Translator: AnubisTL
Chen Jiang and his companion cautiously circled the wasteland several times, their expressions vigilant.
Only after confirming that no ambush lay hidden within the ruins and that no enforcers had established a line of fire did they finally relax and drive straight into the wasteland.
The moment they stepped out of the vehicle, the pair leaped toward the pile of semi-scrapped items without a word, ready to resume their enhancements.
The ammunition capacity needed further improvement.
Increasing the barrel length would proportionally extend the firing range, but Chen Jiang couldn't extend it any further.
Nor could he increase the caliber.
The reason was simple: any further upgrades would make the weapon too large to fit in his space bracelet.
Without the space bracelet, their mobility would be severely restricted, and their flexibility greatly diminished.
Fortunately, the current firing range and caliber were already sufficient. A 110cm caliber and a 2500-meter range provided ample operational flexibility.
All that remained was to enhance the ammunition capacity a bit more, aiming for a sustained bombardment capability that could last for an extended period.
Without wasting any time, the two quickly began enhancing the weapon, working with the efficiency of assembly line workers.
[Ding! Consumed eighty-two one-star items.]
[Upgraded the ammunition capacity of the two-star item Steel Sword Autonomous Rotating Turret from +50 to +80.]
[Ammunition capacity increased from 80,000 rounds to 81,000 rounds.]
"Hah."
Chen Jiang gazed at the final upgrade to his ammunition capacity with satisfaction. He had spent a total of 2,025 semi-scrapped items to increase it to 81,000 rounds.
At a full-power firing rate of 2,900 rounds per minute, this ammunition capacity would allow him to sustain continuous fire for 27 minutes—nearly half an hour.
In truth, if City 18 offered no resistance and passively allowed him to bombard them for half an hour, they would essentially be erased from the history of the mechanical race.
Each exploding shell unleashed massive shockwaves and fiery blasts, utterly impossible to withstand.
Chen Jiang then checked his turret's ammunition capacity:
[64,000 rounds / 81,000 rounds]
He still had 64,000 rounds remaining, having expended over 10,000 rounds in City 18 and the wilderness.
The energy cartridge would automatically replenish all ammunition after 24 hours, restoring it to full capacity in a single batch rather than replenishing rounds individually based on consumption order.
And with that, nearly all of the 5,000+ semi-scrapped items had been used up.
Only a little over 200 remained, all stuffed into Scar Dog's space bracelet, ready to be used for future enhancements.
In truth, Chen Jiang desperately wanted to increase the turret's barrel length, as its effective range was painfully short.
But there was no choice. Unless he could acquire a larger space bracelet, he had to prioritize portability and maneuverability, forcing him to settle for the current 2,500-meter range.
Chen Jiang glanced one last time at the Heaven's Eye Pursuit Countdown.
"03:58:11"
Nearly four hours remained.
More than enough.
The enhancement process had taken them nearly an hour. It was physically demanding work, requiring them to manually press each semi-scrapped item onto the turret, one by one.
"Four hours is plenty," Chen Jiang said, catching his breath. He grabbed the lukewarm mineral water from the driver's seat and drained it in one gulp, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Maybe the heavens knew I couldn't drink cold water with my stomach bug. The sun-warmed water is just right."
Scar Dog pulled a dry ice spray from his chest pocket and began spraying it around the cockpit. As the temperature gradually dropped a bit, he finally plopped down onto the slightly cooler seat.
However, it was still scalding hot.
Scar Dog gasped and sucked in a breath of cool air, then sighed heavily before saying, "I really think we should at least move the arena master's office air conditioner into the car."
"That's ridiculous."
"Then let's just get a car with built-in air conditioning in a few days."
Soon, Chen Jiang and Scar Dog were driving back toward City 18. After observing the city's outskirts for a long time, they discovered that apart from a few enforcer vehicles patrolling with sirens blaring, there were no other visible defenses.
The energy shield was also deactivated, clearly indicating that maintaining it long-term came at a cost, though they didn't know what that cost was.
Their primary target for the initial bombardment was the military factory complex in western City 18.
