Guanyin

In theory, Qianji was Xu Jiang's mech, and the enhancement runes he cultivated could be applied to Xu Jiang.

But the human body was not as spiritually attuned as the Godlamp Clan's. Using them could very well make him explode, so it was better to be careful. This thing could only be used by Qianji himself.

The Spirit Seed in the power core was too high-level to enhance. After scanning his entire body, there did not seem to be many options.

The enhancement target was not a skill, but a component of the mech, such as its fists, joints, chest, crotch, and so on.

Qianji was still young. If he became a heavy mech in the future, he could enhance something like Heavy Fist.

For now...

"Enhance the knees. At least that'll make Knee Strike stronger."

"Yes, General!"

Congratulations, knee enhancement successful. Knee Strike's power has increased slightly.

Qianji's only physical skill was Knee Strike. It was better than nothing. They would see how Qianji's training turned out later.

"Alright, we've rested enough. Time to get moving."

After falling into the Void Rifts, they could not tell day from night. They could only rest when tired, then set out again once they had rested enough.

At first, relying on Pace's ability, they had been able to avoid monsters and sneak forward.

But the farther they went, the more monsters there were.

Just like now, they had encountered an unavoidable predicament: a small river with no end in sight, and a bridge crawling with monsters.

"I can swim."

"So can I."

"My totem can't..."

The thick Iron Totem was great for smashing people, but swimming was not its forte. If it sank, it probably would not be able to get back up. Their only option was to charge across.

However, before they charged the bridge, a small incident occurred. A squad arrived behind them as well.

"The three of you up ahead, stop! I'm a guide sent by Yong'an City!" someone shouted from behind them.

Turning around, they saw a group of seven approaching. There were men and women in the team, and judging by their attire, they were all professionals.

Their leader, the middle-aged man who called himself a guide, stood several meters away and carefully observed them.

"You aren't hurt, are you? It's dangerous ahead. Don't go any closer."

"We know, but we're looking for an exit. We have to go through."

"The higher-ups are already analyzing the Void Rifts. A large reinforcement force will be arranged soon. It's best if everyone stays together and holds position. Don't act rashly."

Their brief exchange did not yield much information, but at least it confirmed that both sides were clear-headed and had not fallen into a state of manic affliction.

Judging by his gear, the guide was probably a mechanic. Unlike Xu Jiang, a Mech Warrior, he fought by operating machinery.

He had things like mechanical scouting dogs, a large-caliber EX-S Viper Cannon, and even aerial combat robots flying overhead.

It was a profession that could remotely control combat from the rear.

The people behind the guide looked rather listless. They had probably been frightened and affected by manic affliction.

But the problem should not be serious. The guide had brought plenty of rations and fresh water. As long as they stuck together for warmth, they would recover soon enough.

"You should stay too. We can look after each other," said one of the rescued women. She held a dagger, so she was probably a Shadow Dancer, though her legs were trembling nervously.

Seeing Old Tie's burly frame, she seemed to feel safer and took the initiative to persuade them to stay.

But would their Old Tie be swayed by a woman?

Women would only slow down his journey to death. He had even entrusted his childhood sweetheart to Xu Jiang. Would he really be moved by a few words?

Lan Tie turned to Xu Jiang and said, "Why don't you stay? There's safety in numbers. I can continue alone."

Staying behind and waiting for rescue was a pretty good outcome. At least for now, the monsters in these Void Rifts did not seem to enjoy wandering around.

As long as everyone worked together and set up a solid defensive line, their lives would still be secure.

Xu Jiang pondered for a moment, then looked at the blue-headed fellow and asked, "What about you? Are you staying?"

"Me? Of course I'm following you." In Pace's eyes, although Xu Jiang was ugly, he was still one of his kind and worth trusting. Wherever Xu Jiang went, he would go.

As for Xu Jiang's choice...

"I'm continuing onward. Thank you for your kindness."

The three men's insistence caught the guide somewhat by surprise.

"This place is full of danger. There's no need to take risks. I brought plenty of turrets. As long as we fight defensively, I can definitely protect you."

The guide had good equipment and was probably over level forty. If he set up his turrets and defended a position, his firepower would indeed be formidable.

Unfortunately, Xu Jiang did not like leaving his life in someone else's hands.

"Thank you, but I'd rather make my own way. If possible, I'd like to buy a weapon from you."

Xu Jiang's words increasingly exceeded everyone's expectations.

Not only did he refuse to stay and band together, he even wanted to buy someone else's weapon? In a place this dangerous, were weapons something they could casually sell?

Food, water, and weapons were the basic supplies needed to survive in the Void Rifts. Xu Jiang's request was clearly a little excessive.

"I can spare you some water and food, but not weapons." The guide refused Xu Jiang's request without hesitation.

But Xu Jiang did not mind. Smiling faintly, he said, "Don't worry, I'm not asking for your main weapons. The one I want is that."

At Xu Jiang's gesture, everyone's eyes gathered on a heavy weapon.

Six terrifying extended barrels were arranged like a compass, gleaming with a cold light. Its heavy handheld body displayed the terror of a battlefield killing machine.

"I want that: the Gatling Gun!"

This choice surprised everyone.

The Gatling Gun was a rather awkward existence among firearms.

Its power was unquestionably terrifying. It could fire thousands of bullets per minute and punch straight through steel plates.

But it consumed far too much ammunition. Every time someone went out, they had to carry several crates of ammo. Who could stand that?

Nowadays, the Gatling was only used as a defensive weapon mounted on walls or installed on armored vehicles with a whole truckload of ammunition.

For individual combat, charged weapons were still the better choice. With the support of a power core, Railguns and Laser Cannons were far more useful.

"Are you sure you want to buy it? It doesn't come with bullets!" The young man holding the gun was tempted.

He had been trying to sell this gun for months without success. When he fell into the Void Rifts, he had been reluctant to throw it away. Now it did not even have a single bullet left, so of course it would be best if he could trade it for money.

Xu Jiang did not hesitate either. He took a bank card from his pocket and handed it over.

"There are a hundred thousand Credit Points on this card. That's enough to buy your gun, right?"

"No problem. Sold!" The young man agreed to the deal without another word.

Outside, it would have been worth far more than that. But here, someone was actually willing to pay for a gun with no bullets? What an idiot.

Xu Jiang did not care about the man's thoughts at all.

The Gatling Gun's true strength lay in Xu Jiang's General's Order, which could appoint generals. That was premium stuff no amount of money could buy.

And besides...

"Wasn't that my money?" Old Tie looked over in disbelief.

"Uh, you're about to die anyway, so there's no point keeping it. Don't worry, I'll take care of your Xiao Fang."

"Mm, true."

Old Tie thought about it. That reasoning was indeed correct. He was going to sacrifice himself anyway, so there was no point keeping the money.

"But your gun has no bullets! Is there any point buying it?"

"Bullets? Do I need bullets?" Xu Jiang smiled smugly, then stroked the gun's body.

"General, this humble woman entrusts her life to you. I hope you will cherish me. If you do not mind, you may call this humble woman: Guanyin."