Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 824 Abnormalities

He’s indeed an Awakened at the Mind Corridor level… This realization dawned on Jiang Baimian’s increasingly sluggish mind. She then had another question. Why did the enemy take the initiative to close the distance and take such obvious actions? This weakens the camouflage capabilities of the bionic artificial intelligence armor that’s similar to the Chameleon, allowing the military exoskeleton’s comprehensive warning system to detect her.

She clearly could’ve stayed in the spot where she can undetectably exert her influence and remotely attack from… Could it be that she’s not good at weapons, and her abilities are biased toward control? There’s nothing fatal?

In her drunken state, Jiang Baimian couldn’t come up with the right answer. She could only say to Long Yuehong and Bai Chen again, “Hide on the other side of the jeep!”

The situation just now made her certain that it was very difficult for them to achieve their goal by firing. The only feasible solution now was to avoid the danger and seek out opportunities later.

The spot where the enemy appeared made her change their location from the jeep’s rear to the other side.

The three Old Task Force members were beside the vehicle to begin with. Although they were tottering, finding it difficult to balance themselves, and their minds were clearly numb, they quickly moved to the other side of the jeep with the help of the military exoskeleton and bionic artificial intelligence armor. They used the vehicle—which was covered in bulletproof armor and special glass —as cover.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Several bullets slowly but rhythmically struck the jeep’s surface, creating a few shallow depressions. It was only then that Jiang Baimian’s numbing brain compared the situation to some of her past experiences.

The enemy clearly didn’t dodge, and her team had covered the area with firepower, but they still failed to hit the target. The complete deviation from the target reminded her of something she had seen in First City’s Apex Gladiator Arena.

Back then, an assassin had attacked a certain noble and was besieged. He was clearly on the ground and couldn’t dodge any further, but the subsequent shots missed, brushing past his body and producing a humanoid outline!

It’s rather similar… I remember that the assassin’s price was that he was afraid of distorted creatures… Jiang Baimian immediately took out her spare hair tie and snapped it without much precision. She then held the short black string in both hands and twisted it.

Following that, Jiang Baimian raised her trembling hands, allowing the short, snake-like black string to escape the jeep’s cover and be exposed to the enemy.

With a clang, a bullet mercilessly flew over and hit her hand. If not for the skeletal metal structure protecting her, she would’ve been hit.

The price isn’t the fear of distorted creatures… It’s either another price in the same domain or a similar ability… Jiang Baimian quickly retracted her hands.

Upon sensing the enemy’s approach and slowly reducing their room for survival, she tried her best to maintain a basic level of clarity in her mind as she cast her gaze at Long Yuehong and Bai Chen.

The two Old Task Force members squatted there with their backs against the jeep’s door as if they couldn’t stabilize their bodies by themselves.

Jiang Baimian was originally waiting for the other party to come closer, but the enemy stopped moving as if she were preparing a more powerful weapon.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Jiang Baimian shouted with her engorged tongue, “We have a bomb with a very large yield. If you force us into a corner, I’ll use the preset command to detonate it. Believe me; even if you are 200 to 300 meters away, you would still be blown to smithereens!”

She didn’t say that her team had a nuclear warhead, but she used its deterrence.

Many of the Old World information she had read told her that the nuclear bomb’s greatest might was when it was in its missile silo.

The female enemy in the Chameleon-type artificial intelligence armor didn’t react, but she didn’t do anything else.

“If you-don’t believe us… We can let you take a look… at the bomb.” Jiang Baimian was still seriously ‘drunk.’

Long Yuehong was the same; he was even a little confused.

Upon hearing his team leader’s words, he slowly stood up, hunched his back, and sneaked to the back of the jeep, attempting to open the trunk and show the enemy the nuclear warhead.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several bullets struck him.

Fortunately, Long Yuehong had reflexively accepted this ‘mission’ because he was wearing the Blackmarsh Iron Snake bionic artificial intelligence armor. Its defense was outstanding, and he was unafraid of most firearms.

However, the powerful kinetic energy and his clearly weakened balance still pushed him to the ground.

Jiang Baimian-who was already preparedstretched out her left hand and dragged Long Yuehong back.

The enemy’s response confused her. Shouldn’t normal humans confirm if the other party really possesses such a powerful bomb to prevent themselves from losing their lives in a situation that might lead to mutual destruction?

