394: Chapter 429 The Core of a Hot Weapon?! (Still 6000 words)

Inside the tree hollow.

The Prehistoric Giant Bear had already lain down, preparing to sleep.

Oufu also leaned against a soft, squishy insect, intending to rest.

Ever since he gained the [Insect Master] ability, he found that he inexplicably no longer found these little guys disgusting.

Sometimes, when appreciating them closely, he even felt these little creatures were quite cute.

For example, the Aphids were covered in a red powdery substance, looking like spirits dressed in white robes.

At first, Oufu didn't understand what this white powdery substance was.

Later, at Three Hairs' suggestion, he tasted it and realized it was sugar.

Oufu instinctively looked at Three Hairs and couldn't help but feel surprised.

He noticed Three Hairs had a solemn expression and was lost in thought.

"What's wrong, Cute Mouse?"

Oufu couldn't help but ask.

"Little Mouse feels like someone is plotting against me~"

Three Hairs said word by word.

Oufu was taken aback, then seeing the Prehistoric Giant Bear sleeping nearby, he chuckled, "Cute Mouse, you must just be missing your master."

"That's why you're overthinking things."

"Sleep peacefully. With the Blazing Fire Bear here, nothing will happen."

Oufu now felt a sense of security he had never experienced before.

With a Prehistoric Giant Bear by his side, what was there to fear?

However, Three Hairs didn't listen and lie down; instead, he stood up, his round eyes staring at the entrance of the hollow.

Then, he spoke:

"Don't hide anymore. Little Mouse has seen you."

Seeing this, Oufu's brow furrowed slightly.

He then stood up slightly as well. Could there really be something?

However, after a long time, nothing appeared and no sound came, so Oufu sat back down.

He thought Three Hairs was just overthinking.

But just then, the sound of things slicing through the air rang out.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!!"

Amidst the sharp sound of the wind, arrows appeared one after another, so densely packed they almost covered the entire entrance.

There were at least fifty of them.

Oufu was instantly jolted awake. "Enemy attack!"

"There really are enemies in the shadows!"

Indians? Or other National Destiny Bearers?

"Little Mouse's intuition was right after all!!" Three Hairs snorted.

After saying that, he immediately rushed out, using fire once again the next second.

The flames roared, and under the sweeping heat wave, the direction of some arrows was changed.

However, some arrows still passed through the sea of fire, heading straight for Three Hairs and the others.

Oufu's face darkened. "These are reinforced arrows..."

Otherwise, with a normal shot, it would be impossible to withstand the heat wave from the moment the fire appeared.

Oufu didn't worry about Three Hairs.

Because Three Hairs was a "Steel Mouse"; let alone arrows, even a grenade wouldn't kill him.

But before Oufu could react, the Prehistoric Giant Bear sleeping on the ground woke up.

It let out a roar, then raised its giant paw and swatted the arrows away.

Although these bows and arrows were reinforced, they were completely useless against the Prehistoric Giant Bear.

Even if they pierced its flesh, it was only on the surface, similar to a toothpick accidentally pricking a finger.

Having blocked the first wave of attacks, Three Hairs stood with his hands on his hips and shouted toward the entrance:

"Come out now, or if you make Little Mouse angry, you're finished."

"Hehe~"

At this moment, several sneers came from the entrance.

"As expected of the Dragon Country's mouse, quite impressive..."

"Even though we covered our entire bodies with mud to mask our presence, you still found us."

"We're out, so now what?"

Seven humans walked straight out in front of the tree hollow without any disguise.

"That is..."

Oufu immediately recognized from their features which country these seven people came from.

"Indian National Destiny Bearers..."

Having recognized them, Oufu immediately thought of the bullet comments from the outside world about India and the message An Ke had sent earlier.

He immediately shouted to Three Hairs, "Cute Mouse, come here!!"

"You can't participate in this battle; their target is you!"

Three Hairs raised his eyebrows, looking terrified. "You mean they are those terrifying beasts Master mentioned who sow seeds everywhere?"

"Exactly..."

Oufu nodded.

Hearing this, Three Hairs immediately got goosebumps and ran to Oufu's side without a second thought.

The latter stuffed Three Hairs directly into his pocket.

