Chapter 17: You Might Die
The Apocalypse Paradise contractors advanced toward the inner side of the spaceship. After passing through three airlock doors, they safely reached the inner cabin.
"Safe."
A Perception-type contractor walked at the very front to ensure the group didn't step into any traps. This man was lean and moved with exceptional agility.
Ten Tank-type contractors formed three rows, advancing slowly. Behind them followed a large group of Support-type and Melee-type contractors, while the Ranged-type contractors at the rear looked on like spectators—at least for now, that was their mindset.
"Whew~"
Kulon let out a long breath. His greatest fear was that the enemy had already set up traps, just waiting for them to walk right in.
In reality, Su Xiao hadn't set up any traps at all. His original plan was to observe first. If the contractor camp's situation proved too troublesome, he would consider joining a major native faction, quickly gain status there through his Alchemy skills, and then lead a large group of native powerhouses to besiege the contractor camp.
However, after seeing the terrain of the Captain's Cabin and the C-shaped Corridor, he abandoned that idea. This place was defensible—at least, no one would set foot in the Captain's Cabin before he died.
To hold the C-shaped Corridor required exceptionally strong individual combat power. Coincidentally, Su Xiao ranked first in the Fifth Rank Paradise Arena, so he chose a faster, more efficient plan: a direct frontal assault.
The inner cabin was silent. The Apocalypse contractors remained wordless. Kulon approached the airlock door on the far side of the inner cabin, pressed his hand against the recognition device beside it, and raised three fingers, signaling the door would open in three seconds.
'Three, two, one.'
With a click, Kulon's hand pressed down on the recognition device. The airlock door hissed open. Kulon sidestepped to the door's edge. Although he was a Tank, he needed to command the overall situation, so he couldn't join the first wave of the charge.
The three Tanks at the very front tensed their bodies, one of them even grinding his teeth from nervousness.
"Charge!"
A Support-type girl from the third row let out a sharp cry. Her shout startled the three front-line Tanks so much they flinched.
"Wha—what are you screaming for?"
A Tank holding a crystal shield and wearing a micro-powered mech suit roared.
"Sorry, got too excited."
The Support-type girl stuck out her tongue and ducked back into the crowd.
The corridor behind the airlock door was straight and empty. The Apocalypse group continued forward until they reached a second airlock door. This one required not only a mark scan but also biometric identification.
Kulon pressed his hand against it. The airlock door swung open, revealing a five-meter-wide metal corridor. The corridor had a slight curve, and its end was not visible.
The three Tanks at the vanguard were about to step in when the Perception-type contractor spoke up.
"There's someone inside."
The lean Perception-type contractor said this with a serious expression.
"Brother, at this distance, we sensed it too."
"Huh?"
The Perception-type was a bit surprised, because the aura at the end of the C-shaped Corridor wasn't easy to detect.
"Blood energy is wafting out. We're not blind. Stay alert—this opponent is strong."
Kulon's shout had barely faded when over a dozen energy streams of various colors sank into the ten Tanks. They had already changed formation: four in the front row, three in the second, and three in the third.
Ten Tanks formed a three-layered shield wall and began advancing into the C-shaped Corridor.
"Life... Chain."
A tall, slender Support-type girl in an ornate robe raised her staff high. Golden chains surged from within her body, passing through each Tank without any obstruction.
"As long as you don't get hit in a vital spot, no one will die. But never let your head be severed—otherwise, the Life Chain will break."
The Support-type girl knelt down. Using the 'Life Chain' on ten Tanks placed a tremendous burden on her. The Life Chain connected the life forces of all ten, meaning that to push back these main Tanks, one would need terrifying attack power.
The golden chains gradually turned translucent. All ten Tank-type contractors received a notification simultaneously.
[You are now in a Health Point Sharing state. You may voluntarily exit this state.]
[Sacred Health Points: 1000%.]
...
The ten Tanks exchanged glances. The atmosphere suddenly became... interesting.
"Heh~"
"After this battle, let's exchange mark IDs. Let's cooperate more in the future."
The ten Tanks' confidence had doubled. Now they were not only a single entity but also had a group of Support-types behind them.
"Advance!"
The main Tank at the very front bellowed. His three teammates beside him stepped forward simultaneously.
Boom, boom, boom...
The Tank group moved like a wall. Though their pace was slow, each step was steady. Immovable as a mountain, and when they moved, it was like an avalanche.
The contractors behind the Tanks did not recklessly enter the C-shaped Corridor and cause congestion. They still had this basic level of combat discipline.
The ten Tanks advanced step by step. Their feet seemed to take root with every step, as if once they moved forward, they would never retreat. It gave a feeling of weight and unyielding determination.