They didn't know what was inside, but they knew this area was heavily guarded. Despite infiltrating City 18 several times, they had never been able to breach this area.
The defenses were formidable both overtly and covertly.
If there were missile silos, this area would undoubtedly be the prime suspect.
Chen Jiang jumped out of the vehicle and stood on a small hill a kilometer away. He retrieved the turret from his space bracelet, placed it on the ground, and stared at the heavily guarded factory complex. His expression remained calm as he shook his head slightly.
"Fire!"
Among alien races, there was no need for dialogue; slaughter was their only language.
Chen Jiang had no intention of negotiating with the mechanical race of City 18.
A barrage of energy bullets was his message.
Soon—
Streams of red-tailed energy bullets, as dense as frogspawn, formed a sky-obscuring net, descending like divine retribution. Without warning, they arced gracefully through the air, one after another, and plunged toward the factory complex.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thunderous explosions quickly carried on the wind.
Each energy bullet's impact sent waves of flames and smoke billowing across the factory complex, turning it into a minefield where every strike detonated. The area was soon riddled with craters.
Scar Dog stood on the hill, watching the towering flames rise into the sky. His expression was dazed as he murmured, "The allure of firepower... it always leaves one spellbound."
Meanwhile, in a low building at the heart of City 18, an elderly man with cybernetic implants sat hunched in his chair, his brow furrowed in concentration. He leaned back, crossed his feet on the desk, his eyelids drooping as he clasped his hands over his chest, lost in thought.
Beside him knelt a woman clad in revealing, specially designed garments. Her body was mottled with bloodstains, a humiliating collar around her neck. She lay prostrate on the ground like a beaten dog, panting heavily, her tongue lolling out.
Huff!
The old man sighed irritably, as if disturbed by his thoughts. With a sudden, violent kick, he struck the woman's head, spitting a thick wad of phlegm at her with undisguised disgust.
"Today, your human players slaughtered over a thousand of my mechanical brethren," he snarled. "This displeases me greatly."
The woman, her body stained with blood and marked by cigarette burns, remained motionless on the ground, uttering not a word. Years of brutal beatings had taught her how to endure the least amount of pain.
Suddenly, a series of explosions erupted outside the window, as deafening as thunderbolts from the sky.
"Damn it!"
Realizing what was happening, the old man leaped from his chair and lunged for the walkie-talkie on the table.
The human player is back!
Despite being targeted by the Heaven's Eye Pursuit Order, he hadn't fled obediently. Instead, he had the audacity to return—truly audacious!
But just then—
The human woman who had been obediently kneeling on the floor, now a member of the mechanical race, suddenly sprang to her feet with surprising agility. She snatched the palm-sized walkie-talkie before the old man could reach it.
With a forceful motion, she raised the device high and slammed it down on the table with all her might!
Yet—
The walkie-talkie, about the size of a smartphone, proved remarkably durable, showing not even a crack.
In desperation, the woman abandoned all caution. She shoved the device into her mouth, but couldn't swallow it!
"Insolence!"
Seeing the walkie-talkie snatched by a human slave, the old man roared in fury.
Simultaneously, the mechanical fingernails on his right hand flipped back ninety degrees, revealing five dark gun barrels aimed at the human slave. He needed to issue countermeasures immediately!
Seeing that time was running out, the human woman's face flashed with urgency. Her eyes, filled with a mad disregard for life and death, focused on the walkie-talkie in her mouth. With all her might, she slammed her head against the table, forcing the device down her throat.
Thud!
Writhing in agony, the woman glared venomously at the old man, a flicker of vengeful satisfaction crossing her face. Her body crashed heavily to the ground, blood frothing uncontrollably from her lips, yet her hands remained clamped tightly over her mouth.
She locked eyes with the frantic old man, her gaze burning with contempt and hatred.
She knew she couldn't stall for long, but even a few seconds could make all the difference.
To give that human player enough time to slaughter as many mechanical race members as possible!
Rat-tat-tat!
A series of sharp, staccato gunshots rang out.
The woman's pupils gradually dilated, but her hands remained firmly pressed over her mouth, showing no sign of loosening.
(End of the Chapter)
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