61: Living cars

Descending the collapsed ramp to Deck C.

The surrounding water grew increasingly murky; the searchlight beams could barely penetrate a few meters, as if a layer of red mist permeated the air.

If the level above was a silent tomb,

Then this level was a raving lunatic asylum.

More vehicles were parked here at a higher density, and the erosion from the silver-gray hyphae was deeper.

Those thick hyphae were no longer just simply connecting to the car bodies.

They were like some greedy plant roots, boring directly into the gaps of the car hoods,

Piercing through windshields and even digging deep into the dashboards of the cabs.

"Zzt... zzt-zzt..."

A harsh burst of electromagnetic noise suddenly exploded in the mecha's audio receiver.

Jiang Ran whipped his head around, sweeping the searchlight to the right.

The headlights of that row of cars, which should have been completely scrapped, suddenly lit up without warning.

Due to battery aging and circuit corrosion, the lights flickered dimly, a pale yellow like ghostly fire.

But in this claustrophobic deep-sea environment, dozens of pairs of "eyes" suddenly snapping open was enough to send adrenaline skyrocketing.

"Honk—!!"

Immediately after, a distorted car horn blared.

Being underwater, the sound wasn't as sharp as it would be in the air.

Instead, it became a dull, chest-thumping vibration, like the whimpering of a dying beast.

It was like a signal.

In an instant, the entire Deck C seemed to come alive.

The windshield wipers of countless cars began to swing frantically, churning the murky water;

Windows slid up and down like countless mouths opening and closing;

Car alarms of various models jumbled together, transmitted through the water into a scalp-tingling low-frequency symphony.

"Spectral anomaly."

Su Qingyu's voice rang out in the channel, her speech rapid:

"This doesn't look like a random malfunction. The waveform is rhythmic, like some biological signal simulating circuit commands."

"It's bio-current."

Jiang Ran calmly scanned the surrounding data stream; the mecha's sensors captured intense electromagnetic fluctuations nearby:

"These parasitic fungi don't just eat iron; they've formed a conductive circuit similar to a neural network.

They've taken over the residual circuits of these scrap cars and are using the remaining battery energy to create chaos."

Before he could finish, the driver's side door of a white SUV he was passing suddenly slammed open.

"Clang!"

That heavy car door, like a massive bear trap, snapped violently toward the mecha's ankle.

Its speed and power completely defied the common logic of mechanical aging.

Jiang Ran reacted instantly, maneuvering the mecha into a small sliding step to retreat.

The door slammed into empty space, kicking up a cloud of murky silt.

"Can you see it?"

Old Chen's voice carried a hint of morbid admiration.

"This isn't just random movement.

This is a defense mechanism.

The entire garage is like a single massive organism, and these cars are its tentacles and senses.

It's jamming your radar and distracting you, just like... a pitcher plant toying with an insect that's fallen into its trap."

Jiang Ran narrowed his eyes.

The surrounding headlights flashed frantically, and amidst the intersecting light and shadow, countless eerie shadows danced wildly.

Deep within this surreal "undersea disco,"

That dense sound of metal grinding was rapidly approaching; under the cover of the chaotic light and sound, the true hunter had bared its fangs.

The chaotic light and shadow didn't last long, for a more violent destroyer had taken the stage.

There was no need for a radar alarm; the intense vibrations coming from the deck beneath his feet said it all.

Deep within the car formation, several scrap cars blocking the way were brutally shoved aside like Styrofoam.

Accompanied by the loud screech of tearing metal,

Three behemoths, far larger than those "scouts" from before, rumbled out, crushing the wreckage.

If the previous ones were agile assassins, then these before him were heavy-duty battering rams.

They were over two meters wide, and what they carried on their backs were no longer thin license plates or bumpers,

But heavy vehicle chassis armor, some even embedded with chunks of concrete.

That pair of massive chelae

Weren't slender and scissor-like, but as thick as hydraulic hammers; the current generated by their swings alone could churn the surrounding silt into a muddy mess.

"Soldier Ant-class... looks like we've kicked a hornet's nest."

Jiang Ran's gaze turned cold. He didn't choose melee combat; instead, he raised the 30mm rapid-fire autocannon mounted on the mecha's right shoulder.

Fire-control radar locked.

Trigger pulled.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat—!!"

The tongue of fire from the muzzle instantly tore through the dim waters.

Specially made depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds, trailing dark red light chains, poured toward the leading giant crab at a rate of 600 rounds per minute.

