Armor: After finding the Demon-Sealing Box, I won't eat beef.

west Zhao looked up at the indifferent Bei Miao beside him, his own face filled with lingering weariness.

He spoke in a calm tone.

"Bei Miao, I know you've always opposed me staying in the team."

"To be honest, I don't want to force anyone."

"Once this crisis with the evil metal is completely resolved and the city is stable, I will voluntarily withdraw from the Armor Squad."

This statement doesn't exactly constitute a deliberate compromise or concession.

This was a plan that west Zhao had thought of long ago.

He never wanted his presence to cause further discord within the already fractured team.

After listening, Bei Miao remained silent.

Her profile was tense, clearly indicating that she was still unwilling to accept it, but she did not continue to deliberately confront him.

Seeing this, Meizhen stood up and broke the tense atmosphere.

"Don't waste time, time waits for no one, we must act now."

The current situation is critical.

Urged on by Meizhen, the five of them set off together and headed towards the ERP research lab by car.

After a long time.

Bei Miao, Xin Nan, Dong Shan, and Kun Zhong once again set foot in this familiar research base.

As soon as they entered the hall, everyone keenly sensed that something was wrong.

The entire office building was completely empty and eerily quiet.

"Huh? Where have all the staff members gone?"

Kunzhong looked around and saw the workstations that were originally occupied by more than 20 scientific research and logistics personnel.

All spaces are currently empty.

The computer equipment was left in its original position, and the desktop was clean and tidy.

It was eerily quiet.

Meizhen explained softly as she walked.

"All the grassroots staff have been temporarily transferred."

"From now on, I will be in charge of all authority in the ERP Research Lab."

Upon hearing this, Bei Miao's lips curled into a faint sneer.

"Luckily, those higher-ups had some sense and didn't continue to rigidly restrict permissions."

He made sarcastic remarks, but he felt much better inside.

Previous ERP systems were extremely restrictive with numerous rules and regulations.

Their armored squad has to report up the chain of command to mobilize equipment for missions.

Various access restrictions have repeatedly delayed the best opportunities for combat.

Now that everyone has withdrawn and all authority has been centralized in Meizhen's hands, it's as if she has been completely freed from constraints.

"Special times call for special measures."

west Zhao stood to the side and spoke softly, his tone calm and clear.

Kunzhong's face immediately lit up with joy, and his eyes and brows brightened.

"That's great!"

From now on, we won't have to be so restricted in our actions!

Dongshan nodded slowly, a hint of relief in his eyes.

"Indeed, I finally feel a sense of freedom, like a bird soaring in the sky."

Bei Miao strolled around the office area, then went straight to his former workstation and plopped down.

He tapped the table lightly and suddenly posed a very real question.

"Don't let us work our butts off to resolve this crisis, only to have them take back all our authority as soon as we turn around."

Upon hearing this, Meizhen hesitated slightly, lacking complete confidence.

"Probably... not."

"should?"

Bei Miao instantly caught the uncertainty in her words.

"You yourself aren't 100% sure?"

Just then, west Zhao stepped forward.

"Don't worry, Bei Miao, that won't happen."

"Bing'er has completely relinquished power."

Our sole and primary task at this stage is to identify and completely eradicate the evil metal protector.

During this period, he and Bing'er had reached a private agreement.

All rules and regulations were suspended, and everything was put on hold to make way for the fight against the dark forces.

He always remembered a sentence his father had once said.

The five summoners of the Light and Shadow Armor joined forces.

That is the only trump card that can defeat the ultimate black monster.

In comparison, the threats posed by the evil Jin Protector and Liu Ruyan are merely minor troubles at hand.

In his heart.

What's truly frightening is the lurking dark monster.

Bei Miao stared at west Zhao, his tone carrying a strong warning.

"I hope you keep your word and don't make our efforts go to waste."

His demeanor made it clear that if he went back on his word later, he would not let it go easily.

