62: Acid and Ambush

The deeper they ventured into Level D, the metallic grinding sounds actually vanished, replaced by an even more eerie silence.

Only the whimpering sound of undercurrents passing through the gaps in the vehicle bodies and the "patter" of some viscous liquid dripping remained.

"Warning: Environmental pH levels are dropping sharply."

"High-concentration corrosive aerosols detected."

zero's alarm was no longer a calm prompt, but had turned into a rapid beeping.

Jiang Ran stopped in his tracks.

The searchlight's beam cut through the turbid water, landing on a pile of rubble-like ruins dozens of meters ahead.

An aberration was entrenched there.

It didn't have the tank-like, heavy black dorsal armor of those "Soldier Ants" from before.

Instead, its carapace was a translucent bright green, like some giant emerald filled with deadly poison.

Its abdomen was abnormally swollen, rising and falling slightly with its breath.

Through that thin layer of chitinous shell, one could even clearly see the churning, fluorescent yellow-green slurry inside.

"That's..."

Before Jiang Ran could get a clear look, the green monster suddenly raised its head.

Its mouthparts weren't scissor-shaped, but a tubular nozzle with extremely developed constrictor muscles.

"Pfft—Sizzle!!!"

Without the slightest warning.

A stream of extremely high-pressure yellow-green liquid instantly sliced through the water.

Due to the immense pressure, the surrounding water even produced a momentary cavitation effect, like a high-pressure water jet heading straight for the mecha's face.

Jiang Ran's combat intuition saved his life.

He jerked the control stick, the mecha's engine roared, and he strafed rapidly to the left, the thruster nozzles pulling a white wake through the water.

The green liquid grazed the mecha's right shoulder and slammed into a heavy armored bank truck used as cover behind him.

What happened next made everyone's skin crawl.

That bulletproof armored truck, which even ordinary armor-piercing rounds couldn't penetrate, didn't explode upon contact with the acid.

Instead, like a piece of butter thrown into a furnace, it made a terrifying "hissing" boiling sound.

Countless turbid chemical bubbles surged out frantically.

The hard alloy steel plates quickly softened, collapsed, and peeled away within seconds.

The once-mighty vehicle body, as if its skeleton had been removed, instantly collapsed into a puddle of toxic metal sludge.

"Right shoulder external sensor offline! Optical lens group damaged!"

Although it wasn't a direct hit.

But just the reaction between the acid and the seawater, and a few droplets of high-temperature liquid that splashed off, had burned through the auxiliary probe on the mecha's shoulder.

A section of the right screen in the cockpit instantly went black, and a hint of a pungent acidic stench even seeped into the air circulation system.

"This level of corrosion efficiency..."

Su Qingyu's voice trembled slightly: "This is high-concentration biological acid mixed with some kind of catalytic enzyme."

"If even a single drop touches us, our diving suits will fail within 0.5 seconds, and a person will be directly carbonized."

"That's a 'Spitter'."

Old Chen's voice became sharp; clearly, even he was somewhat wary of this mutant:

"This thing's stomach is a high-pressure reactor!"

"It's a walking pool of aqua regia!"

"Jiang Ran, don't try to tank it!"

"Physical armor can't stop chemical corrosion. Your coating can last two hits at most; the third will burn right through the cockpit!"

Jiang Ran looked at the still-boiling wreckage of the armored truck, his palms sweating slightly as he gripped the control stick.

This was indeed trickier than the head-on clash earlier.

Against a tank, he could trade fire.

But against this chemical weapon that could ignore defenses and "erase" matter directly at the molecular level.

Any mistake in positioning would cost him by turning him into a puddle of molten iron.

"I can't get close."

Jiang Ran quickly made a judgment.

The waters around that "Spitter."

Were now filled with a pale green acid mist; any attempt to approach it would be equivalent to jumping into concentrated sulfuric acid.

Furthermore, the monster's compound eyes were fixed on every movement of the mecha.

The tubular mouthparts twitched again, and the sac in its abdomen began to glow, clearly recharging for a second shot.

