Mark's Life

After getting the order requirements, Lu Wen went into full-on strip-the-place-bare mode!

Anything that looked remotely usable went straight into his System Space! Instruments, tools, chemical raw materials-he packed up and took them all!

As for whether they actually worked, he could just have Bai Yuekui take a look later.

While wandering around, he even ran into a Vulture Squad searching for medicine! He took the opportunity to tie up and carry off a few unlucky souls who had nearly been swallowed by Xi Rang.

The Vulture Squad thought Xi Rang had evolved—it could snatch people without making a sound now? Clutching their medicine cases, they ran even faster.

"They're pretty quick on their feet."

As he spoke, Lu Wen shot another strand of webbing and snatched a Lighthouse Dustfolk member out of Xi Rang's grasp.

Everyone he captured was wrapped up like a dumpling, then stuffed into his System Space once they met the system's criteria for being sealed.

Xi Rang had been activated, and Mark's black gravity suit was gone too. It looked like the Calyx Beast in the hall had been disturbed.

This time, however, it wouldn't have so much Life Source Substance to absorb. He had taken everyone away and killed over half the beast's underlings. It probably wouldn't be able to cause much trouble.

Hopefully, this won't delay Boss Bai's plan.

Watching the growing mass of Xi Rang beneath him surge toward Mo Cheng and the others like a tide, Lu Wen thought for a moment and pulled out two large barrels of gasoline.

"In this lousy world, there are so few people left. Every death is a loss. Might as well save whoever I can."

After a little thought, Lu Wen decided what he ought to do as a human being.

He squeezed the middles of both gasoline barrels until they leaked, then hurled them along Xi Rang's crawling path! Gasoline sprayed evenly over a wide area behind the Vulture Squad.

His golden Laser Wrist Blades sprang out, igniting the gasoline before it even hit the ground with a single sweep! Two trails of fire rapidly spread and intertwined, blazing into a sea of flames. Xi Rang immediately shrank back.

Feeling the fire wasn't big enough, Lu Wen pulled out another barrel of gasoline and tossed it down, completely cutting off Xi Rang's pursuit.

Seeing Mo Cheng's group escape, he wasted no time either. He went straight back the way he had come and stripped that medicine storeroom clean.

Once he finished looting, he hurried back along his original route, looking for Bai Yuekui and the others.

In the hall, because Lu Wen had silently killed so many Sting Eels, the Vulture Squad had their hands free to concentrate their fire on the awakened Calyx Beast, and suffered few casualties.

But that wasn't how they saw it! All they knew was that half their teammates had vanished without a sound!

When Mark rushed back, even he was at a loss before this bizarre, inexplicable scene.

But his long-honed combat discipline kept him from dwelling on it. He focused on dealing with the Devorant before him!

Without the harassment of large numbers of Sting Eels, the Vulture Squad actually managed to suppress the Calyx Beast for a while under Mark's command.

But without finding its Spirit Breath Seed, it was ultimately futile!

After five people died, and after receiving word that Mo Cheng had reached the extraction point, Mark decided to stay behind alone to cover their retreat and avenge Haji and the others.

When they saw Lu Wen silently appear again with a somewhat smaller black ball, Bai Yuekui and the others didn't cry out in surprise this time.

They merely watched in silence as Lu Wen brought the little black ball over beside them, then came back, shed his black suit, and joined them to watch the show.

When the black-and-red gravity suit flew up and turned its head toward five expressionless faces, Lu Wen felt as though he could see the shocked face behind the mask, even through it.

Unlike those five people forcing themselves to look indifferent, Lu Wen kindly pointed downward, reminding Mark that there was still a big fellow waiting for him below.

"Say, are you just going to watch?" Lu Wen looked at Bai Yuekui.

"This is his destined ordeal. There is no other choice." Bai Yuekui's reply was cold, and the look she gave Mark held not a trace of warmth.

"Fine, I respect other people's destinies! But leave that big-assed Devorant to me in a bit. Don't let it get away!"

Leaving them with those words, Lu Wen prepared to take the few Vulture Squad members behind him over to the earlier group.

This is getting a little boring~

As for whether Mark would turn into the Mark Beast...

Didn't Boss Bai already say it? This was his destined ordeal! No need to forcefully intervene. He wasn't here to save the world or prevent tragedies. At most, he'd stir things up along the way when he had time.

