Chapter 1696 - 430: Sundering Chaos in Sun-Chasing Lands, Mechanical Assault_3

Chapter 1696: Chapter 430: Sundering Chaos in Sun-Chasing Lands, Mechanical Assault_3

Almost the moment it was put on the shelf, the Challenger Tips for a successful transaction rang in his mind.

As for the low-value Metallic Remains, he couldn’t be bothered to look at them and casually ticked "one-click sacrifice."

In an instant the "scrap iron" turned into specks of dim light, vanishing into nothingness in the Space Bag slots.

The whole sequence of operations flowed like water, taking less than ten seconds.

The digits in his personal balance column suddenly jumped, shooting from two digits to four: a total of 1293 points of sacrificial power credited.

Looking at this "little windfall," Shi Zhan nodded in satisfaction.

This money was enough for him to thoroughly enjoy a lavish Spirit Meal.

If he converted it into basic energy paste, it could indeed keep him barely hanging on for several months.

But for a half-veteran player like him, that tasteless stuff was already a past he’d rather not recall.

With his current Constitution, he had pretty strong resistance to hunger; rather than wronging himself gnawing on energy paste, he’d rather go hungry for a while.

In the God of Wealth’s words: eating this crap is worse than inhaling air.

Shi Zhan agreed with that sentence completely.

Every player has a different philosophy when it comes to playing the game.

For example, there are plenty who like hoarding resources and watching their wealth rise: the Hamster Party Players.

Back in old games, he had even seen quite a few Hamster Party Players who, right up until they quit, never brought themselves to experience the joy of splurging.

In Shi Zhan’s eyes, that way of playing was downright stupid.

And he was the exact opposite of the Hamster Party: the Splurge Faction.

His creed was: stockpiles belong to Brother Di Zhao, what you spend is what’s really yours.

Sacrificial power, held in your hand, is just a pile of cold numbers.

Only when it’s quickly converted into exhilarating physical enhancement, or enjoyment on the tip of your tongue, does it truly realize its value.

His teammates often said his spending habits were way ahead of their time.

On this, Shi Zhan had his own explanation.

He believed that players like him were the lubricant for resource circulation in the game, the living water in the sacrificial power economy cycle.

Nourishing the entire player ecosystem.

Every impulsive splurge was another brick laid for the prosperity of the Player Faction.

Right now, with sacrificial power credited, Shi Zhan felt delight bubbling inside:

"Tonight I’m definitely adding a hard dish!"

Just as Shi Zhan was happily planning tonight’s Spirit Meal menu, a shrill Breaking Sky scream suddenly came from above his head.

He jerked his head up, only to see a slender black shadow like a falling Meteor, Tearing through the dim yellow sky at astonishing Speed.

In the blink of an eye it was upon him.

With a thunderous boom, it slammed down with pinpoint accuracy at the spot where that Wolf-level Collector had just been.

The shockwave sent shards of rock flying and smoke and dust billowing.

When the wind blew the dust away, what appeared before his eyes was a roughly three-meter-long, dark Metal spear.

The spear shaft shook violently after hitting the ground, red Runes flashing rapidly across its surface.

The next second, the spear split open down the middle, blue Arc bursting from within.

A Space Rift slowly manifested.

"Shit, I poked the hornet’s nest?!" Shi Zhan’s heart tightened; he instantly understood that destroying the Collector had triggered a retaliatory strike from the Mechanical Army.

Before he could think it through, the Space Rift suddenly expanded.

The next moment, the humming of Energy surged repeatedly out of the Rift.

Countless Mechanical combat units of all shapes and sizes swarmed out of the narrow Space opening like soldier ants pouring from a ruptured nest.

Six-legged ground-hugging recon cutters, swarm drones mounted with micro Energy Cannons, Mechanical Soldiers wielding oscillating sword blades... a multitude of sensors instantly locked onto the only Life form here: Shi Zhan.

Cold killing intent spread out in a heartbeat.

"Fuck, the Teleportation Gate literally opened on my face!" Shi Zhan spat; faced with this sudden mechanical Surge, a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes, but there wasn’t a trace of fear, nor did he intend to turn and run.

Although this mission was to explore the map, running was something only the Exploration Faction would do.