"Don't rush in, look at your three o'clock!"

Su Qingyu's voice suddenly cut in, with a rare sense of urgency and calmness.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Ran glanced at the sub-screen, which showed a local sonar topographic map Su Qingyu had just synchronized.

Less than fifty meters away from them.

Three heavy container trucks had piled up due to the impact when the ship sank.

Their massive containers were pressed against each other, forming a narrow "V"-shaped angle.

The entrance to that angle was only wide enough for one vehicle, and it grew narrower further in—a perfect dead end.

"That's a funnel."

Su Qingyu's fingers moved rapidly across the tactical tablet: "That big-bellied monster has a bloated body; its movement relies entirely on the air sacs in its abdomen, and to protect its Acid sac, its turning is very clumsy."

"If we can lure it in."

"The truck containers will restrict its lateral movement, and that narrow angle will lock down its firing range."

"A trap like a turtle in a jar?"

Jiang Ran instantly grasped the intent, a wild smile playing on his lips: "Good idea."

"But this requires a suicidal bait."

"In this terrain, ordinary drone decoys would be melted instantly by the acid."

Su Qingyu's voice paused, seemingly hesitating: "Only your mecha..."

"Only I can withstand a grazing shot, right?"

Jiang Ran interrupted her.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed the control stick forward.

Exposing the "Tyrant" mecha, which had been hiding behind cover, to the searchlights once more.

"Then let's do this."

At that moment, the "Spitter" had just finished recharging.

Seeing the prey offer itself up, it let out an excited hiss, and its abdomen contracted sharply.

"Bang!"

Jiang Ran raised his hand and fired a 30mm autocannon shell, accurately hitting a pillar next to the monster; the loud ricochet sounded like a provocative bell.

"Hey, big belly."

Through the external speakers, Jiang Ran's voice sounded a bit distorted in the water, but the mockery was at full blast:

"The meat's tougher over here, want to try a bite?"

The enraged monster turned around, its malicious compound eyes instantly locking onto this reckless tin can.

The provocation worked.

The "Spitter" let out a sharp hiss.

Its eight barbed legs scraped a series of sparks against the deck.

Its massive body erupted with surprising power, charging forward like an out-of-control bulldozer with a thunderous rumble.

"Here it comes!"

Jiang Ran didn't hesitate for a second; he turned and ran.

The thrusters on his back spewed blue exhaust, pushing the heavy mecha through a maze of abandoned cars in an extreme serpentine maneuver.

"Sizzle—!!"

The bone-chilling sound of spraying came from behind once more.

Jiang Ran suddenly lowered his center of gravity to the right, and a lethal yellow-green water column flew past, nearly grazing the top of the mecha's head.

It slammed into a supporting steel beam ahead.

That solid steel pillar, half a meter in diameter.

The moment it touched the acid, it was like a candle being cut by a hot knife—instantly softening, bending, and collapsing.

It let out a piercing sound of twisting metal.

The ceiling above cracked and shattered, large chunks of concrete and pipes crashing down, kicking up a cloud of turbid dust.

"Damn, is this guy trying to melt through the entire deck?"

Jiang Ran performed a slide in the mecha, barely avoiding a falling concrete slab.

But even so, splashes of acid still landed on the mecha's left ankle.

"Warning: Left foot hydraulic transmission system armor damaged!"

"Corrosion depth 20mm! External armor at 30%!"

The screen was filled with crimson alerts.

Just the splash damage had nearly crippled one of the mecha's legs.

This feeling of dancing on a knife's edge sent Jiang Ran's adrenaline soaring to the limit.

"Thirty meters to go! It's fast!"

Su Qingyu's voice shouted over the channel.

Ahead was the "V"-shaped trap formed by the three stacked heavy trucks.

But at this high-speed sprint.

Even a slight deviation would cause the mecha to slam directly into the trucks' hard cargo boxes, turning it into a pancake.

"That's enough."

Jiang Ran stared intently at the narrow gap.

At the very moment of impact, he jerked the control stick while activating the reverse-thrust deceleration rockets on his chest.

