Walking the Dog
What does it mean for the 10 energy cannons to explode beautifully? Zhang Ge didn't quite understand, and he didn't dare to continue exploring. Before they could distinguish more useful information from the disturbed sizzling electric current sounds, news of the high-energy explosion in the swamp forest and the exposed coordinates of the First Star Region's mecha signals also reached the monitoring background of the Dawn System in the rest area.
Seeing this, everyone suddenly understood where those 10 energy cannons had exploded.
KID's mecha had a damage level of about 15%, while the mechas of the First Star Region left at KID's original coordinates faced the explosion generated by the 10 energy cannons and suffered a high level of damage to their mecha bodies.
In the rest area, everyone initially thought KID would face a mixed attack from multiple sides. However, not only did they safely escape from the swamp forest, but they also turned the tables on the First Star Region. With such a level of damage, it was undoubtedly a huge loss for the First Star Region in this race against time for resources.
"How did they manage to..."
"What did they do? Just explode with the 10 energy cannons?"
Shen Xingtang could finally communicate with KID's team and understand the situation: "So you're riding an S-level pollutant now?"
In the rest area, others looked at the coordinates on the detection map. KID's team had actually used the spatial displacement ability of the S-level pollutant to escape. That was an S-level pollutant, and it was surprising how they could control it so easily.
"Yes! Thanks to it, we were able to escape," Ji Qingfeng said while struggling to hold onto the mother mantis, preventing it from using displacement under the control of the king worm inside it. "Once we deal with these two pollutants, we'll immediately support Gale."
Huo Yan added, "Boss, don't worry, we're fine."
Upon hearing the conversation between Shen Xingtang and KID, everyone in the rest area shivered.
Spatial displacement plus 10 energy cannons—ordinary people couldn't enjoy such luck. Even if the 10 energy cannons were handed over to others, it might not silence the First Star Region. Moreover, there were GBK people in these three teams. KID managing to trick GBK was something they hadn't even dared to imagine before.
The leader of the Black Crow looked at Zhang Ge beside him and said, "The 10 energy cannons did explode beautifully."
Zhang Ge replied, "Beautiful it is... Why are you looking at me like that?"
Noticing the surrounding glances, he gritted his teeth and said, "It's just 10 energy cannons, right? KID managed to do it even against three opponents... It's just an expense."
Others: "..."
Indeed, it was the first base of the Dawn System, and the boss was quite generous.
Jiang Simiao looked at the detection screen. "GBK should suffer a loss this time."
KID not only successfully managed a 1-to-3 situation but also launched a beautiful counterattack. Moreover, at this point, the First Star Region couldn't hold the Dawn System accountable. Before this, their mecha signals were all off, and any actions KID took without knowing about the approach of 'friendly forces' were reasonable.
If they wanted to investigate, the First Star Region would have to explain the situation to the Koria Management Bureau.
As expected, when the Dawn System personnel went out to investigate the situation, they saw the people in the First Star Region's rest area all with dark faces. There were also people from the Koria Management Bureau going over to inquire about the situation.
"This is hilarious, the people from the First Star Region can't say a word."
"I heard that several mechas have too high damage levels, and the medical mechas can't handle it. Now they can only return to the management bureau for repairs."
Seeing this situation, everyone in the Dawn System felt particularly relieved for some reason.
"I suddenly feel like the 10 energy cannons didn't explode enough."
"If it were me, I would add two more, preferably to blow all the people from the First Star Region back."
"I agree."
Hearing these words, Zhang Ge and the Alliance personnel responsible for writing reports and expense forms said, "..."
In the swamp forest, most of the mechas from the First Star Region were facing varying degrees of damage. The medical mechas accompanying the team had already initiated medical procedures, assisting several mechas in urgent damage repairs.
For mechas with moderate damage, they could recover 5%-10% through the medical mechas' maintenance. However, for mechas with damage levels exceeding 60%, they could only return to the Koria main planet base or the management bureau for replacement or repair.
"Vice Captain Bai, how should we handle this now?" A mecha pilot next to Bai Xuyan couldn't help looking at the leader of the First Star Region. They hadn't suffered such a loss since they started the mission, and being reduced to such a state by a mere eighth-ranked team made them feel embarrassed.
"They're not far from us. We can intercept them if we go now."
"If we don't bring KID's people back, we won't be able to suppress them."
Bai Xuyan didn't say anything, looking at the radar information on the mecha. The reactions of the two S-level pollutants were still there, and KID was also with the pollutants. The timing of such an explosion was definitely calculated by KID. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to trigger an explosion in the swamp environment, indicating that KID might have figured out the ability of that S-level mother mantis.
