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

Chapter 317 Return
"run?"

"Why run?"

Upon hearing Mark's words, Zhang Qi smiled.

Before he finished speaking, he moved.

It was just taking a step forward.

The alloy ground beneath their feet suddenly exploded with a spiderweb-like ring of bluish-white electric arcs, centered on the point of contact.

His figure faded and elongated instantly in the lightning, transforming into a streak of light that could not be captured by the naked eye, moving against the direction Mark was fleeing, and heading towards that crimson abyss.

"Aqi—!"

Mark was both shocked and furious as he watched the lightning bolt pass him by. He twisted his heavy body violently, trying to go back to help, but what he saw was a scene he would never forget.

That bluish-white bolt of lightning, like a paintbrush imbued with life, blazed wildly in the deep darkness.

With each twist and turn, each flash, it precisely grazed the side of a Devouring Beast.

There was no earth-shattering collision, no deafening sound of metal tearing apart, only a series of soft "pop" sounds, like bubbles bursting.

Immediately afterwards, one ferocious Devouring Beast after another suddenly froze in their path of charge.

The crimson light in their eyes vanished instantly, and their massive bodies, propelled by inertia, continued to surge forward a few steps before disintegrating at a visible speed. Flesh and blood dissolved, black smoke rose, and in the end, only pale skeletons remained, crashing to the ground and shattering into a pile of bones.

Where lightning strikes, death follows.

That wasn't a battle; it was a one-sided massacre.

Zhang Qi moved among the dozens of Devouring Beasts as if strolling leisurely in a courtyard.

Each time he made a move, he precisely channeled a condensed burst of lightning energy through the monster's hard shell and directly into the restless energy core within its chest cavity.

"Fuck!"

Mark stood there dumbfounded for a long time before finally blurting out a curse.

The speed... is too fast.

If it were just speed, that would be one thing, but the movement technique was just too agile.

Even when he was driving the "Dawn-Modified" which had been modified by Zhang Qi and had its performance greatly improved, he could never have performed such ghostly maneuvers.

What delighted him even more were the skeletons scattered all over the ground.

They did not regenerate.

The most despair-inducing characteristic of the Devouring Beasts is their near-infinite regeneration ability.

As long as the core is not destroyed, even if it is blasted into pieces, it can reassemble in a short time.

The hunters' countless battles were all against these invincible monsters.

Destroying the core often relies more on luck, a stray bullet that happens to penetrate the defense and hit the vital point.

But now, Zhang Qi... he seems to have completely grasped the Devouring Beast's "Achilles' heel".

what does this mean?
The thought surged through Mark's body like an electric current, instantly making his blood boil.

If... if all hunters could master this method, the situation of humanity facing the Devouring Beasts would be completely overturned!
"Aqi...you..."

Mark's throat was dry, and he was so excited that he could barely speak as he looked at Zhang Qi, who had finished the fight and come to his side.

"Now is not the time to talk about this."

Zhang Qi waved his hand, glanced into the depths of the passage to confirm that no new enemies had appeared, then turned to Mark, who was still in a daze, and said:
"Walk."

As he spoke, he bent his knees slightly, lifted himself up, and landed lightly on the broad shoulder armor of "Dawn-Modified".

Mark suddenly realized what was happening. Without hesitation, he immediately manipulated the heavy 3D turn, took heavy steps, and ran back the way he came.

Soon, they caught up with the main force and, amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, retreated together to the ground transport vehicle. As the heavy gate slowly closed, completely shutting out that grotesque and terrifying world, everyone inside the vehicle breathed a sigh of relief and gasped for breath.

They started the car and drove away...

……

A moment later, after the hunters' convoy had left.

Inside the alloy passage filled with the bones of Devouring Beasts, space slightly distorted, and several figures appeared silently.

The one leading the group was the white-haired woman.

Her gaze was cold and aloof as she swept over the mess on the ground.

"Wow! The guys at the lighthouse are ruthless!"

