Chapter 141
The three tanks Xia Jin had given them had an effective range of about 1 to 1.5 kilometers. Song Xun didn’t know much about this; it was Song Ye who had told her after returning.
These three tanks weren’t exactly old-fashioned, but they certainly weren’t the latest models. During the trade, however, Song Xun hadn’t specified which type. Now she regretted it.
She had to swallow this loss. After all, she hadn’t been clear, allowing Xia Jin to take advantage of the loophole. But no matter what, a range of over 1,500 meters was already very good.
Xia Jin had some conscience, just not a lot…
To be honest, Song Xun was quite satisfied. The only issue was the low ammunition, only 100 rounds. She gritted her teeth. Next time, she would definitely rip that man off.
Thinking that if all 100 rounds were wasted here, Song Xun would feel a pang of heartache. But with a great enemy before them, she couldn’t afford to hesitate. If this thing got onto Ning Mountain, it would be a disaster.
Even if they could kill this big guy in the end, the defenses on Ning Mountain would be destroyed. The thought of this pained Song Xun even more than losing the ammunition.
After all, ammunition could be acquired later. Even if all thermal weapons went offline in the later stages of the apocalypse, that was a matter for the future.
Roar roar…
Even though the group was hiding on the mountainside, they could still faintly see the green-faced, human-faced mutated monster crawling rapidly and roaring through their binoculars.
Closer, and closer.
“Get ready.”
“…Entering range.”
Song Ye poked her head out and said sharply, “Hit it with everything you’ve got!”
From different angles, the three tanks aimed their cannons and fired with a “boom boom.” The operators were Song Ye, He Qing, and Chang Fei.
Although He Qing and Chang Fei had never touched a tank before, Song Ye was an expert. She had been a strike team captain for many years; this kind of machinery was a piece of cake for her.
The three operators aimed their cannons in unison and unleashed a barrage, firing one shell after another in rapid succession.
Song Xun and the others stood to the side, watching the valley below through their binoculars. Amidst the rising mushroom clouds, they could still hear the mutated monster’s pained and angry roars.
Clearly, the tank shells were effective. But because of the dense smoke, the specific situation inside the cloud couldn’t be seen clearly.
This continued until the first round of ammunition was used up.
Song Xun’s keen senses could no longer hear the mutated monster’s voice. She waved her hand, and the three operators stopped firing, all poking their heads out of the tanks.
“How is it?”
“There’s no more movement.”
The three of them held their fire, grabbing their binoculars to look. As the smoke from the explosions gradually dissipated, the scene at the foot of the mountain became clear.
In the craters blasted into the earth, the green-faced, human-faced mutated monster lay motionless on the ground, covered in blood that pooled around it.
“Is it dead?” Shi Tou laughed, lovingly patting the barrel of the tank next to him, ignoring its blistering heat.
But Song Xun and the others remained silent. They felt it wasn’t that simple. Although the tank’s power was great, it couldn’t have killed the mutated monster that easily, could it?
Holding her miao dao, Song Xun lowered her binoculars. “I’ll go take a look. You guys continue to stand guard.”
“I’ll go with you,” Song Ye said, standing up. She handed control of her cannon to Ji Chao. He Qing wanted to follow, but since no one else could operate his tank, he had to stay behind.
The two sisters went down the mountain together. Song Xun held her miao dao, and Song Ye carried a rocket launcher, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.
After all, they didn’t know if the green-faced monster was truly dead or just playing dead, waiting to lure them into a trap.
The two of them cautiously approached.
The once flat, cracked ground was now a field of craters from the shelling, making it exceptionally difficult to walk.
Only by getting closer could they be certain if the large creature was dead. To be honest, without the full firepower of the tanks, they might not have won the fight, even with their numbers.
Song Ye asked, “I remember you said that mutated monsters also have crystal cores in their bodies, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what happens if we subdue them? Do they become like the mutated plants?”
Song Xun’s expression became complicated. “It would be terrifying. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night looking at it. What if the cubs get scared and cry?”
Song Ye: “…”
That’s… a good point. This thing is genuinely ugly.
The two of them fell silent and cautiously approached the large monster. Song Xun was on high alert, ready to pull Song Ye into her pocket dimension at the slightest sign of trouble.
To their surprise, even as they got close, the massive creature remained motionless with its eyes closed. Could it really be dead?
Song Xun took her blade and poked the mutated monster’s large head. Its six eyes were closed, its eyelashes as stiff as steel needles. A single poke from those could leave a bloody hole.
When it didn’t react, her courage grew. She moved a little closer, reaching out to feel for its breath.
Behind her, Song Ye kept the rocket launcher raised, not daring to let her guard down. Just as Song Xun’s hand drew near, the mutated monster suddenly opened its bloody, fanged mouth and, with a howl, lunged to bite her.
If it connected, she would have been cut in half.
But Song Xun had been on guard. She suspected it was pretending and refused to let it succeed. She dodged back in a flash, while Song Ye, already prepared, fired the rocket.
It exploded directly in the mutated monster’s mouth. With a “BOOM,” blood gushed from the monster’s mouth and its six eyes.