Was it a coincidence? Bai Xuyan didn't believe in coincidences.
But he was not sure about KID's current progress. He noticed that KID's position had not moved.
The signals on the radar had not disappeared, indicating that KID's team hadn't been able to deal with that ability crystal yet.
Bai Xuyan couldn't abandon the spatial displacement ability crystal that was about to be in his hands. Even if he lost one or two mechas, it was understandable for the importance of this ability crystal. "One team goes around, the displacement distance of that pollutant seems to be fixed, about 15 kilometers each time. KID hasn't moved, indicating that dealing with that mother mantis may take some time."
"Split into two teams—one continues to chase KID, and the other goes around to block him from behind."
-
15 kilometers away, KID and the others had already landed on the forest floor. When they landed, they paid special attention to the position of the mother mantis, trying to keep it away from the water to prevent the king worm inside from escaping.
You Su asked, "We just smashed 10 energy cannons. Do we have enough energy now?"
"We do, I brought a lot when I left," Ying Chenlin said. "Don't worry, you'll have enough energy for your cannons."
You Su raised an eyebrow slightly. "What's the plan now?"
Ying Chenlin had Le Xi use water bullets not to hit the opponent's mechas directly. While hitting them would be ideal, if that wasn't possible, they aimed to splash water onto the mechas.
Human actions were subconsciously based on habitual thinking, and this thinking would also occur in mechas.
Hitting mechas was difficult, but predicting their evasive direction was simpler. So, as long as Le Xi's water cannon positions were tricky enough, they could get the water to splash where they wanted.
"If I'm not mistaken, their mechas should be damaged by now," Ying Chenlin explained. "For normal wear and tear, they have medical mechas to repair. However, if it's damaged to vital parts, to ensure the mecha's efficient operation, they can only go back for repairs. So, I guess at least one of their three teams will have to leave. This way, they can maintain pressure on us while the other mechas quickly undergo maintenance and support."
You Su looked at the radar position. The opponent's mechas had hidden their signals again, indicating they were probably moving in their direction.
On the other side, Lin Yao and Huo Yan had efficiently dealt with the wind blade mantis's body. After taking the ability crystal, they could only salvage some materials, as part of the wind blade mantis had already been consumed by the parasitic insects.
Lin Yao straightforwardly eliminated these parasitic insects and said, "They eat so much, why don't they eat the mantis's ability crystal?"
Ying Chenlin looked at the mother mantis subdued by Ji Qingfeng. "The king worm wants to use them for hunting. The mother mantis itself has weak attacking power, and its hunting ability is slightly weaker than that of the wind blade mantis. So, the king worm uses the wind blade mantis to capture prey, then uses displacement to move the prey to the rear for itself and the offspring to consume."
Seeing the mother mantis's powerless state, he continued, "Inside the mother mantis, there are probably only insects, it's not a threat. Let's keep it, it might still be useful."
Lin Yao asked, "Why keep it?"
Ji Qingfeng also wondered, "Yeah, that group might not have blown up the others from the First Star Region. After escaping, they might have come to find us."
The S-level energy crystal, not yet in KID's hands, made everyone, including KID, uneasy. It was essential to securely store such items in one's own backpack for a sense of reassurance, especially given the apparent value of this particular crystal. Leaving it out in the open felt too insecure.
"They should have come looking for us by now," Ying Chenlin said, "But storing this energy crystal can only be done in the storage compartment. Let's make the most of it for now."
"Make the most of it?" You Su looked at the struggling mother mantis and asked, "How do you plan to make the most of it?"
"Killing it is easy, but finding a tool that can move us 15 kilometers at once is hard to come by," Ying Chenlin looked at the mother mantis and had a new idea forming in his mind, "Its displacement ability is useful."
There were six S-level pollutants on the main planet, and according to the original map, Gale was already engaged with one, and the solo team should have encountered another.
Currently, there were still two undiscovered ones, one in another location in the swamp forest and the other in the mountains. Ying Chenlin looked at the S-level pollutant's position closer to them, actually still over a hundred kilometers away, not exactly close. Instead of approaching methodically, it might be better to take a gamble on displacement.
Lu Xi looked at Ying Chenlin in confusion, "But we can't determine its displacement location."
"Then let's try displacing multiple times and see," Ying Chenlin looked at the radar with no activity, then turned his gaze to the mother mantis whose eyes were changing at the edge of red, saying, "Displace a few times more, see if we can find a pattern. If there's really no pattern, we can kill it later."