Meizhen stopped chatting and swiped her identity card.

I logged into the ERP core system backend and operated the various procedures in an orderly manner.

In a short while, the summoning privileges of all five members of the armored team were reactivated.

Five brand-new armor summoners were distributed to everyone in turn.

After putting away the summoner, Meizhen invited everyone to sit around the conference table.

Her expression was grave as she carefully analyzed the current situation.

"Everyone must be clear about our current situation."

"Our opponents are the evil Golden Protector and a mysterious, unknown superhuman."

There are also an unknown number of mutant beasts.

"These mutant beasts are extremely fierce and brutal; we must not underestimate them."

"Let's discuss and come up with a safe and sound plan together."

After he finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought.

A few seconds later, Bei Miao, who was the most impatient, spoke first and directly finalized the core idea.

"To catch the thief, first catch the king."

"My suggestion is simple: prioritize targeting Evil Gold and that mysterious superhuman, and take out these two key figures first."

"The remaining mutant beasts are all brainless and pose no threat."

His thinking is clear and straightforward.

Ordinary mutant beasts only possess primal bloodlust and have no intelligence whatsoever.

Evil Gold and the mysterious superhuman are the brains and command core of the entire dark legion.

Once these two cores are removed, the remaining rabble will be easy prey for them to crush.

Kunzhong frowned and raised the most practical problem.

"But Brother Bei Miao, E Jin is too cunning."

"It meticulously dismantled Team Two step by step, its strategy was terrifyingly thorough."

"It's too difficult for us to actively find it."

Dongshan stroked his chin, his gaze steady, and suddenly offered a new idea.

"How about... we exploit an information gap?"

"Information gap?" Meizhen looked up at him, her face full of doubt.

"That's right, it's the information gap."

Dongshan nodded and slowly explained his complete plan.

"For the past few days, all of Evil Gold's attention has been drawn to Armor Team Two to deal with them."

"They didn't pay attention to our movements from beginning to end."

"According to its calculations, after the destruction of the second team, Earth will no longer have a complete armored combat force capable of countering it."

"It most likely doesn't know that the five of us have regained the authority to summon the armor."

"I'm absolutely certain that its next target will be the ERP system."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.

"yes!"

Kunzhong slapped his thigh suddenly, instantly realizing the key point.

"The Evil Gold is a Shadow Guardian; it is well aware of the threat posed by the Light and Shadow Stones!"

"Just destroy five Light and Shadow Stones."

"There's no more trump card on Earth that can counter it, so we can rest easy!" Bei Miao quickly analyzed the pros and cons and immediately approved the decision.

"It certainly doesn't know yet that we've obtained the summoner."

"It raided the lab once before and got a taste of success, so it'll definitely come back for a second time."

"The lab now appears completely unprepared, and it has no reason to let this golden opportunity slip by."

west Zhao spoke up at the opportune moment to agree.

"It will definitely come." Bei Miao's eyes were firm as he finalized the battle plan.

"It's settled then."

"We used the light and shadow stone as bait, deliberately revealing a flaw to lure it into the trap."

"Once it leads its men into the research lab, we'll surround it and trap it like a turtle in a jar."

"Does anyone have any objections to this plan?"

Meizhen's gaze swept over everyone present, and she spoke up to confirm.

"No objections!"

"agree!"

All five nodded in unison, reaching a consensus.

This is currently the only reliable way to deal with the evil metal protector.

Actively searching, but unable to find it hidden in the dark domain.

But what if Evil Gold knew in advance that the entire team had regained their armor privileges?

Given its cunning nature, it will only lie dormant for the time being.

At that point, the situation will only get more out of control.

No one knew that their predictions had just accurately foreseen the next move by the evil gold.

……

Black Domain.

At this moment, Evil Gold was filled with fear and his whole body was tense.

An extreme sense of fear permeated everything from head to toe.

Liu Ruyan, standing to the side, was equally pale and uneasy, enveloped by a deep chill.