The Tank holding the crystal shield at the very front took a deep breath. His gaze was fixed ahead. As he moved forward, he soon reached the midpoint of the C-shaped Corridor.
Inside the C-shaped Corridor stood a man holding a long blade, wearing a black leather coat.
"Char—"
Before the word 'Charge' could be fully shouted, a dense wave of blade auras came slashing toward him. The blade auras were pale blue, so thick they blocked the vision of the four front Tanks.
Clang, clang, clang, clang...
The sound of metal clashing was incessant. The four front Tanks hid their bodies behind their shields, feeling waves of immense force transmitted through their hands gripping the shields.
The Support-types standing outside the C-shaped Corridor tensed up. They kept their eyes fixed on the Sacred Health Points of the ten Tanks.
"Fall back!"
A somewhat shrill shout came from within the corridor.
At the midpoint of the C-shaped Corridor, the Tank holding the crystal shield—a man with a scar on his chin—yelled out. The reason Scar Brother shouted so desperately was that his shield's durability was dropping like water, and it would definitely break within five seconds.
Scar Brother wasn't the only one. The other three Tanks felt the same. The blade auras slashing toward them weren't probing attacks—their penetration was terrifyingly strong.
Inside the corridor, Su Xiao stopped swinging his blade. He stomped on the metal floor and charged straight forward.
In a few steps, he was upon them. If it were just one Tank, he would have taken it out instantly with his blade techniques. But the situation was clearly different—a group of Tanks was pressing forward head-on.
Wood Spirit attached itself to his Scarlet Angel combat boots. The abilities of both items were fully activated, combined with the boost from Melee Combat Grandmaster.
Wood Spirit: Equipment Effect 2: Wooden Savagery (Active): Wood Spirit can wrap around the arm or foot. If the next attack does not use a weapon, it will deal (Strength Attribute × 4) damage, knockback, and repulsion effects.
Scarlet Angel +13: Equipment Effect: Annihilation (Passive): Total kick-type attack intensity +93%, with additional effects of armor break, shield violent destruction, power explosion, organ shattering, and forced knockback/repulsion.
...
Su Xiao came to an abrupt halt in front of a main Tank holding an alloy shield. The alloy shield was at least 20 centimeters thick and looked extremely sturdy.
Power rose from the ground. Shallow footprints appeared on the metal floor beneath Su Xiao's feet. The force first transferred to his waist, then surged into his right leg, concentrating in his right calf and foot.
Su Xiao delivered a straight kick, slamming it into the alloy shield.
Boom!!
A deafening roar rang out. The Tanks on either side of the alloy shield felt their ears ring.
Su Xiao's foot struck the alloy shield directly. Everything seemed to slow down. The shield dented from the center, shattered outward from the dent point, and the three gems embedded in it couldn't withstand the force—they burst with a crack.
With a whoosh, metal fragments scattered everywhere. Su Xiao's kick shattered the alloy shield and struck the main Tank's chest behind it.
A series of cracking bone sounds followed. The main Tank's body curled up like a shrimp, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The impact spread. The main Tank Su Xiao had kicked was sent flying backward. He first crashed through the two rows of Tanks behind him, then slammed into the metal wall at the corner of the corridor.
Because the kinetic energy was too strong, the main Tank bounced off at an angle, leaving a splatter of blood on the metal wall.
Tumbling and rolling, the main Tank ended up back at the entrance of the corridor. He lay on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Seeing him fly out, the Support-types all retreated in fright to the corridor's entrance.
"Heal... me..."
The dying main Tank on the ground spoke. Then, the Support-type girls all silently turned their heads away.
"Brother... the part of you below your chest... didn't come back."
Kulon's eyelid twitched violently. Because... a Tank had been one-shot by a kick. That so-called Sacred Health Points hadn't worked at all. That thing only shared life force; it didn't make someone immortal.
Clang, clang, clang...
The crisp sound of slashing came again. Ring-shaped blade auras and cyan-blue slashes flew out, striking the metal walls at the midpoint of the corridor with sharp sounds.
After two short screams, a total of seven Tanks scrambled and crawled past the corridor's corner, their eyes full of terror. Some had even abandoned their shields.
Pfft.
A large spurt of blood splashed from behind the corridor's corner, staining the wall. A blood-covered arm trembled as it reached out.
"Save..."
Ting~
The sound of a blade tip striking the ground. The arm went limp and was dragged back behind the corner. Witnessing this, the Apocalypse Paradise contractors all swallowed hard in unison, a chill rising from the depths of their hearts.