"Boom—"

The immense reaction force caused the mecha to perform a sudden stop and drift in the water, defying physical inertia.

The mecha's steel feet plowed two deep furrows into the deck, accompanied by a piercing grinding sound.

The entire "Tyrant" was like a precision-guided slider, sliding sideways into the depths of that narrow, two-meter-wide angle.

The "Spitter" following closely behind clearly lacked this kind of maneuverability.

Blinded by rage and bloodlust, and with the excessive inertia of its bloated abdomen, it couldn't stop at all.

"Bang!!!"

A dull, heavy thud resounded.

That green behemoth slammed hard into the angle between the trucks.

The originally wide entrance was instantly filled by its massive body.

As the terrain narrowed, its horizontally growing carapace and walking legs were wedged tightly between the cargo boxes of the two heavy trucks.

It was like a cork forced into a bottle neck, unable to move forward or backward.

Countless containers groaned under the impact of its brute force.

But that stable triangular structure firmly restricted its range of movement.

"It's stuck."

Jiang Ran leaned against the deepest part of the dead end.

Looking at the hideous head struggling frantically a few meters away, making the trucks on both sides tremble, he coldly exhaled a breath of turbid air:

"Now, it's my turn."

The stuck "Spitter" fell into a complete frenzy.

It twisted its body madly, trying to break free from this steel crevice.

Those walking legs, originally used to assist movement,

scratched deep marks into the iron sheets of the containers, making an ear-piercing noise.

More dangerously, it realized the threat.

The huge sac filled with strong acid in its abdomen began to contract violently, emitting a dangerous red light.

Clearly, it was preparing for an indiscriminate "suicide" spray in this narrow space.

"Energy reaction surging! It's going to self-destruct!"

Su Qingyu cried out, "Quick, open fire!"

Jiang Ran raised the autocannon, aiming the reticle at that head which was still shaking constantly, his finger about to pull the trigger.

"Stop! Don't shoot the head! You idiot!"

In the communication channel, Old Chen's duck-like roar exploded again, even more urgent than before:

"Are you out of your mind?

Its Acid sac nerve center is right in the brainstem!

If you blow its head off, the sphincter will relax, and the Acid sac will instantly lose control and explode!

At this distance, those dozens of tons of strong acid will melt you and those trucks into dross!

Do you want to be buried with it?"

Jiang Ran's finger stopped abruptly on the trigger, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Then where do I hit?"

"The Heat dissipation valve! Find its Heat dissipation valve!"

Old Chen's voice was as fast as a machine gun, filled with unquestionable academic authority:

"The chemical reactions inside this thing are extremely violent, and its body temperature is incredibly high!

It must dissipate heat at all times!

Look under its right forelimb's armpit!

The connection of the third carapace segment!

Thermal imaging shows a high heat source there!

A white, gill-like vent!

Pierce that spot, and its cooling system will collapse. Its own body temperature will cook it alive!"

Jiang Ran quickly adjusted the visual enhancement mode, his gaze scanning the monster's constantly flailing forelimbs.

At the base of that giant walking leg,

along with its violent struggling,

there was indeed an inconspicuous white vent opening and closing, spraying out scalding white steam, even boiling the surrounding water.

That position was extremely hidden, only revealing a momentary flaw when it raised its forelimb to struggle.

"I see it."

Jiang Ran took a deep breath. He didn't use the autocannon—for this kind of delicate work, strafing could easily damage the nearby Acid sac by mistake.

He drew the High-frequency vibration blade once again.

"Give me... raise your arm!"

The mecha lunged forward, its left arm's hydraulic claw firmly grabbing the monster's swinging right forelimb and wrenching it upward.

"Screee—!!" The monster let out a pained hiss, and the white vent under its armpit was instantly exposed to Jiang Ran's sight.

"Goodbye."

The vibration blade in his right hand made no fancy moves.

Like a poisonous stinger, it pierced accurately and ruthlessly into that fist-sized vent.

"Puchi!"

The blade went through without much resistance.

Immediately after, the monster that was still struggling frantically twitched violently, like a machine whose power had been cut.

