They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 313 Practical Application of New Types of Reconstructed Systems
The transport vehicle had just landed on the crimson earth when strange noises came from all around.

The hunters gripped their weapons almost reflexively, their back muscles tensing instantly, their gazes fixed like hawks on the grotesque world outside the carriage.

Then, in the shadows cast by those skyscrapers that had been gnawed away and reduced to mere skeletons, black outlines quietly emerged and then converged into a stream.

Their body outlines resemble those of canids from the Old World, with all four limbs on the ground and a low posture, but their heads and necks are unusually long, like venomous snakes, twisting unnaturally in mid-air at an angle that defies biomechanics.

Their skin has a keratinized, ominous dark color, smooth and tough.

"Snake-dog..."

A scruffy-bearded veteran uttered the word through gritted teeth, cursing as he spoke.

The Lighthouse database records it as a Pan-Biomorphic Devourer Type I, but this codename is far less fitting than the nickname given to it by the hunters.

While they are not the most threatening individually, they always appear in packs of hundreds or thousands, relying on their near-infinite numbers and fearless, frenzied charges to tear apart and overwhelm their prey like a pack of wolves.

However, Zhang Qi's reaction was completely out of place in this tense atmosphere.

There was no tension in his eyes. Instead, he quickly took out a specially modified personal terminal from his backpack, his fingers slid rapidly across the screen, bringing up the high-definition camera and data analysis module. The lens was precisely aimed at the monsters that were gradually approaching from all directions outside the window.

"The movement pattern matches the database description, but the coordination is far beyond expectations... There are slight differences in skeletal structure compared to the sample, and the range of motion of the joints is greater..."

This was the first time he had ever seen a living Devouring Beast.

In the past, all his research was based on the fragmented skeletal samples and blurry battle videos brought back by the hunters from the lighthouse.

But those cold, hard numbers are far less real than the vivid, raw violence of life right before our eyes.

He had heard that these strange creatures could regenerate almost infinitely using an unknown energy source, as long as their core was not destroyed.

Once the core is destroyed, their seemingly solid flesh and blood bodies will turn into a pool of black liquid with no research value in just a few seconds, leaving only a pale skeleton.

Mark glanced at his engrossed friend, and the weight that had been hanging over him quietly lifted.

His biggest worry was that technicians like Zhang Qi would be overwhelmed by fear when they first faced these hideous monsters.

On a perilous terrain, mindset is often the primary factor determining survival...

Zhang Qi's composure, even excitement, at this moment completely put Mark at ease.

"Maintain cruising speed, don't stop. Leave these bastards outside to me."

He pressed the communicator, and his steady voice carried through the radio to every corner of the car.

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and walked towards the "Dawn-Modified" that stood quietly at the back of the carriage.

The cockpit door sensed his approach and silently slid open to the side.

Mark nimbly leaped in and settled steadily into the driver's seat.

A soft electronic voice indicating system self-checking rang out in the closed cockpit. Streams of pale blue data rapidly swept across the holographic tactical goggles in front of him, eventually locking onto "ALL SYSTEMS GREEN".

He moved his fingers, feeling the subtle feedback transmitted through the neural links, like an extension of his own limbs, and an unprecedented sense of absolute control arose spontaneously.

The mask slowly fell down, covering his somewhat eager face.

The next second, the composite sensor of the 3D eye lit up, emitting a striking, predator-like yellow light.

"Squeak-"

Several of the most agile snake-dogs had already pounced on the side of the transport vehicle, their sharp claws leaving a trail of blinding sparks and a teeth-grinding noise on the thick alloy shell.

As soon as the hatch at the rear of the carriage opened a crack, they eagerly pushed their heads, covered in sharp teeth, inside, and a stench of decay and blood assaulted the senses.

However, what greeted them was a swirling, cold silver light.

The rapidly spinning chainsaw, accompanied by a dull and brutal roar, sliced ​​through the air at a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive, severing the heads of the snake-dogs instantly. Black, foul-smelling liquid spurted out, and the headless remains fell limply from the vehicle, twitching a few times before coming to rest.

"I'll be back as soon as I go."

Mark's voice came through the public channel, carrying a deliberately suppressed ease and arrogance, somewhat reminiscent of the old-world legend of Guan Yu warming wine before beheading Hua Xiong.

"This guy still loves to show off."

Zhang Qi shook his head, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Then, an interface displaying the Mark's body data and the camera above it appeared.

The next moment, the sleek and powerful three-dimensional object leaped down from the rear of the slowly opening transport vehicle.

Everyone in the car instinctively held their breath.

In mid-air, the posture control nozzles on the back and feet of "Dawn-Modified" instantly emitted pale blue flames. The powerful thrust, precisely calculated, perfectly countered the gravitational potential energy of the descent.

The several-ton-weight machine hovered steadily for a moment at a height of less than half a meter above the ground, like a weightless feather.

Immediately afterwards, the main thrusters roared, and blue flames surged across the crimson earth.

"Dawn-Change" transformed into an arrow released from a bow, wielding a constantly buzzing chainsaw sword, and charged headlong into the dark mass of snakes and dogs.

Then, a one-sided massacre, filled with violent aesthetics, began.