A man wearing a hideous mask crouched down and gently tapped the stark white bones with his tactical gloved fingers.

"A single blow was fatal; the energy directly annihilated the core without any leakage or waste."

"Judging from the residual source energy fluctuations at the scene, the entire time from when he made his move to when the battle ended was no more than thirty seconds."

That speed, that precision, and that control over the life essence... tsk tsk, this person is definitely no less than Boss Bai!

"But... when did such an expert appear on the lighthouse? Didn't they only retain some of the technology from the old world? They shouldn't have mastered the technology of 'Heluo'."

Moreover, such exquisite control over the essence of life is simply impossible to achieve without decades of arduous cultivation…

Another burly man scratched his head, looking at the white-haired woman with some confusion.

Although this person looks young, everyone else present is older...

All eyes were focused on the white-haired woman.

The woman remained silent for a long time before slowly shaking her head.

This matter also exceeded her expectations.

……

the other side

As the massive ground transport vehicles slowly drove into the lighthouse's docking port, they were greeted by thunderous cheers.

The common people and ordinary citizens alike crowded both sides of the passage, eagerly awaiting the hero's return.

When the gate at the rear of the carriage opened, revealing the mountain of supply boxes inside, the cheers from the crowd reached their peak.

Food, medicine, energy bars, rare metals... these things are the lifeblood that keeps the lighthouse, this isolated city in the sky, running.

For everyone struggling to survive atop the lighthouse, the Hunters are not just an armed force, but a symbol of hope, the only messengers capable of bringing life back from that hell on Earth.

The hunters disembarked from the transport vehicle amidst cheers, basking in the glory that belonged to them.

Zhang Qi and Mark, surrounded by the crowd, were led away by Jing Nan and headed towards the core of the Lighthouse's power—the City Lord's Hall.

……

The atmosphere in the city lord's hall was solemn and dignified.

At the highest position sat Morgan, the current lord of the city, the Lighthouse.

His hair was gray and his face was aged, but his eyes were still sharp.

Beside him stood his adjutant, Victor. Below, several high-ranking officers of the Lighthouse were already waiting.

Dr. Carrie, who is in charge of medical and ecological research, is wearing a white coat;

And then there was Charles, the head of the Light and Shadow Society, dressed in a magnificent suit with a reserved yet arrogant smile on his face.

"Mark, this mission was completed exceptionally well. The amount of supplies obtained was the highest in nearly five years, and the casualties were minimal. You are heroes of the Lighthouse."

When Morgan saw Zhang Qi and Mark enter, a smile appeared on his aged face.

"Lord, this is all thanks to Aqi."

Mark smiled, glanced at Zhang Qi beside him, and said sincerely.

These words instantly drew everyone's attention to Zhang Qi.

Charles frowned almost imperceptibly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Qi ignored the gazes of the crowd and calmly took out a specially made transparent container from the tactical backpack on his back.

Inside the container, the spinal worm he had captured alive was frantically attacking the container walls.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Zhang Qi opened the container and then grabbed the spine with his bare hands.

Surprisingly, the spine worm, which had been attacking wildly, suddenly quieted down in Zhang Qi's hands.

"How did you do that?! Why didn't it attack you?"

Dr. Carrie's eyes lit up instantly. She quickly stepped forward and asked Zhang Qi.

Based on all her research on the ecology of Mana, the Devouring Beasts and humans are locked in a life-or-death struggle, and their instinct is to devour the life essence of humans.

"It's very simple."

"Because I blocked his perception of the life essence in the outside world..."

Zhang Qi's voice echoed clearly in the hall.

"Devouring Beasts, at least low-level ones, do not rely on sight or hearing to lock onto targets, but rather on sensing the intense fluctuations in the life essence."

This is why these Devouring Beasts often choose people with intense emotional fluctuations as their targets...

Conversely, with specific training, by controlling one's emotions and calming the fluctuations of one's vital essence, theoretically, we could become 'invisible' in their presence.