It roared in pain, its massive body writhing on the pitted ground, kicking up clouds of dust and debris. A spray of foul-smelling blood burst from its body, drenching both Song Xun and Song Ye, who couldn’t dodge in time.
Both their faces turned pale. The stench was unbearable.
Bang! Bang!
The mutated monster’s sharp, bony tail slammed against the ground, making it tremble like an earthquake.
Looking at the scattered debris, Song Xun was furious. All their time, energy, and hard work cleaning under the hot sun had been for nothing.
She gritted her teeth in frustration. She could use guns and cannons, but they weren’t her specialty. Clenching her miao dao in one hand and making a fist with the other, she summoned her power. With a crackle, lightning flashed and exploded around her.
She hurled it all at the large monster. She remembered this thing was afraid of lightning.
Although abilities hadn’t yet been widely awakened and power levels were not yet defined, Song Xun knew from her past life that her lightning ability had already reached the fourth level, capable of being externalized and shaped.
She hadn’t had her ability for long, but she had the experience of her past life and wouldn’t take any wrong turns. Furthermore, her ability was the type that accumulated power before erupting, making it strong from the very beginning.
According to the little ball of light, it was the difference between a small stream and a vast ocean.
So, although she awakened late, her power level was already on par with the strongest members, Song Ye and He Qing.
The two sisters cooperated with perfect tacit understanding. Attacking from left and right, one with fire and one with lightning, they unleashed a fierce assault. The mutated monster was already heavily injured from its fight with another creature and had dragged its body to Ning Mountain to recover.
But what was the result? The moment it arrived, cannonballs hailed down on it, giving it no chance to dodge. If Song Xun and the others could have understood its roars, they would have been nothing but curses.
After being bombed without warning, it was already on the verge of death. Before it could even think of revenge, it closed its eyes to rest, only for these two humans to attack it again…
One zapped it with crackling lightning while the other burned it relentlessly. Who could stand that?
In its prime, these two little ants would have been nothing. But not now. It knew if the fight continued, it would die. So, it ran without hesitation.
It truly turned tail and fled.
But would Song Xun and Song Ye let it escape so easily? Impossible.
Song Xun raised her hand and waved it in the air, then pulled Song Ye into her pocket dimension. The next moment on Ning Mountain, He Qing received the signal. His eyes turned cold, and he immediately led Ji Chao and Chang Fei in a second round of shelling.
Rumble—
The last 50 shells rained down from the sky. The mutated monster couldn’t escape. The explosions began anew.
The barrage lasted for several minutes before they had to stop, having run out of ammunition. By the time Song Xun and Song Ye emerged from the dimension, they found that the bombardment had completely obliterated more than half of the mutated monster’s body.
And this time, no matter how Song Xun tested it, it didn’t move.
“It seems it’s really dead this time,” Song Xun said, letting out a sigh of relief. “All the shells were used on it.”
Although it was worth it, the thought that all their ammunition was gone still made her feel a little heartbroken.
After some effort, enduring the pungent, foul smell, the two sisters finally found the crystal core inside the mutated monster’s body.
It was in its tail.
They had never eaten mutated animals and certainly wouldn’t eat this even more disgusting mutated monster. But leaving the corpse here was a problem. Song Xun thought for a moment and decided to cremate it to be done with it.
Song Ye started a fire, and the two of them turned to return to Ning Mountain.
But what they didn’t expect was that just as they left, next to the roaring fire, the cracked earth was pushed open by something, and a small, palm-sized red insect crawled into the flames…
Back on Ning Mountain, Song Xun and Song Ye went straight to the cave to take a shower. They had to. They were covered in the sticky, stinking blood of the mutated monster, and the feeling was nauseating now that the crisis was over.
Ji Tang was in the cave with the cubs. Seeing the two return, she hurried over, but before she could ask about the situation, Song Xun held up a hand to stop her.
“Don’t come closer. The smell is awful. I don’t want it to get on you…”
The adults could endure it, but the cubs couldn’t. Ji Jinyu, the little chatterbox, scrunched up her nose and retreated.
“Mommy, you’re all bloody! It stinks!”
Song Xun sighed. It wasn’t like she wanted to be this way.
But seeing her daughter’s disgusted expression, she was suddenly in no hurry to wash. With a mischievous grin, she spread her arms and pounced toward the little girl.
“Ji Jinyu, you dare say Mommy stinks? Then your punishment is to become stinky with Mommy! Hahaha.”
Scared, Ji Jinyu turned and ran.
Ji Jinning sighed like a little adult. “Honestly, so childish, the both of you.”
Ji Tang looked from her disgusted eldest daughter to her younger daughter and her Alpha, who were now a chaotic mess, and couldn’t help but smile. She called out, “Alright, Song Xun, stop fooling around. Go take a shower.”
Song Xun stopped her playful chase and immediately responded, “Okay, I’m going.”
But instead, she turned and walked toward Ji Tang. Before her wife could fully react, Song Xun pulled her toward their room.
Song Ye had already gone to her own room, and no one else was around besides the cubs. Song Xun whispered with a giggle, “Wife, I can’t reach my back. Come in and help me.”
Ji Tang was speechless. She really wanted to ask, is this ‘help’ the proper kind of help?