At this range, such firepower would have instantly riddled even an old era light tank with holes.

However, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded.

When those high-muzzle-velocity armor-piercing rounds hit the giant crab's carapace, which shimmered with a dark cyan luster, the expected penetration didn't occur.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang—"

Although the massive kinetic energy forced the giant crab back repeatedly, making it stumble,

Amidst a series of dense, metallic clangs like a blacksmith's hammer, countless dazzling sparks exploded underwater.

Those warheads, capable of piercing steel plates, seemed to hit an oiled mirror the moment they contacted the crab shell.

They deflected off, sliding along that nearly perfect parabolic curve!

The deflected stray bullets ricocheted everywhere, striking the surrounding scrap cars and cabin walls, sending debris flying.

"Ricochets?!"

Su Qingyu looked at the readings in disbelief: "The kinetic energy was deflected? Those were 30mm depleted uranium rounds!"

"This is the power of evolution, girl."

Old Chen's voice was tinged with a near-perverse fanaticism: "Did you see that? That curve!

That is the 'absolute slope' evolved through countless generations of natural selection!

Any kinetic weapon hitting it will be forced to deflect if the angle isn't dead on.

Add to that the high-hardness lattice restructured by the Metal Parasitic Fungus... it's basically a biological version of Chobham composite armor!"

As he spoke, the giant crab, charging through the hail of bullets, had already forced its way in front of them, tanking the impact.

Its massive chela, like a battering ram, was raised high.

With the force of a thousand tons, it smashed down toward Jiang Ran's head.

"Boom—!!"

The massive hydraulic hammer slammed heavily onto the deck.

Jiang Ran maneuvered the mecha to slide backward at the critical moment.

The spot where he had been standing instantly caved in, and several shattered steel plates flew out like shrapnel.

High power, thick armor, and it can deflect shots.

In the old era, this would be the kind of heavy tank that drives infantry to despair. But even tanks have weaknesses.

"Since physical penetration isn't working, let's try a different approach."

Jiang Ran stopped wasting bullets and quickly retracted the autocannon.

With a soft click from the back mount,

A heavy spear, two meters long with faint blue electric arcs flickering at its tip, slid into his hand.

"Thunder" high-voltage electric spear.

A non-lethal weapon specifically designed to deal with deep-sea behemoths.

But at this moment, it was the most lethal killing move.

"zero, set output power to maximum."

"Warning: Overload output may cause the spearhead to melt."

"Do it."

Jiang Ran's gaze was ice-cold.

The giant crab before him was preparing for a second charge.

It seemed to sense the threat of the spear, protecting its head with its massive chelae.

But it made a fatal mistake—it relied too much on its armor.

In this world of physical laws,

That metal carapace it took such pride in had another, even more fatal property besides being an indestructible shield:

It was a perfect conductor.

Thrusters flared.

Jiang Ran drove the mecha forward instead of retreating, closing in like a bolt of blue lightning.

He didn't need to look for gaps in the armor or aim for the eyes.

The electric spear in his hand, accompanied by the piercing shriek of current, was thrust simply and brutally into the center of the giant crab's broad, thick carapace.

"Zzzzt—!!!"

In an instant, dazzling blue-white electric light exploded in the dim water, illuminating everything as bright as day.

The giant crab's ferocious charge froze instantly.

The terrifying high-voltage current followed that proud metal carapace and instantly surged through its entire body.

It burned through every internal nerve without resistance and boiled every piece of soft tissue.

There was no struggle.

The behemoth was as if its soul had been snatched away; its joints stiffened and straightened, and then it collapsed heavily into the silt.

Only the bubbles constantly rising from the gaps in its shell and the burnt smell permeating the water proved what it had just endured.

"No matter how tough the can is."

Jiang Ran retracted the spear, faint arcs of electricity still dancing on the tip. "Inside, it's still just meat."

"Warning: Capacitor overheating; cooling required for 15 seconds."

Although the previous strike was highly effective, it had turned the tip of the electric spear glowing red.

Facing the remaining two giant Soldier Ants already roaring toward him, using electricity again was clearly out of time.

"Hmph, then let's try another way."

Jiang Ran decisively hung the smoking spear back on his back and controlled the mecha to clench its fists, assuming an ancient fighting stance.

Hand-to-hand combat against an old era tank would be a death wish.

But against this chimera of biology and machinery,

As long as it was still a "living thing," it would have joints, ligaments, and limits to its physical structure.

