The Hive Zone was situated in an abandoned industrial area in southwest India, characterized by chaotic magnetic fields and extremely high infection density. Upon arrival, the squad immediately began their search.
Their target was a high-tier zombie—at least Tier 5 or above. Yet, for three consecutive days, they found nothing but scattered Tier 3 infected.
Zhao Yang: "The infection signature here feels off." Particle Man: "There's interference. An evolved variant might be in transit."
On the morning of the fourth day, Lin Lan detected an anomalous magnetic field in the eastern scrap yard. When the squad arrived, a gigantic Zombie Elephant was moving slowly.
Its size was three times that of a standard elephant, its skin gray-white and covered by fractured crystalline plates. Its eyes were vacant, but its magnetic field intensity far exceeded Tier 5.
Zhong Li recorded: "Zombie Elephant · Shaker-Star Class (Yáoguāng) · Low Intelligence · Wide Perception Range · Attack Modes: Charge, Ground Quake, Toxin Mist Spout."
Chen Mo: "It's not a high-intelligence type." Hu Hao: "But it's a killer."
Zhao Yang: "We take it down."
Lu Ye stood at the edge of the scrap yard, his gaze darkening.
"Thunder Domain Slash."
Electrical arcs instantly laced the ground, striking iron ore, titanium alloy fragments, and diamond shards. The magnetic field vibrated, and the minerals began to reform. He took a small pouch of lunar soil from his reserve and tossed it into the Particle Man's core.
The Particle Man began to restructure. Its original soul memory was forcibly wiped, the structure reshaped, the surface overlaid with a diamond crystalline layer, and a lunar soil magnetic core embedded within.
One minute later, a brand new Particle Man stood in the center of the battlefield. Its body was composed of high-hardness metal, its magnetic field stable, its surface reflecting light like a mobile, tactical fortress.
The elephant roared and charged, hitting the Particle Man head-on.
But the Particle Man didn't budge. The elephant's front feet cracked, showing fractures in the bone structure.
The Particle Man lifted its right arm, magnetic field gathering, and slammed a heavy fist down. It wasn't an agile strike, but pure mass suppression. The elephant's head was knocked sideways; the crystalline plates shattered, and its conscious layer was rattled.
It wasn't just defense. It could attack.
Lin Lan seized the opportunity to adjust the Weather Membrane, confining the elephant around the Particle Man. He Xuan increased the time residual differential, slowing the elephant's movements to over a second's delay. Hu Hao synchronized his psychic frequency, forcibly interfering with the elephant's attack intent.
Zhao Yang darted in from the left, his Blood Mist condensing into a blade, aimed at the elephant's eye socket. But the elephant suddenly dipped its head, its nasal bone vibrating, and a bone spur shot out at extreme speed.
Zhao Yang reacted too slowly; his chest was instantly pierced, his Blood Mist disintegrated, and his body slumped backward.
He hit the ground, blood spilling from his lips, his voice low: "When we kill it… I have to drain its blood."
Chen Mo roared, activating the fifth segment of the Shatter-Time Punch. The punch's shockwave deflected the elephant's nasal bone. He rushed forward, shielding Zhao Yang with his right arm and counterattacking with his left fist.
The elephant swung its head back, its tusk grazing Chen Mo's cheek, leaving a deep gash. Blood streamed, but he held his ground.
Cloud Ark sliced in from the flank, the Wind State deployed, his Wind Blades like threads, aimed directly at the elephant's leg tendons. His speed was lightning-fast; three Wind Blades struck the back of the elephant's leg almost simultaneously, hitting precisely.
But the elephant's crystalline skin automatically regenerated. The Wind Blades only cut the surface, failing to sever the tendon completely. The elephant roared and kicked its hind legs. Cloud Ark was jolted back five meters, his Wind State collapsing.
He rolled on landing, quickly reforming his Wind Blades, his eyes now cold and focused.
"Solo won't work," he said. "Cooperate."
Chen Mo nodded. Zhao Yang struggled to his feet, his Blood Mist gathering again. The Particle Man stood directly in front of the elephant, the magnetic field vibrating, its arms spread, initiating its heavy-strike mode.
It wasn't fast. But it was massive.
The first punch landed, completely shattering the elephant's front feet. The second punch hit the ground, causing a quake, and the elephant lost its balance.
Lin Lan activated a wind-pressure counter-thrust, forcing the elephant to fall backward. He Xuan froze the time residual differential, and the elephant's movements completely stalled. Hu Hao synchronized his psychic frequency, and the elephant's conscious layer began to destabilize.
Zhao Yang's blood blade stabbed into the eye socket, and the elephant roared, its head shaking violently. Chen Mo's punch shattered the chest crystalline plates, exposing the internal organs. Cloud Ark's Wind Blades severed the leg tendons, and the elephant knelt.
The Particle Man's final blow struck home. The magnetic field vibrated, and the elephant's head completely disintegrated.
It collapsed, shaking the entire scrap yard.
They didn't speak. There was no cheer. They just stood there, catching their breath.
Zhao Yang leaned against the wall, his chest still bleeding, but his eyes were clear. Chen Mo wiped the blood from his face, the scar still raw. Cloud Ark retracted his Wind Blades, sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
The Particle Man stood still, its surface still shimmering faintly.
The battle had lasted nearly thirty minutes. The Zombie Elephant's defense was exceptional, its crystalline layer constantly regenerating, and its toxin mist disrupting their identification systems.
Chen Mo walked up, his fist vibrating, shattering the crystalline layer of the elephant's head. Zhao Yang used his Blood Mist to strip the tissue, and the Particle Man located the core.
The Crystal Core was revealed—gray-white, cracked on the surface, but with extremely high energy concentration.
Zhong Li: "Shaker-Star Class Crystal Core · Uncontaminated · Usable for Tier 5 to Tier 6 breakthrough · Current Status: Stable."
They gathered around the core, silent.
Zhao Yang looked at Lu Ye: "It's yours."
Lu Ye didn't refuse. He stepped forward and took the core.
No ritual. No hesitation. He swallowed it directly.
The moment the core entered his body, Lu Ye's body shook, the magnetic field erupted, and the Thunder Domain automatically deployed. His eyes burst with intense light, his whole body glowing, as if ignited by some rule-level power.
He didn't cry out. He didn't struggle. He just stood still, his body gradually turning translucent as his conscious layer was pulled into a separate space.
A vast space flashed before his eyes—limitless, dense with light points. Every light point represented an ability, and every ability waited for a choice.
He didn't move. He only watched.
But in less than ten seconds, the space began to collapse. The light points vanished, and his conscious layer was forcibly ejected.
He opened his eyes; the glow hadn't faded, and the magnetic field still vibrated.
Zhao Yang: "You didn't choose?"
Lu Ye: "Not quite there." "I haven't hit Tier 6."
Particle Man: "Psychic strength has surged. Currently at the Tier 5 maximum threshold."
Lu Ye said nothing. He turned and walked toward the depths of the Hive Zone.
Three minutes later, the Thunder Domain expanded, and electrical arcs swept out. Four Tier 4 infected disintegrated instantly, and two Tier 5 zombies were pierced through.
Chen Mo: "He's purging the area."
Hu Hao: "He's pushing his psychic limits."
Lin Lan: "He's forcing the breakthrough."
Zhong Li recorded: "Lu Ye · Electro-Type · Current Status: Tier 5 Max · Consumed Shaker-Star Class Crystal Core · Entered Ability Selection Space · Breakthrough Incomplete · Psychic Strength Surged · Currently Purging Hive Zone."