The source of their fear was the rapidly growing imperial prince.

In a short period of time, the newborn girl who could only crawl on her stomach...

She has grown rapidly into a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl.

Along with this surge, her almost bottomless appetite for devouring things also increased dramatically.

The bloodline energy of ordinary descendants of Guangying Village could no longer meet her growth needs.

The girl sat quietly atop a pile of corpses belonging to the descendants of the Light and Shadow Village, slowly absorbing the remaining energy.

Despite being of a young age, their movements exuded a chilling eeriness and coldness.

What's even more chilling are her dark, empty eyes.

Every now and then, he would casually glance at Ejin and Liu Ruyan's bodies.

There was no warmth in those eyes, no bond between mother and daughter.

Only a hungry beast can lock onto the greed of its prey.

Liu Ruyan had long since shed the gentle filter of being a new mother and had become completely sober.

A belated sense of fear crept over her entire body.

She lowered her voice, her tone flustered and urgent.

"Think of something quick! You bastard!"

"If this continues, we'll both end up being eaten by her sooner or later!"

The evil gold was on the verge of tears, filled with utter helplessness.

"What can I do?!"

"I've already screened the entire internet and rounded up all the descendants of the Light and Shadow factions with decent bloodline purity, feeding them to her!"

"But this energy isn't enough to satisfy her appetite! It's completely insufficient!"

Liu Ruyan frowned, her heart filled with anxiety.

He kept urging, "Then keep catching! Catch even more!"

"If all else fails, just have that beggar Black Emperor speed things up!"

"Why are you taking so long to find a compatible bloodline carrier!"

The evil man sighed helplessly, his heart filled with sorrow.

"A bloodline that perfectly integrates the five elements is extremely rare; it's not something you can easily find."

Fortunately, it doesn't have any physical hair.

Otherwise, the anxiety it experiences during this period would be enough to cause it to lose a lot of hair.

The prince's appetite continued to grow day by day.

Once the energy supply is completely cut off, the first to be devoured will be it and Liu Ruyan, the two nearby high-level dark life forms.

Just when he was in despair, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in Evil Gold's mind.

"Wait! I've got it!"

"It is indeed difficult to find descendants of the Five Elements bloodline, but there is something else on Earth that contains extremely powerful energy!"

Those five light and shadow stones.

"I know where the Light and Shadow Stone is located!"

Liu Ruyan frowned slightly, her face showing hesitation.

"That thing is inanimate, yet it can be used to feed her?"

Evil Gold secretly glanced at the prince not far away, steeled his heart, and decided to go all out.

"The energy contained in the Light and Shadow Stone is more terrifying and pure than all the descendants of Light and Shadow combined."

"Whether it's edible or not, we can only try it!"

It was also forced into a corner and had no other choice.

The current imperial prince has completely taken control of the Black Domain.

Even if it wanted to escape, it couldn't escape this cage at all.

If the other party's need to devour them cannot be met, they will become food in the next second.

"We have no choice but to take a gamble."

Liu Ruyan completely let go of all her worries; the fear of death was an instinct ingrained in her bones.

Without the protective glow of maternal love, all she was left with was the extreme fear of death.

"Let's go! To the ERP research lab right now!"

Evil Gold dared not linger in the dark domain for even a second longer, and turned around to try to rush out of this suffocating space.

But the next moment, the entrances and exits of the Black Domain were suddenly blocked and sealed shut.

The black metal made his scalp tingle instantly.

A cold, empty, and utterly devoid of warmth fixed its gaze upon it.

That feeling was like standing on the edge of a bottomless cliff, with your feet dangling in mid-air, ready to be shattered into pieces at any moment.

An overwhelming fear overwhelmed it, rendering it unable to move.

Evil Gold could only suppress the fear in his heart and slowly turn around with a stiff body.

He gave a report in a stiff and hesitant tone.

"I...I'm about to go out...to find you the Light and Shadow Stone..."

