Chapter 46: Danger! Danger! Danger! Golden Core Stage!
Dio Brooke, the Demon Team's psychic controller, was stunned speechless after seeing the information on his Reincarnation Wristwatch.
"Someone died?! Arno?! How is this possible?!"
He knew Arno's strength.
Arno had *Enhanced* his Muscle Devil Fruit to C-Tier, which could boost his physical defense to a terrifying degree. Coupled with his Second Tier Gene Lock, in typical horror films, Arno was always used as a tank to draw aggro.
Such a purely defensive existence actually got killed!
Killed by that Team China idiot who seemed just as mindless!
Did Ren Arakawa have such a hugely damaging skill?
How is this possible?
Could it be...
Dio Brooke quickly used his Soul Lock Chain to connect to Captain Fu Ming's field of vision.
"Cap, Captain!"
"Mm, a miscalculation. The enemy likely has an ability similar to cloning, striking from two points to kill Arno and Zhan Lan."
Dio Brooke listened to Fu Ming's nonchalant tone in his mind, feeling extremely anxious yet helpless.
For Captain Fu Ming, anyone could die, really...
Because the Demon Team's priority had always been Fu Ming, the Golden Core Stage sword cultivator!
On the gory front-line battlefield, Meng Rui put the fallen demon skateboard into her bag.
Next to her, Da Qiang, who had been exerting himself for a long time, was almost in tears!
These women were truly inhumane!
I fought for half the day, utterly spent.
Yet she, on the other hand, took advantage of that pointy-headed fellow's carelessness and snagged a bargain!
Not only did she get 7000 Reward Points and a B-Tier side quest, but she also directly took the opponent's Green Demon Skateboard...
Da Qiang clenched his fists, secretly vowing, "Once I Enhance Ren Arakawa to A-Tier, I'll choke you to death!"
Arno's death truly had a ripple effect, causing all three factions to make adjustments.
In the forest, Ren Arakawa and his group of three had already arrived at Engineer Plaza.
This place was originally lush and vibrant, very bustling.
But under the impetus of Android David.
The omnipresent black water had left skeletons covering the ground.
No one survived!
Decades passed, and these withered bones lay unnoticed.
Because on the entire planet, besides plants, there were no other life forms.
Zhang Jie sighed, "The Covenant truly came as a godsend. David was fretting about where to find hosts to breed Xenomorphs, and we just delivered ourselves to his doorstep."
Ren Arakawa, with his back to the Female Lead Denise, said softly to Zhang Jie, "You weren't paying attention to the movie. The company that owns the Covenant has a regulation: when these colonists detect a life signal, they must drop all their current work and go investigate."
"You could say this was all a setup. David's creator's initial purpose was to breed Xenomorphs. He just couldn't directly send six thousand Earth colonists to feed the facehuggers."
"How terrifying!" Zhang Jie wiped away a cold sweat. "If only these Xenomorphs were intelligent beings and could pilot Ships themselves..."
"Would there still be life in the entire universe?"
"You're overthinking it," Ren Arakawa said, pointing at the sky. "There's no one invincible. There are always enemies from above. The entire universe is far larger than you imagine."
"Haven't you heard of Alien vs. Predator? When we get to the Predator movie, then you'll know what true terror is."
"After all, the Alien series is primarily a showdown between the Female Lead and the Xenomorphs."
"The Predators are merely the terror faced by the top powerhouses among humanity, like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger."
Ren Arakawa glanced at Denise, who was exploring ahead, and continued softly, "She can even kill two Xenomorphs. As long as you overcome your fear, these things are actually no different from wild boars. They might even be easier to fight."
"Pfft!" Zhang Jie couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of saliva. "You're quite good at creating a lively atmosphere."
"Of course. If you're not calm, I'm afraid you'll drag me down later when we face the omnipresent black water."
Zhang Jie: "..."
"Contact made!"
Denise's loud shout drew their attention.
After Denise performed a series of operations on a tablet-like device.
In the distance, the wind roared as a rectangular Ship sailed towards them!
This was the Pioneer Ship they had used to land on Engineer Planet!
Because it had been attacked by an unknown creature, the Pioneer Ship had been stranded in the forest. Now, unexpectedly, it had become the three-person group's last resort.
"Are we going on this Ship for surgery?" Zhang Jie's eyes lit up again.
"No, Denise said there's no medical bay on this Ship."
"Then what should we do?"
"Stop asking questions, just follow along."
In the sky, the Pioneer's engines roared, preparing to slowly land in the open area of Engineer Plaza.
Zhang Jie and Denise watched nervously, hoping this Ship would bring them a glimmer of hope.
However, just then,
A dazzling golden light, like a heavenly punishment, descended from the sky, directly striking the Pioneer's hull!
The Ship's metal exterior screeched under the impact of the golden light. The entire hull shook violently, then immediately lost control, plummeting towards Ren Arakawa and his two companions!
Ren Arakawa's reaction was incredibly fast. He shoved Zhang Jie aside, and at the same time, quickly caught up to Denise, scooped her up, and frantically ran towards the safe zone.
The moment he was shoved away, Zhang Jie also realized the danger and quickly rolled to dodge.
Bang!
Rumble—
The ear-splitting shriek made their eardrums ache!
The Pioneer's hull was sturdy. Despite suffering a terrifying attack, after hitting the ground, it merely slid for a distance and did not explode.
Ren Arakawa, Zhang Jie, and Denise had narrowly escaped with their lives. They looked up and saw a scene they would never forget.
The man who had been stepping on a Flying Sword earlier was now looking down at the three of them from above.
His gaze revealed disdain, as if he were looking at trash, which made Zhang Jie feel a pang of fear, not daring to look him directly in the eye.
(This was Fu Ming's gaze.)
But Ren Arakawa was different. He stared intently at Fu Ming above him, unyielding flames burning in his eyes.
Facing the Demon Team's captain, any fear or hesitation would be futile. Only by directly confronting the challenge was there a chance of survival.
Fu Ming's movements were swift and decisive. With a flick of his hand, the Flying Sword in his grasp traced a golden trajectory in the air, pointing directly at Ren Arakawa!
The sword's edge hadn't arrived, but its sword qi had already torn through the air, carrying a fierce killing intent!
This was the oppressive aura of the Golden Core Stage!
The strongest member of the Demon Team! Fu Ming!
In Ren Arakawa's eyes, the Sharingan's tomoe spun rapidly, releasing a profound and mysterious light.
The activation of his First Tier Gene Lock instantly boosted his physical attributes, and his reaction speed and combat intuition reached a new level.
The power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven surged within him, granting him extraordinary strength and endurance.
As Ren Arakawa started to run, he deployed his Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu without the slightest hesitation!
The Clone Jutsu left a blurred afterimage in his original spot!
However, under the influence of the emanating sword qi, this afterimage lasted less than 0.1 seconds before turning into white smoke with a puff.
Fortunately, the Substitution Jutsu took effect, delaying the golden sword qi for a brief moment.
Ren Arakawa didn't even need to look back; he knew the terrifying golden light was still pursuing him.
It was close!
Very close.
The sword's edge hadn't arrived, but the sword qi had already sliced across Ren Arakawa's back, leaving a deep wound!
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Iron Body!"
Clang!
The golden light struck Ren Arakawa squarely in the back.
Ren Arakawa felt a heart-wrenching agony erupt from his back!
He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and plunged headfirst into the dimly lit main hall!
(Two more chapters coming soon!)
(end of chapter)