Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 218 New Achievements of the Research Institute

The participants were also affected to some extent during the fourth stage of the competition.

At this time, Xue Hui, who was in charge of the sea defense in Haiqu, was actually unable to attend. Instead, Xiao Zhenru withdrew from the Daizong battlefield, as she was very popular and had always been considered a representative figure.

Yin Danyi, who has already advanced to the fifth rank, is no longer eligible to participate. In fact, there are many fourth-rank participants who did not come, but fortunately, there are still enough people to support a short exhibition match.

The battles between the fourth-tier superhumans were particularly exciting, providing a feast for the eyes of many onlookers.

This was actually a deliberate result. Su Xun's prior request to them was: he didn't care if it was a real fight or a fake fight, but he wanted them to create a big spectacle.

As a result, everyone displayed their unique skills in the martial arts arena.

Xu Zhao summoned a suit of armor, and the weapons formed from his supernatural powers swung wildly, revealing his god-like demeanor ahead of time. Lin Hai was not to be outdone, and the force of his stomping was even greater than the force of his blows to his opponent. People far away almost thought that an earthquake had occurred.

Some people who had previously kept a low profile also showed their prowess this time. For example, a girl from Sichuan and Chongqing possessed a powerful and rare lightning ability, which is considered to be elemental affinity. With flashes of lightning, she defeated several people in succession, but ultimately lost to Xiao Zhenru in the battle.

Xiao Zhenru's battle was arguably the most spectacular and visually stunning of the entire competition. This girl had some smoke generators hidden somewhere, and she used her telekinesis to manipulate the smoke, making her superpower visible to the naked eye.

The smoke changed shape almost at will, changing form with her supernatural power, resembling both the outstretched wings of an angel and the nine tails of a divine fox, which was extremely awe-inspiring.

The general public enjoyed the spectacle, but many high-level superhumans knew that these psychic powers were completely invisible under normal circumstances, making them impossible to defend against. Her greatest advantage lay in her ability to manipulate a large number of weapons.

That's why they were even more shocked by Xiao Zhenru's strength.

But in the end, the one who came out on top in the fourth tier was not one of these well-known powerhouses, but a newly promoted fourth tier member who was temporarily added to the competition.

It was Tao Yue.

Xu Zhao and Lin Hai fought to a draw, and Tao Yue ultimately faced Xiao Zhenru. Golden patterns floated around her, forming a barrier that resembled both a great river and a sea of ​​stars, possessing powerful defensive capabilities.

Just like on the battlefield of Mount Tai, she moved nimbly left and right, dodging every attack with uncanny foresight, and finally withstood Xiao Zhenru's mental power to close the distance and subdue him at close range.

The two sides fought back and forth, which made Tao Yue, a new face, familiar to the public. However, Tao Yue, who ultimately won the victory, did not seem to be happy.

Because she always felt that her victory was somewhat strange, the feedback from her precognitive ability subtly told her that something ominous was about to happen.

However, the ability to foresee events can only roughly predict a simple direction, but it cannot know the clear process, and she cannot figure out what is going to happen.

Of course, she might consider fixing matches if it were someone else, but when her opponent was Xiao Zhenru, she completely disregarded it.

The man's taunts from the battlefield of Mount Tai still echoed in my ears. If I didn't take this opportunity to teach him a lesson, I would be missing out big time.

Amidst the smoke created by Xiao Zhenru's supernatural power, Tao Yue easily pinned her to the ground, only to see Xiao Zhenru's smiling face.

"Congratulations."

"?" Tao Yue was just about to give the other party a couple of hard blows when she sensed a change in the other party's aura.

This guy has reached level five on the spot.

"..." Tao Yue gritted her teeth: "You've already lost at the fifth rank!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Xiao Zhenru smiled as she stood up, dusted herself off, and let the smoke dissipate. "I won't fight you for it. You win." With that, she bowed to those around her and left the scene.

"That's weird." Tao Yue looked at her back with a puzzled expression, then turned around and saw Su Xun standing up from the referee's table.

"...Oh no, I forgot about that."

……

That evening, Su Xun arrived at Xinfu Research Institute.

"Commander-in-chief, are you bullying our Xiao Tao? She hasn't been talking much since the competition."

Su Xun smiled at the group of engineers: "No, it's just a normal exchange of skills. How can it be considered bullying?"

He came here not for Tao Yue, but because the research institute had produced new results.

As the engineers walked inside, they stopped in a spacious laboratory. In the center of the laboratory was something covered by a tarpaulin, which looked to be more than two meters tall.

As the tarpaulin was slowly lifted, this creation, which seemed to have stepped out of a movie or game, appeared before everyone's eyes.

This is a powered armor for individuals, improved from individual exoskeleton technology and suitable for superhumans.

"The physical abilities of superhumans are truly amazing. Many technologies that were previously impossible to apply have been realized with them, and many problems that once troubled us can now be easily overcome."

The engineer in charge of the equipment told Su Xun, "They can withstand a greater load. We originally considered removing the auxiliary power structure and creating a simple heavy armor for these soldiers, but we eventually abandoned that approach because we could attach more equipment to the outside."

"This limits the armor's defensive capabilities to some extent, but these are issues that can be improved. Compared to its powerful load-bearing capacity, we believe this sacrifice is entirely worthwhile."

Su Xun stepped forward and stroked the finely crafted armor, feeling deeply moved.

This was a completely new creation, one he had never seen in his previous life. This equipment perfectly combined the individual strength of a superhuman with the technological achievements of a military force.

Clearly, this will be another powerful piece of equipment that can change the course of the battlefield.

Has it been proven in real combat?

"We haven't been on the battlefield yet," the engineer said. "We wanted to report this good news to you as soon as possible, but Commander, rest assured, all the tests that can be done in the laboratory have been done, and there are no issues with reliability. The superhumans themselves can bear a large portion of the load, which greatly reduces the pressure on the power system."

"In addition, we use spiritual energy crystals as an energy source. These crystals contain powerful energy, and even ordinary people can use them briefly when the spiritual energy is sufficient and the power system is functioning well."

Su Xun liked it more and more as he looked at it, and said to the engineers, "Can I give it a try?"

"This……"

The group exchanged glances, and the leader said, "This armor is designed for first to third-tier superhumans. For stronger beings, its power system may actually limit your agility and may not enhance your combat capabilities."

Su Xun nodded: "I understand, it's just a simple test, I'll be careful."

“Alright,” the engineer said. “This armor is difficult for one person to put on alone, so we’ll assist you.”

(End of this chapter)