"That stuff tastes amazing... even better than what the descendants of Light and Shadow Village have!"

Upon hearing the word "delicious," the girl, whose expression had been indifferent, instantly brightened up.

She gently licked the remaining blood from the corner of her mouth, her dark eyes filled with anticipation.

"Go quickly and come back quickly."

Four simple words, devoid of any emotion, yet carrying an absolute sense of oppression.

"yes!"

The evil gold is granted a general amnesty.

It knew perfectly well what was going on.

If I hadn't come up with a solution to the Light and Shadow Stone in time, I would already be dead.

It could only pray in secret that the Light and Shadow Stone would satisfy the Emperor's son's need to devour.

Once the imperial prince has fully matured, it can save its life.

In fact, he is a Shadow Guardian.

Even when sealed by the Armored Warriors, they never showed any fear.

Because the seal only restricts freedom; given enough time, freedom will eventually be regained.

It can be devoured by the emperor's son, which means utter annihilation.

These two outcomes are worlds apart.

"I'll go with you!"

Upon seeing the gate to the Black Domain open, Liu Ruyan instantly felt the urge to escape and quickly followed.

The wicked King Kong stepped out of the gate, and the entrance behind him slammed shut.

The gate completely isolated the inner and outer spaces, leaving Liu Ruyan alone deep within the dark domain.

A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped her entire body, and Liu Ruyan's back was instantly covered in cold sweat, her heart pounding wildly.

She turned her head slowly and stiffly.

The prince wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and a strange yet childlike smile appeared on his face.

He slowly approached her step by step.

Liu Ruyan instantly felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy, her whole body tensed up, and she retreated repeatedly.

Panic and fear completely overwhelmed her, and she screamed in a trembling voice.

"What...what are you going to do?!"

"I'm your mother! I'm the mother who gave birth to you!!"

She repeatedly screamed about the bond between mother and daughter, trying to awaken a sliver of warmth in the other.

But in the prince's eyes, there was no affection, only a pure desire to devour.

In the next instant, she swayed, transforming into a dark afterimage, and suddenly pounced out.

He forcefully tackled Liu Ruyan, who was frozen in place, to the ground.

"Let me go! Let me go now!"

Liu Ruyan struggled frantically, using both her hands and feet to try to break free of her restraints.

In a critical moment, she forcibly activated the dark energy within her body to complete her transformation into a superhuman.

But it was all in vain.

Her body appeared slender, yet it was as heavy as Mount Tai.

He pinned Liu Ruyan down so firmly that she couldn't move at all even after transforming.

The prince whispered a childish yet chilling laugh in her ear.

"Hehe—Mom, it's for storing up food supplies."

As soon as she finished speaking, excruciating pain instantly swept over Liu Ruyan's entire body.

"ah--!!!"

A heart-wrenching, desperate scream echoed throughout the entire dark realm.

The screams became shorter and shorter, and weaker and weaker.

As her energy and life force were rapidly drained, Liu Ruyan's struggles gradually weakened.

His last shred of consciousness vanished, his eyes lost all light, and he plunged into boundless darkness.

She is dead.

Their souls and spirits were annihilated; they were completely wiped out.

The prince completely devoured the high-level dark energy within Liu Ruyan's body.

He let out a soft, satisfied burp, a look of contentment on his face.

The power of ordinary descendants of the Light and Shadow Village is no longer of interest to her.

Only the primordial energy of a high-level superhuman like Liu Ruyan could satisfy her hunger.

After resting for a moment, she looked up at the gate of the Black Domain again, her eyes full of anticipation.

Full of curiosity, I wondered what the Light and Shadow Stone in Evil Gold's mouth tasted like.

The taste is excellent, and I don't mind sparing Evil Gold's life for now, so that he can continue to find food for me.

If the taste is mediocre and cannot meet one's needs.

The next food source to be devoured will be the greedy gold that hastily sets out.