Mark didn't even use the spare six-barreled Vulcan cannon on his shoulder; he wanted to fully and luxuriously enjoy the ultimate thrill brought by this unparalleled mobility. The heavy machine sometimes sped along the ground, its chainsaw sword sweeping out from its side, creating a silver whirlwind of death that sliced ​​several snake-dogs charging side by side in half.
At times, the jets beneath its feet would be at full power, lifting the machine off the ground with an elegant side slide, deftly dodging attacks from shadowy corners. Simultaneously, a light spin would occur in the air, and the sword would descend from the sky, precisely piercing the back of another snake-dog and pinning it firmly to the ground.

He was like an elegant yet deadly dancer, leaping across the tip of a blade made of countless claws and fangs.

The blue streaks of light drew brilliant yet deadly trails across the crimson earth. Each flash, each change of direction, was accompanied by the shrill howls of the Devouring Beasts and the shattering of their limbs.

The sheer number of snake-dog packs, which they were so proud of, became a complete joke in the face of such overwhelming mobility.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa—!!"

"Did you see that?! He's flying! The captain's fucking flying!"

"This...this is real 3D! This is what real 3D is all about!"

Inside the transport vehicle, upon witnessing this scene, the hunters, who had been suppressing their emotions for so long, erupted in deafening cheers.

They pressed their faces against the porthole, pounding on the cold, reinforced glass, cheering for the blue figure galloping through the herd of beasts.

As soldiers who have struggled on the brink of life and death for years, they know better than anyone what the fighting prowess Mark is displaying at this moment truly means to them.

Even Donnie, the adjutant who was known for his composure and never wavered in the face of danger, could not maintain his usual calm at this moment. His fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles turned white from the excessive force, and his eyes flashed with an uncontrollable excitement.

Ran Bing didn't cheer like the others. She calmly set up her sniper rifle, the crimson crosshair steadily locking onto the battlefield.

Her task was to clear away any potential threats from afar for Mark.

But every time a snake-dog tries to sneak up on Mark from a tricky blind spot, before she can pull the trigger, the blue figure always manages to dodge in an unbelievable way and counterattack in an even more ruthless manner.

Her finger remained hovering over the trigger, but she couldn't find even a single opportunity to fire.

Finally, she slowly lowered her gun, simply watching the figure wielding power and skill with unrestrained ease on the battlefield, her eyes gleaming with a light that even she herself hadn't noticed—a light mixed with pride and tenderness.

"Brother Zhang Qi! Brother Zhang Qi!"

A clear and excited voice rang in her ears. The youngest, Erica, squeezed next to Zhang Qi like a kitten, hugging his arm and shaking it vigorously. Her already large eyes were practically sparkling with stars.
"Next one! The next one must be a modification of my 'White Shark'! Please!"

Zhang Qi, both amused and exasperated, reached out his other hand and patted the overly excited girl's head reassuringly. He solemnly promised to put her after the highest priority of her modification, finally letting her go with satisfaction so she could go back to cheering for Captain Mark.

After dealing with the enthusiastic Erica, he turned his gaze back to the window.

The Devouring Beasts, whose cores had been precisely shattered by the chainsaw sword, were dissolving at a visible speed, turning into pools of dark, ominous-bubbling liquid that silently seeped into the crimson soil, leaving only twisted and pale skeletons in their place.

This is truly a peculiar phenomenon...

If these monsters feed on life essence, then how does the energy stored in their bodies dissipate after they are "killed"?
Are their core structures similar to the dantian?
Thinking this, Zhang Qi slowly closed his eyes, actively blocking out the noise and cheers from the outside world, and began to circulate the mysterious warm current within his body.

The energy called the life essence was now gathering in his eyes according to the observation method he learned from the world of "Under One Person".

At first, all I saw was deep darkness.

But as he concentrated, faint spots of light began to appear on the dark curtain.

The light spots gradually became clearer, then connected into lines, outlining the contours.

An unprecedented world, made entirely of energy, slowly unfolded in his perception.

He could "see" that each of the hunters in the carriage had a complex and orderly system of light veins within their bodies, and the path of the flowing light matched the meridian diagrams in traditional Chinese medicine theory with astonishing accuracy.

All the light eventually converges in their brain area, which is called "upper dantian" in traditional theory, like rivers flowing into the sea, forming the brightest and purest light core there.

The snakes and dogs outside also have light within them, but their energy flow is chaotic, violent, and disorderly, without any fixed patterns, like a tangled mess of hemp.

However, within this chaotic flow of energy, all the energy was irresistibly drawn to the same destination—a fist-sized core within their chests, radiating an ominous dark red light.

That place is both the end and the beginning of all energy.

I see……

Is that a weakness?

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, atop a skyscraper was tightly entwined by thick, fleshy vines.

A figure stood silently at the edge of the ruins, overlooking the land ruled by blood and death.

Her pure white short hair fluttered gently in the polluted wind; its pristine color seemed out of place in this scarlet world.

She simply watched Mark wreak havoc among the snake-dog pack, her brow furrowing slightly.

When did the lighthouse master this technology?

The next moment, she turned around sharply, her gaze like an invisible sword, instantly piercing through layers of ruins and polluted air, and precisely locking onto the heavy transport vehicle at the front.

More accurately, it was Zhang Qi mentioned above...

"This is……"

"Primal Awakening?!"

(End of this chapter)