He had only one style: if it doesn’t die, beat it to death.

These were all sacrificial power bouncing around alive.

"Perfect, time to add a few more hard dishes to tonight’s feast!" he growled, War Intent flaring.

With a turn of thought, blazing Energy once again Roared together in his palm, and the fervent War Blade rapidly took shape.

Not only did he not retreat, he instead stamped his foot, blasting the gravel under him apart as his whole body shot forward like an arrow leaving the string, taking the initiative to charge into the tide of the mechanical flood.

Scarlet Sword-light tore the air, carrying unstoppable Momentum as it hacked savagely toward the cutting-type unit at the very front.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew as the frontmost cutter was cleaved cleanly in half by the War Blade, shattered parts flying away.

Shi Zhan’s figure moved like lightning, his War Blade whipping into a crimson storm.

In slow motion, he sidestepped an Energy beam, reversed his grip to slice a drone apart, then followed with a spinning kick that sent a Mechanical infantryman flying, his War Blade chopping down with the movement to pulverize its head.

In just a few breaths, dozens of Mechanical units had already become materials and sacrificial power in his bag.

But the mechanical flood seemed endless.

More units poured out of the Space Rift, instantly forming an encirclement.

Attacks from all directions hammered his body like a rainstorm.

The wounds on him grew more and more numerous, and Shi Zhan only fought fiercer, the viciousness in his heart exploding in battle.

Just then, a beam of light slammed into his chest.

His flesh that Mechanical Soldiers found hard to cause Defense Break on was pierced through in an instant by that beam.

"Damn, didn’t earn enough."

Shi Zhan only had time for that thought to flash by before his figure was swallowed by the Metal flood, ultimately turning into mist and Soul Return.

...

Similar scenes were playing out one after another in all directions of the Wailing Stone Forest.

One Space Beacon Spear after another tore through the dim yellow Sky Curtain like Life-taking Judgment Swords, screaming as they slammed with precision into the areas where the scattered scout squad members were.

After impact, the spear shafts split open, Space Distortion followed, and the mechanical Surge burst forth from within.

The other members of the United Battle Group responsible for reconnaissance met the exact same fate as Shi Zhan.

Generally, they had discovered instruments set up by the Mechanical Army during exploration, and all had unhesitatingly destroyed them and stuffed them into their Space Bags.

And then they received the Mechanical Army’s Sanction.

One figure after another, after brief intense firefights, finally became wisps of mist under the mechanical flood and Return Emperor Omen.

In barely over ten minutes, the hundreds of vanguard members scattered across the vast stone forest region were rapidly swept clean by the Strength of the Mechanical Army.

But the Mechanical Army’s war march did not stop.

After detecting Life and determining that this area posed a threat, the purge protocol was activated in that instant.

The next second, the dim yellow sky over the Land of Chasing the Sun was blanketed in an even denser "rain of spears."

Countless Space Beacon Spears fell like a black rainstorm, screaming with Tearing shrieks as they slammed densely down toward the regions where the players in the Land of Chasing the Sun were active.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Huge impacts and the humming of Space Tearing echoed one after another across the vast land.

Every black spear, once rooted into the ground and shattered, would unleash an endless mechanical Surge.

Many players active in other areas of the Land of Chasing the Sun only felt the light overhead suddenly dim; looking up in bewilderment, they saw the world-ending rain of spears pouring down.

The regional channel instantly exploded.

"Holy crap, what’s going on, the Mechanical Army actually hard-engaged first?!"

"Good grief, the sky suddenly went dark, I looked up and saw a sky full of spear rain, then my eyes went black and I found myself already sitting on the little stool in the Little Black House."

"Enemy attack! Brothers active in the Land of Chasing the Sun, get ready to receive area coverage strikes, the big one’s coming."

Many players who were Hunting, exploring, or gathering were caught off guard by the shrieks suddenly bearing down from the sky and the black Beacon Spears slamming down one after another.

They turned into mist one after another and Return Emperor Omen.

The regional channel was instantly flooded with exclamations and curses.

The first large-scale contact between the Player Faction and the Mechanical Army in the Land of Chasing the Sun began with a sweeping full-scale purge.