Could it be that she has the confidence to prevent me from detonating the bomb-uh, a relatively strong electromagnetic interference?

Jiang Baimian hid there, slung her tactical backpack in front of her, and unzipped it.

If the enemy continued approaching and entered a 100-meter range, she could use Chaotic Right Hand.

The nuclear bomb’s deterrence was a response, and the hidden Chaotic Right Hand was another plan. Jiang Baimian rarely only had one plan.

At this moment, she relied on the military exoskeleton’s comprehensive warning system to discover that the enemy was retreating.

After retreating a certain distance, the other party activated the Chameleon-like bionic artificial intelligence armor and ‘disappeared’ from the comprehensive warning system’s perception. If it weren’t for the fact that the ‘drunken’ state was maintained and hadn’t weakened at all, Jiang Baimian would’ve suspected that the enemy had already evacuated.

“Let’s hide… in the car first.” Bai Chen’s tongue also showed signs of lengorging.’ “I’m afraid that she’ll circle around and fire, or throw something with line of sight.”

Jiang Baimian’s numb brain from the ‘drunkenness’ finally thought of a question: “There’s no need for us… to stay… here. Get in the car… Storm out… and distance ourselves.”

Bai Chen-who was beside the driver’s seatimmediately opened the door and got in. Although her actions were unsteady and appeared heart-wrenching, she barely achieved her designated goal.

Jiang Baimian also opened the backseat door and signaled for Long Yuehong to get in first. At the same time, she reached into her tactical backpack and grabbed the item named Chaotic Right Hand.

The next second, she felt the cold.

Although the temperature in Ceningmis was higher than in Icefield, it was still at temperatures of early spring. Under the negative price of Chaotic Right Hand, Jiang Baimian couldn’t help but tremble.

The cold cleared her mind, making her feel like she was slapped by the cold winter wind after she was truly drunk. This way, her cognition recovered a little.

With the Drunk state still present, she could immediately sense the corresponding human consciousness once the other party entered a 100-meter range!

Jiang Baimian trembled as she sat in the car.

At this moment, a grenade flew over from the area right in front of the car!

Ceningmis, main city area, in a small square.

The warped-face man in the black T-shirt looked at Shang Jianyao and Genava with bloodshot eyes. Unlike Flora and Barnard, he didn’t lock onto a corresponding spot but instead seemed to be able to see the two of them.

Almost at the same time, Shang Jianyao’s head throbbed, and he felt intense dizziness as if his soul was about to be sucked out of his body.

He had once experienced a similar feeling-it was a sign that he was about to be infected with the Heartless disease when he faced Doctor with the Salvation Army in Ubei! However, Shang Jianyao’s reaction wasn’t as intense as last time.

The severity was clearly lacking.

This might be due to the Life Angel necklace’s blessing or the fact that the black-robed man had yet to truly return and had only spread the Heartless virus with the help of an excessive overlap. He was still separated by an entire New World.

“Heartless disease!” Shang Jianyao shouted.

Genava immediately knew his companion’s condition and quickly initiated the corresponding plan.

Although the original plans didn’t consider the phenomenon of the New World overlapping with Ceningmis, there were similar situations that could be used as reference. Due to the New World node, Shang Jianyao showed precursors of contracting the Heartless disease.

Genava raised his arm and spewed exaggerated electric arcs at the library illusion where the black-robed man was.

After the high-voltage electric current completely covered the area, distorting and dismembering the illusion, crackling sounds sounded.

Electromagnetism versus electromagnetism!

After the silver-white light subsided, the illusion of the library and the black-robed man disappeared.

“As expected, an overlap is a New World node in another sense.” Genava gave his opinion.

Shang Jianyao wanted to massage his head, but he rubbed his helmet instead.

“I’m fine.” He didn’t hide his joy. “A high-voltage electric shock can indeed break the overlap between the New World and the Ashlands.”

Shang Jianyao then asked Genava, “How many more times can your stored electricity dish out such shocks?”

“Not many,” Genava replied honestly. “Although I brought some spare high-performance batteries, I have to consider the subsequent explorations and the expenditure needed to leave Icefield. I can’t replenish my battery here.”

Along the way, the Old Task Force had already used up most of their high-performance batteries. They had only replenished a little with the manual generators the Rootless team had. As for the usual solar power, it was extremely inefficient because of Icefield’s uniqueness.