Ji Qingfeng thought this idea sounded feasible, and he nudged the mother mantis with his foot, "Sister Mantis, it's up to you now. Let's try to survive for a bit longer."
"Can I let go now?" he asked.
"Wait a moment," Ying Chenlin calculated the time, "If my estimation is correct, they should be getting close by now."
---
The position on the map remained unchanged, but the signal of one S-level pollutant had disappeared. The mecha pilots from the First Star Region, currently in flight, noticed this and accelerated their speed. With two pollutants and KID having just dealt with one, he should be in combat with another, indicating that KID currently had no time to consider the surrounding environment.
"They should be in combat now."
"The pollutant's signal seems to be the same as the original one, the spatial displacement ability should still be there."
During the flight, they suddenly noticed that KID's mecha signal disappeared from the map.
"KID turned off the mecha signal."
"But what's the use of turning off the signal? The location of the pollutant on the map is still there."
The mecha pilots were puzzled by KID's strange move. A GBK mecha pilot on the channel spoke, "Hmm, don't forget, this pollutant is cunning. The system can only detect the range coordinates, and KID turned off the mecha coordinates. We have to search around based on the pollutant's signal."
"They're doing this for one reason – they are in combat and want to delay time to give themselves a chance to kill."
"Don't let your guard down."
Bai Xuyan did not refute his teammates' words. It was better to be cautious. He didn't want to let KID take away that spatial displacement ability.
Thinking about this, he felt a bit irritated. It was KID at the last auction, and now it's KID again. Bai Xuyan rarely made such mistakes on the same base, and this feeling was very unpleasant. Losing two high-precision components caused him to miss out on a good connection. He also heard that the Gu family, the grandfather-grandson pair, had joined KID's team. Shen Xingtang seemed to be against him at all times.
The distance of 15 kilometers was not far, and under the high-speed flight of the mechas, they quickly approached.
Bai Xuyan noticed that the signal of the S-level pollutant was close at hand. "It seems they are in the forest. When descending, go around the edge and prioritize seizing ownership of the mother mantis."
"Be cautious of their guns and control mecha pilots."
"No need to engage with them. Once discovered, prioritize getting close to the mother mantis."
The multiple mechas surrounded and quickly closed in on the location of the mother mantis for encirclement. When they noticed KID's mecha in the tree shadows, they approached. However, just as they were about to get close, KID's mechas disappeared in front of them with a burst of red light.
"Oh no! Vice Captain Bai, they teleported again!"
Bai Xuyan stopped abruptly and looked at the radar map. He saw the red coordinate appearing 10 kilometers in front of them. He noticed the situation and immediately shouted to the other team, "They teleported to your location behind! Be careful!"
He had made arrangements in advance, anticipating KID's move and preparing the other team to stay at a distance, ready to counter-ambush KID.
KID's teleportation, however, happened right next to the other team.
The other mecha pilots from the First Star Region, upon hearing the command, immediately entered the forest, and from a distance, they saw KID's mechas and the S-level mother mantis. They quickly approached KID's position, and KID's team saw them, somewhat stunned.
Seeing this, Ji Qingfeng shouted with a loudspeaker, "Hey, you're here too!"
The people from the First Star Region had been tricked by KID once, and this time they wouldn't let KID escape.
"Don't be provoked by them!"
"Prioritize attacking the mother mantis! Don't let it teleport again."
However, the next second, they saw a red light emanating from around KID.
As their mechas rushed up, the red light intensified, and KID's mechas suddenly disappeared in front of them, being teleported away. There was also the taunting voice of the invisible mecha from the other side, "If you have the guts, come and chase me!"
The red pollutant once again teleported, moving erratically around the mechas from the First Star Region. The mecha pilots from the First Star Region were stunned to see this situation. Unpredictable teleportation, and in a short time, long-distance teleportation, as if KID knew they were coming and was deliberately waiting.
Bai Xuyan, hovering over the swamp forest, looked at the red pollutant's position on the radar, clenching his fist slightly. "We've been played, they deliberately didn't kill that pollutant."
Deliberately not killing and playing around with them.
Bai Xuyan had never experienced such humiliation. He looked angrily in the direction of the red pollutant, gritting his teeth, "KID."
---
In the Koria rest area, when KID turned off the mecha signal, others in the rest area could only focus on the situation of that pollutant. When they saw the pollutant moving multiple times, they couldn't help exchanging glances.
"This pollutant seems too fierce, doesn't it?"
"It's more than just fierce, this displacement ability looks quite powerful."