But although he respected other people's destinies, he was already here~ If he did nothing and just let everything follow its predetermined course, wouldn't he have come for nothing?

Anyway, he'd see when the time came. Whatever he ran into, he'd deal with. Just go with the flow~

As for whether he could save Bingbing, that could wait!

Speaking of which... he was a little curious. Suppose things followed the original plot! If Mark unconsciously sucked away Ran Bing's Life Source Substance, and he then took the Mark Beast back to Marvel and went to Kamar-Taj to find that old nun, could she pull Ran Bing's soul out of Mark's Spirit Breath Seed?

He'd think about it later and go take a look. If he could avoid the heartbreak, he would. Watching the show back then had left him stunned by all the gut punches!

As for whether the timeline would collapse...

Not his problem! Someone with a system like him had already popped up. Who could say whether it would collapse or not~

Anyway!

A sensible worldline should correct its own deviations! Not demand that unrelated people maintain the course of destiny for it!

(Pressure!)

By the time he finished and returned, Bai Yuekui's group was gone, and a deep crater had been smashed into the hall below.

Just as he was about to jump down to find them, Bai Yuekui climbed back up from below with the others.

"Back so soon? I just went down to look for you~"

Lu Wen's face was full of disappointment. Damn it! He'd actually missed the iconic scene where that big-faced bug climbed onto Mark's spine!

He hadn't even seen whether Bai Yuekui was the one who put the spine on him!!!

But judging by things, Bai Yuekui probably wouldn't tell him even if he asked. What a shame~

Bai Yuekui glanced at the regret written all over Lu Wen's face, not knowing what he regretted. A trace of bafflement appeared on her otherwise consistently cold face.

"Your job's here. That big fellow is about to wake up." Bai Yuekui lifted her chin slightly, indicating the Calyx Beast below.

Lu Wen looked down. The Vulture Squad members who had returned along their original route were about to take Mark away. Several Sting Eels closed in, and the Calyx Beast had recovered under the effects of the ecosystem.

"All right~ Finally, I get to take down a big one!" The disappointment on Lu Wen's face vanished.

Receiving Lu Wen's instructions, Venom took the Green Goblin combat flight suit out of his own pocket space and dressed Lu Wen in it, then wrapped himself around the outside.

Once suited up, Lu Wen raised a hand, took out the small Glider, and stepped onto it. Under Xu Tong's envious gaze, he plunged downward.

"Boss, where did you find this guy? That thing of his is even cooler than my Goblin Glider!"

Unlike the four of them, who made no attempt to hide their envy, Bai Yuekui remained composed! She had survived from the height of human civilization and had seen better things, so she was perfectly calm.

"Stay alert! Be ready for Spirit State Induction at any moment." Bai Yuekui gave the order calmly.

Although Lu Wen had just demonstrated considerable strength, she still wasn't comfortable trusting him to deal with a Metamorphosis Level Devorant alone.

A Devorant of that level couldn't be dealt with just by being a little stronger or faster.

At the very bottom, as Mo Cheng and the others watched the Calyx Beast revive once again and the Sting Eels close in, a feeling bordering on despair rapidly spread.

Beep, beep, beep, beep...

Suddenly, several round objects dropped into the mass of Sting Eels, letting out a series of beeps!

Boom-

A string of thunderous blasts rang out. The Sting Eels forming the encirclement were blown to pieces by successive explosions from the Pumpkin Bombs!

The scorching blast waves also forced Mo Cheng and the others to close their eyes.

"What are you all waiting for? Keep stalling, and your friend is going to kick the bucket~" Lu Wen hovered above their heads, and the Glider beneath his feet fired two small bombs.

The two miniature high-explosive bombs from Stark Industries knocked the Calyx Beast head over heels.

"You... who are you?!" Mo Cheng asked in shock.

"Someone from the surface, here specifically to kill this Devorant that evolved the ability to fly! All right, get out of here. We'll meet again."

With that, Lu Wen flew up on his Glider, circled in front of the Calyx Beast, and threw bombs at it.

"Then..."

"Enough, Mo Cheng! Let's go first! Mark isn't going to make it!" the Vulture Squad member Gavin urged loudly.

Mo Cheng swallowed the question on the tip of his tongue, glanced at Mark, whose life hung by a thread, then looked at Lu Wen fighting the Calyx Beast.

"Pull out!"

Saving Mark came first!