Upon hearing this, Mark nodded; his observation was indeed correct.

Because the Devouring Beasts often attack those who are afraid or terrified, he had previously thought that these guys were deliberately picking on the weak, but he never expected it to be like this.

The others were somewhat surprised. Everyone present was a high-ranking member of the Lighthouse, and they instantly understood the meaning behind those words.

In every operation on the ground, the greatest danger does not come from direct confrontation, but from the ever-present and unpredictable sneak attacks.

If this method can be mastered, the safety of hunters on the ground will be greatly improved, and the efficiency of acquiring resources will also be greatly enhanced.

"Can this kind of training be popularized?"

Morgan asked somewhat anxiously.

"can."

Zhang Qi gave an affirmative answer.

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a brief silence, filled with immense surprise.

But just then, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

"All of this is thanks to the protection of the Lord of Light and Shadow!"

Charles stepped forward, his voice high-pitched and full of passion.
"It is the glory of the Lord that guided us to overcome the darkness! It is the grace of the Lord that enabled us to make such a great discovery!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi frowned.

He glanced at Charles, a feeling of disgust rising within him.

Although he was Jingnan's younger brother, the Light and Shadow Society, which used religion as a pretext to deceive the people, was an organization he despised the most.

Mark frowned, preparing to have a serious argument with Charles.

After all, this discovery was made by his brother at great risk, and the supplies were obtained by the hunters through their own desperate efforts. What does it have to do with this damn Lord of Light and Shadow?
"Charles."

Lord Morgan's voice rang out, not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority, interrupting Charles's sermon.

Morgan's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, finally settling on Mark. He spoke in a weary yet solemn tone:

“I’m getting old, and the lighthouse needs a new leader to guide us on our journey.”

Upon hearing this, Charles involuntarily puffed out his chest, his face revealing an uncontrollable sense of pride and longing.

As the son of the city lord and the leader of the Light and Shadow Society, he enjoys extremely high prestige among the people. Who else could hold the position of city lord but him?

Seeing Charles's appearance, Zhang Qi shook his head inwardly.

A leader is someone who can lead others to survive.

In this apocalyptic world where survival is uncertain, a combat hero who can bring back food and hope and does not discriminate against the lowly commoners is far more valuable than a religious leader who only shouts empty slogans.

Moreover, the hunters, who are tasked with dealing with the most dangerous situations, naturally possess the strongest fighting force.

Unless Morgan's mind is corrupted by the Mana ecosystem, he will never choose Charles as the city lord.

For the long-term stability of the Lighthouse, he might even take this opportunity to hand over the power of the Light and Shadow Society to Mark as well.

as predicted.

"I hereby announce," Morgan's voice echoed through the hall, "that the next lord of the Lighthouse will be Mark, the commander of the Hunters!"

Shocking.

"Father! Why?!"

Charles's smile froze instantly, replaced by utter astonishment and disbelief.

As soon as he uttered the word "father," he suddenly realized that he had misspoke.

One of the three laws of the Lighthouse: Family ties have been abolished, and no one may claim to have Old World kinship with another person in public.

“My decision is final. The inauguration ceremony for the city lord will be held next week.”

Morgan's eyes turned cold, and he raised a hand to quell the commotion.

"At the same time, I appoint Zhang Qi as the new head of the Lighthouse's Scientific Research Department, to integrate all projects of the Medical Department and the Ecological Research Institute. Your primary task is to quickly develop the method you discovered for avoiding the Devouring Beasts and promote it to all ground personnel."

His gaze shifted to Zhang Qi, and his tone softened considerably.

Dr. Carrie had no objection to this; she was more interested in the study of mana ecology than in power.

Moreover, after unifying the departments, she can obtain more resources and even gain the support of the hunters. Why not?

Jing Nanye had no objection and smiled at Zhang Qi.

Zhang Qi met Morgan's gaze and nodded solemnly.

Finally, this day has come...

(End of this chapter)