Its abdominal Acid sac, which had been contracting violently in preparation for spraying, deflated like a punctured balloon.

The high temperature accumulating inside its body went out of control instantly because the cooling system was destroyed.

A burnt smell mixed with the scent of strong acid spread, and black smoke even drifted from the monster's mouth and nose.

Its malicious compound eyes quickly dimmed.

Its massive body slumped powerlessly, wedged tightly between the two trucks, turning into a literal corpse.

"Phew..."

Jiang Ran pulled out the blade, looking at the wound still emitting white smoke, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

If that strike just now had been off by an inch and pierced the adjacent Acid sac, he would have been dissolved along with this monster by now.

"That was close."

Old Chen chuckled in the channel, his tone full of pride. "How about it?

Didn't I say I'm an indispensable technical consultant?

Without me, you'd be the base of a sour soup hot pot by now."

The crisis was averted, but handling this corpse required even more care than the battle itself.

That sac full of strong acid was now like an unstable chemical bomb.

Any slight damage, and the heavy trucks acting as clamps would be melted, and Jiang Ran would suffer as well.

"Don't move recklessly, follow my instructions."

Su Qingyu's voice regained its calmness.

At this moment, she was no longer a tactical commander; the aura of a top-tier doctor returned to her. "The water pressure here is very high; forcing it apart will cause the Acid sac to rupture.

Take out the Liquid nitrogen spray and aim it at the connection between the neck and the dorsal carapace.

We need to perform 'Cryogenic anesthesia' first to freeze its nerves and blood vessels, preventing post-mortem muscle spasms from crushing the Acid sac."

Jiang Ran did as he was told.

The mecha's Mechanical Arm took out a silver canister with a long nozzle and pressed the switch against the monster's still-steaming neck.

"Chiii—"

A large amount of liquid nitrogen vaporized instantly under the high pressure of the deep water, forming a cloud of white, freezing mist.

The "Spitter."

Its originally limp body was quickly covered with a thick layer of frost.

The soft tissues that were still slightly wriggling were instantly frozen as hard as rock.

"Very good. Now, use the high-frequency blade, set the power to the lowest."

Su Qingyu looked at the anatomical diagram on the screen, her speaking speed steady and precise:

"Cut in along the third line of the dorsal carapace edge.

Tilt the angle by 15 degrees, depth five centimeters.

Move fast, don't roast the frozen meat inside, and don't cut too deep."

Under Su Qingyu's remote guidance, the vibration blade in Jiang Ran's hand turned into a precise scalpel.

He carefully cut through that layer of frozen Chitin, avoiding all dangerous glands.

With a final crisp "crack."

That piece of intact carapace covering the monster's back, which appeared as a translucent bright green, was completely peeled off.

It was as large as a double bed, floating in the water.

Under the illumination of the searchlights, it was crystal clear, like a giant piece of jade.

And within that jade-like texture,

one could see complex metallic veins, like blood vessels, flickering slightly—those were the Anti-acid circuits evolved by the creature.

"Perfect... it's a perfect work of art."

In the communication channel, Old Chen looked at the data sent back by the scanner, his voice trembling as if groaning:

"Although the surface hardness isn't as good as a Black Soldier Ant, the acid corrosion resistance coefficient of this carapace... My God.

It's the natural enemy of all metals here, and also the best shield.

If we refine this and coat it on the hull, we could take a bath in that acid abyss!"

Jiang Ran controlled the Mechanical Arm to carefully place this priceless "jade" into the Constant-temperature sample box on his back.

As the lid closed, that alluring green light vanished into the darkness.

But this was only the beginning.

"A watchdog has this kind of quality."

Jiang Ran looked back at the bottomless depths of the ship's hold.

It seemed to lead to hell, but also to a mountain of gold:

"Then that 'King' sitting at the very center, what kind of treasures must he be wearing?"

"I can't wait to perform surgery on it."

Su Qingyu's voice also carried a rare hint of fanaticism.

This was the first pot of gold they had dug up in the wasteland.

But it would definitely not be the last.