Zhang Ge couldn't help but ask, "What is KID doing? Isn't he going to kill that pollutant?"
"It looks like he's taming it," Shen Xingtang said, looking at the position of the pollutant, "They are using the displacement ability of this pollutant."
This explanation was simply shocking! The level of an S-level pollutant was not low, and for mecha pilots to deal with it would take some time. Never before had anyone heard of someone using a pollutant as a tool.
The key was that this pollutant seemed to be obedient!
The leader of the Black Crow, Yanke, moved his Adam's apple and looked at KID's boss, Shen XIngtang, on the side. "Are all the people in your KID group so wild?"
Shen XIngtang remained silent. "Before today, I didn't know that our mecha pilots had such a good relationship with pollutants. Maybe their affinity is decent?"
Others: "..."
Affinity with pollutants???
"Wait a minute... could it be that people from the First Star Region are following this pollutant?"
"It seems somewhat possible."
"No way?" Zhang Ge looked at the pollutant, "This seems like walking a dog..."
---
On the other side, KID's communication channel was filled with people feeling nauseous.
"Sister, the path is narrow, and you might get hit by the pot."
The dizziness from the repeated teleportations almost made Ji Qingfeng fail to hold onto the mother mantis. Also, the mother mantis had become smarter. It reduced the range of displacement. If KID's mechas hadn't stayed close to it, it might have thrown them off.
"Be obedient, we can't rebel. Obedience leads to a longer life," Ji Qingfeng endured the nausea and looked into the distance. "But it feels so good. The mecha pilots from the First Star Region are being played by us. When we meet Old Zhao later, I'll definitely brag to him!"
Lin Yao asked, "Will people from the First Star Region follow us?"
"They should be proud. They wouldn't want to be played by us," Huo Yan said.
Lu Xi said, "The distance of these teleports seems enough. We're getting close to that pollutant."
Although the directions of the multiple teleports seemed random, they ended up approaching the location of the last S-level pollutant in the swamp forest. Everyone thought it was a coincidence, but Ying Chenlin looked at the position of the mother mantis and said, "We don't need to kill it for now. Ji Qingfeng, keep an eye on it, don't let it run away."
"Ah? Is there a pattern?" Lin Yao asked.
Based on the several attempts just now, Ying Chenlin roughly recorded the direction of the mother mantis' displacements and found that it mostly moved forward. The landing positions varied, but it didn't circle around the same spot, always moving forward.
"The use of the displacement ability involves either the host or the mantis. The Queen Mantis is only controlling its thoughts, but controlling an S-level pollutant entirely is still a bit difficult for the Queen Mantis. I guess its displacement retains the mantis's behavioral habits, and the direction is always the mantis's forward," Ying Chenlin explained.
Ji Qingfeng suddenly understood, "Then, every time, we just pull its head forward. If it keeps moving forward, we can use it to find Old Zhao!"
This news was excellent for KID. Controlling the direction properly meant using this mother mantis for teleportation, saving time, energy, and resources—a necessary means of transportation.
KID's group looked at the mother mantis with affectionate eyes, treating it like their own child. However, the mother mantis, after multiple teleports, was exhausted. Ji Qingfeng tried pulling it several times, but it didn't respond. "Oh no, our child might be too tired to run anymore?"
Lin Yao: "Ah? That's not good!"
"No, if it doesn't run after eating, we can just kill it," You Su said.
Hearing this, everyone agreed. Seeing Huo Yan going to kill a pollutant, Ying Chenlin reminded him, "Huo Ge, it's better to chop it into pieces to feed it, so it won't find another host."
The two statements basically determined the future path of the mother mantis.
Huo Yan said cheerfully, "Don't worry, this is simple."
Ji Qingfeng, holding the mother mantis, said in a gentle tone, "Eat more later, and after eating, you can run away."
While others were busy feeding the mantis, they headed to the coordinates of the new S-level.
However, Ying Chenlin was observing the position of the pollutant on the map. They were very close to that S-level. But the coordinates of the same S-level were range coordinates, and they had just barely entered the range of the S-level. However, they couldn't confirm what the new S-level pollutant was.
As he was observing the surroundings, there was a sudden warmth in his chest.
Ying Chenlin paused and reached for his collar, pulling out the glowing key that belonged to Yuan.
His gaze slightly froze.
At this moment, others were talking on KID's channel.
"Oh, by the way, did you notice how quiet it is around here?"
"It seems like it, there are no pollutants around."
You Su frowned, suddenly noticing that the edge of the pollutant source seemed to match a certain location, "This pollutant has moved.