30: Return to Underwater: Battle Against Mutant Macroworms

[Depth: -62 meters]

[External Water Pressure: 7.2 ATM] [Radiation Level: High Risk (Shielding layer operating normally)]

Jiang Ran hovered in the murky deep water, data streams scrolling across his tactical visor like a waterfall.

Beneath his feet, the once-grand Jiangcheng City Museum lay quietly in the silt.

The originally vermilion gates were like a gaping black maw.

Tangled around the doorframes, those still-slowly-writhing black blood-vessel-like vines emitted an unsettling glimmer.

The surroundings were deathly silent, save for the slight hum from the exoskeleton's back thrusters.

"zero, maintain silent communication."

Jiang Ran's voice was low: "I'm in."

He controlled the thrusters like a nimble black shark, silently gliding into the museum lobby.

The scene here was even more shocking and nauseating than what he had seen through the camera earlier.

The massive central hall had been transformed into an alien nest.

The walls, pillars, and even the precious ancient stone carvings were covered in a thick, breathing layer of grayish-white fungal carpet.

Countless mutated fish bones and human remains were scattered across the fungal carpet like some kind of sinister decoration.

In the very center of the hall, that massive "Flesh Cocoon" was still pulsing rhythmically.

That Black Stone Tablet, representing the key to the new world, hovered behind the Flesh Cocoon, emitting an alluring, eerie light.

"Hiss..."

The moment Jiang Ran approached within thirty meters of the Flesh Cocoon,

the previously calm water suddenly churned violently.

The Flesh Cocoon seemed to sense an intruder—

unlike the previous basketball-sized probe, which was no threat,

this time, it sensed a "fellow creature" emitting a strong bio-electric signal and a cold, hard metallic aura.

"Boom!"

Without any warning, the Flesh Cocoon, over five meters in diameter, burst open.

Countless pieces of black, rotting flesh and slime exploded into the water, instantly obscuring his vision.

Following that, a shadow so massive it inspired despair rose up from the wreckage of the Flesh Cocoon!

[Warning! Super-large biological signal detected!]

[Target Locked: Mutated Giant Phagocytic Worm (Mature Form)]

By the high-intensity searchlight on his helmet, Jiang Ran finally saw the true face of this "guardian."

It looked like a Bobbit worm magnified thousands of times.

Its body length was estimated to be over twenty meters, and it was as thick as a water vat.

Its body wasn't soft flesh but was covered in layers of Chitinous carapace with a metallic sheen.

In the gaps of every carapace segment, tentacles swayed like seaweed.

And the most terrifying part was its head.

There were no eyes, only a Circular mouthpart large enough to swallow a sedan.

Inside the mouthpart, thousands of hooked fangs were densely packed.

They were spinning and snapping frantically, making a grinding sound.

"Roar!!!"

Though underwater, the infrasonic roar transmitted through the water still slammed into Jiang Ran's chest like a sledgehammer.

If not for this powered armor, this roar alone would have shattered an ordinary person's internal organs.

"Bring it on."

Jiang Ran didn't retreat but advanced, the eerie blue light in his eyes surging.

Just as the monster opened its maw and lunged like a venomous snake emerging from its hole,

the two High-pressure fluid engines on Jiang Ran's back instantly ignited with blue exhaust flames.

[Evasive Maneuver: Activated]

"Boom!"

Like a shell fired from a cannon, he performed a right-angle sidestep in the water that defied physical inertia.

"Crunch!"

The monster's maw bit empty air, snapping hard onto the granite pillar, as thick as two men's embrace, where Jiang Ran had just been.

Debris flew everywhere!

That hard granite pillar was like a crispy cracker before its fangs, instantly crushed to pieces.

"What incredible strength."

Jiang Ran hovered five meters above, looking at the debris; he wasn't afraid, but instead let out a whistle.

This thing's strength could indeed easily crush the previous nautilus.

But now, it faced an Abyssal Walker armed with Level 3 technology.

"Is that all you've got?"

Jiang Ran raised his right arm.

"Zzz—"

Accompanied by a high-frequency hum, the half-meter-long High-frequency Molecular Vibration Blade instantly snapped out.

The water molecules around the blade were instantly shattered, forming a white cavitation halo.

"Big guy."

Jiang Ran stared through his visor, glaring at the giant Worm as it shook its head, preparing for a second attack.

"Since you're the watchdog,"

"then let's see how tough your bones are."

[Power Output: 100%]

[Hunt Mode: Activated]

"Sss—!!!"

A stream of dark green, highly corrosive acid sprayed from the depths of the Macrophage Worm's mouthparts like a high-pressure water gun.

But this acid, capable of melting a tank, didn't even touch the edge of Jiang Ran's armor.

A tenth of a second before the acid sprayed,

Jiang Ran raised his left arm with a muffled bang.

The Pneumatic Spear Gun fired a Titanium steel grappling hook with an Alloy cable, precisely pinning into a steel beam on the hall's ceiling.

"Retract!"

The winch spun rapidly, and the massive pulling force combined with the Vector nozzles on his back instantly pulled Jiang Ran upward.

He was like a black swift dancing in the deep sea.

In an extremely elegant and eerie manner, he brushed past that lethal pillar of acid.

[Shield Alarm: External coating eroded by trace amounts of acid mist.]

[Damage: 0.1% (negligible).]

"Too slow."

Floating in mid-air, the blue light in Jiang Ran's eyes flared.

In this high-resistance deep-water environment, this massive Worm, though possessing terrifying strength,

was a clumsy target in terms of turning agility.

"Now, it's my turn."

Jiang Ran released the cable, inverted his body in the water, and kicked off the ceiling. "Full power—Thrust!"

Boom!

The back engines erupted with blinding blue flames.

He drew a straight cavitation trail in the water, holding that high-frequency vibrating crimson blade.

He headed straight for the Worm's shell-covered back.

The moment they crossed paths,

there was no loud crash of metal, only a very faint "slash" like the tearing of cloth.

That high-frequency molecular blade, vibrating tens of thousands of times per second,

when it contacted the Worm's chitinous shell, which was comparable to armor steel, was like a hot knife through butter.

Without any resistance,

Jiang Ran's figure flashed past, landing steadily in the silt behind the Worm.

And behind him,

the still-roaring Macrophage Worm suddenly froze.

Following that, a smooth red line three meters long appeared on the row of hard bone plates on its back.

A second later,

dark green blood erupted from the red line like a fountain, dyeing the surrounding seawater green.

"Roar!!!"

The intense pain drove this deep-sea behemoth into a complete frenzy.

It twisted its massive body frantically, its giant tail sweeping through everything.

Smashing the antique vases in the surrounding display cases to pieces, it tried to swat the little bug that had caused it such pain.