The giant crab on the left had already arrived, its massive hydraulic shears sweeping across with a fishy wind, attempting to snap the mecha in half.

Jiang Ran didn't retreat; instead, he charged toward the massive chela.

Just as the shears were about to close,

The mecha's left Mechanical Arm shot out like lightning, precisely jamming the movable joint at the base of the chela.

"Click!"

The sound of metal clashing was crisp and piercing.

The crab tried desperately to close its shears.

But before the hydraulic arm of the "Tyrant" exoskeleton operating at full power, its strength was utterly suppressed.

"Good power, but terrible technique."

Jiang Ran's right arm followed up, grabbing the other end of the massive chela.

"Get... off!!"

The engine's roar instantly reached its limit.

Controlling the mecha and using the principle of leverage, Jiang Ran twisted violently against the natural growth direction of the crab's joint and then gave a fierce yank.

"Crack-crack—Squeltch!!!"

A tooth-gritting sound of bone shattering echoed underwater.

That giant crab chela, thicker than a human, was actually torn right off the crab's body by Jiang Ran!

Dark green blood gushed from the stump like a fountain.

The weaponless giant crab let out a shrill hiss and retreated in agony.

But he wasn't done.

Jiang Ran didn't even spare it a glance, using the centrifugal force of the mecha's rotation.

He used the severed limb still attached to half a ligament as a javelin and hurled it violently at the other crab preparing to ambush him from the right.

"Bang!"

The heavy impact of the shell sent the ambusher staggering and tumbling to the ground.

No fancy light effects, no explosions.

This was the purest, most primal aesthetic of violence.

Inside this dim deep-sea shipwreck,

Jiang Ran was like a giant diner enjoying a feast, calmly, precisely, and cruelly dismembering the food on his plate.

Every strike went straight for the joint cartilage; every exertion of force was accompanied by the separation of limbs.

This wasn't a fight; this was a demolition.

Just as Jiang Ran raised a massive metal foot to crush the head of the armless crab still twitching on the ground—

"Stop!! Spare the crab!!"

A heart-wrenching scream suddenly came through the communication channel.

The decibels were so high they nearly ruptured Jiang Ran's eardrums.

Jiang Ran's movement paused mid-air, his brow furrowing slightly:

"An ambush?"

"Ambush my ass! You spendthrift! You brute-force ape!"

Old Chen roared furiously in the channel, sounding like he was having a heart attack:

"I saw your data transmission!

With that throw just now, the surface spectral readings show... the shell on that crab's back was damaged by 0.03%!

Do you know what that is?

That is an anti-radiation oxidation layer formed through thirty years of natural deposition!

It's more perfect than any artificial coating!"

In the small window on the screen,

Old Chen was staring intently at the data panel, slapping the table in distress, looking more pained than if his ancestral grave had been desecrated.

"And that one you charred with electricity!

Thermal imaging shows the internal organic fibers have carbonized!

That was the best cushioning material!

How could you be so rough?

Huh?

Couldn't you be a bit more gentle?

Couldn't you just lightly slice through their joint nerves with a blade?

Did you have to make it such a bloody mess?"

Jiang Ran was silent for two seconds before slowly retracting his hovering foot.

"Old man."

His voice was cold as ice:

"I'm here fighting for my life, not making surgical specimens for you.

This thing just tried to snap me in half at the waist."

"If your waist snaps, we can replace it with titanium, but where else am I going to find another crab shell with such a high compatibility?!"

Old Chen bellowed back righteously, fully displaying the twisted values of a mad scientist:

"Listen to me! For the rest of the battle, I don't allow you to damage a single piece of back armor!

That's for repairing the reactor's inner walls!

If you dare put a single crack on it, I'll stuff your head into the reactor as fuel!"

Inside the cockpit, Su Qingyu and the First Mate exchanged looks, their expressions a kaleidoscope of emotions.

This was just too absurd.

On this life-and-death battlefield,

They not only had to face a siege of monsters but also had to endure remote control from a bizarre client who valued monsters more than human lives.

"Whew..."

Jiang Ran exhaled deeply, forcibly suppressing the urge to drag the old man out for a beating.

He glanced at the severed limbs scattered across the ground, then toward the dark tunnel leading to the bottom of the hull.

There, an even more massive and suffocating presence was slowly awakening.

"Fine, have it your way."

Jiang Ran gripped his combat knife again, a hint of dangerous playfulness in his tone:

"Since you want it whole... then I'll go give that so-called 'Crab King' a full live skinning."