behind the ear. To hit such a precise spot, the sniper needed the Bloodthirsty Tank to stay still. If it had been on alert and changed direction, the shot would have missed.

Chen Gu grinned.

"Still, Captain," Wei Tie added, "there are several hundred monsters gathered around the Bloodthirsty Tank's body. It'll be a real pain to get it."

That was one of the problems with attacking a Beast General Level monster from long range. Even if they managed to kill it, retrieving the valuable materials from its body was dangerous.

But that was still much safer than fighting a Beast General Level monster in the middle of a herd.

Gao Feng pondered for a moment, then looked up at the others and gave his orders. "Same as usual. Wei Tie, Wei Qing, scatter the herd, and we'll charge in while they're in disarray."

"Zhang Ke, you and Luo Feng stay with Chen Gu. Your main task is to protect him and keep the monsters away." Gao Feng spoke solemnly, then turned to Luo Zhe. "Luo Zhe, come with me to collect the materials from the Bloodthirsty Tank. Remember to protect me."

Hearing his assignment, Luo Zhe nodded firmly. "Understood!"

He felt his blood start to boil again. Charging into a herd of several hundred monsters would be the most dangerous thing he'd done since joining the Fire Hammer Squad in the Wilderness Zone!

Compared to what he'd read in posts on Home of Extremes, this was still a relatively simple situation for a warrior squad. There were plenty of situations ten or even a hundred times more dangerous.

Collecting materials from a Beast General Level monster killed by a long-range shot was usually assigned to the strongest member of a warrior squad.

That was because a large number of monsters usually gathered around the slain Beast General Level monster, hoping to devour its fresh flesh. When low-level monsters ate the flesh of higher-level monsters, it accelerated their evolution.

Driven by their desire to evolve, the herd gathered around a Beast General Level monster's corpse would go berserk as soon as outsiders came to collect materials!

But faced with this danger, the pituitary gland in Luo Zhe's brain released a large amount of dopamine, making him even more excited. His heart pounded at an astonishing rate.

His body was yearning for it!

He was eager for a thrilling, no-holds-barred fight!

"Move out!" Gao Feng gave the order.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two black streaks of light flew from the hands of the Wei brothers, Wei Tie and Wei Qing. They shot through the air like lightning, traveling over a hundred meters before landing in the distant herd. A closer look revealed that they were two oval Black Spheres, each with a red timer display.

The monsters that noticed the devices warily moved away.

Beep! Beep!

"Boom—"

The two time bombs exploded, their powerful blasts and flying shrapnel knocking over two monsters that hadn't managed to dodge in time. They were covered in blood. The bombs also produced thick smoke that quickly spread in every direction.

Despite the impressive spectacle, the explosions only managed to kill one monster by sheer luck and injure five or six others. Most of the herd had simply been startled by the sudden blasts. Blinded by the smoke, they milled around like headless flies.

"Charge!" Gao Feng ordered.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

All seven members of the Fire Hammer Squad moved at astonishing speed. The alley was only a hundred and fifty meters in a straight line from the Beast General Level corpse, and they reached it in just four or five seconds.

"Hah!" Gao Feng charged at the front like a black bolt of lightning, swinging a heavy hammer in one hand. With two resounding thuds, he smashed the heads of two Beast Soldier Level monsters blocking their path.

Luo Zhe followed behind Gao Feng at full speed, a shield in one hand and a blade in the other. His War Blade flashed out several times, instantly killing a few Beast Soldier Level monsters that came rushing at them. Their huge bodies collapsed limply to the ground only after Luo Zhe and the others had passed.

Gao Feng wielded a heavy hammer in one hand and a dagger in the other. He reached the Beast General Level monster's corpse in almost no time and quickly drove the dagger into the bullet hole behind the Bloodthirsty Tank's ear.

As Gao Feng cut open the corpse to retrieve its materials, Luo Zhe's face was impassive. He alternated between slashing with his blade and thrusting with his shield, killing or knocking aside several monsters charging at them. But after repeatedly using the First Form of the Ninefold Thunder Blade, he could feel the Blood Shadow Battle Blade in his hand growing unbearably heavy.

The other five members of the Fire Hammer Squad were also struggling to hold their ground. Facing the swarm of monsters darting around, Zhang Ke swung a spear, keeping them at bay without leaving an opening. But there were simply too many monsters, and he was gradually beginning to feel overwhelmed.