"As long as I'm alive, you will never hunt Cute Mouse..." Oufu said solemnly to the Indian Players at the entrance.

At the same time, the little insects around Oufu also began to move, protecting him.

[Insect Master] ability activated!

The reason Oufu was ready to face death was decided the moment he chose to follow Three Hairs into the Giant Forest.

Firstly, An Ke really did give benefits to White Goose, and secondly, if he were to flee the battle and sell out Three Hairs...

Not only would he face An Ke's reckoning, but the entire White Goose would be liquidated.

Better one man die than a whole group, right?

Outside the entrance, several Indian Players had dark lines on their faces.

What do you mean by beasts sowing seeds everywhere?

It could only be said that those low-caste fellows were truly disgusting, severely affecting the image of India to outsiders.

But now was not the time for this.

One of them sneered, "Protect that mouse? Can you protect him?"

"Little Mouse is a Hamster!!" Three Hairs was very angry.

Seeing this, the Prehistoric Giant Bear immediately roared at the Indians.

Its pupils locked onto the seven people in front of the entrance, and then its body burst into raging flames.

The temperature inside the tree hollow instantly rose by several degrees.

"Go! Blazing Fire Bear!! Burn these beasts to death!" Three Hairs cheered.

The faces of the Indians changed slightly, but the arrow was on the string and had to be fired.

They could only stand here as bait to draw attention.

Hurry up already...

Once this bear starts breathing fire, they're finished.

At this moment, more sounds of slicing through the air came from behind.

Oufu and Three Hairs' hearts skipped a beat, and they immediately turned their heads.

They saw dozens more arrows being shot through the crack that had just been created by the Prehistoric Giant Bear's burst of flames.

"Just how many people are there?!" Oufu was shocked.

India couldn't possibly have so many players.

During the first stage, the Indian Players died early on.

So in the second stage, they had no choice but to directly select 50.

Plus, the previous [National Fortune Game] announcement stated that several Indian Players had died, so there shouldn't be that many people.

The only explanation was... this time, it wasn't just India hunting Three Hairs.

"Blazing Fire Bear, behind you!!"

The Prehistoric Giant Bear's ears twitched, and it turned around immediately.

It then unleashed a breath attack toward the crack.

The [National Fortune Game] Death Announcement immediately rang out.

However, death did not stop the opponents from attacking.

Dozens more arrows were shot from the entrance.

Oufu grit his teeth; he couldn't care less if the little insects died now and shouted, "Charge!"

The Aphids, bombardier beetles, and ladybugs immediately charged into the rain of arrows.

In this pincer attack, they could only break through with their lives on the line.

Nearby, the Prehistoric Giant Bear was infuriated. It swatted away the incoming arrows while roaring and charging toward the entrance.

It couldn't tolerate this slight at all...

...

The continuous attacks sent the Prehistoric Giant Bear into a rage.

Bears are inherently irritable creatures with an extremely strong vengeful nature.

Most animals, including tigers, lions, and Wild Leopards, when released back into the wild...

...will flee immediately.

However, bears exhibit vengeful behavior when released back into nature.

They won't run away immediately; instead, they'll choose to counterattack, looking for people in cars or even under them.

Never provoke a bear in the wild.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Rain of arrows fell on the bear's thick fur; some were blocked by the fur, while some pierced into the Prehistoric Giant Bear's skin.

However, they didn't go deep, as the thick flesh provided good protection.

In front of the hollow entrance, the seven Indian Players were terrified to the extreme as they watched the charging Prehistoric Giant Bear.

Shalu's order was for them not to move.

But at this moment, under extreme fear, how could they care about any orders?

Survival instincts made them bolt.

But how could two legs outrun four?

Besides, one step from the Prehistoric Giant Bear was equivalent to dozens of steps for a human.

"Awooo!!!"

The ground trembled, and the Prehistoric Giant Bear soon reached the seven people from behind.

It then raised its giant paw and swept it across them.

Two of the Indians felt as if they had been slammed by a speeding truck; blood splattered instantly as they were sent flying like tattered sacks.

They flew at least a hundred meters.

"No! No! Please, no!"

The Prehistoric Giant Bear's attacks didn't stop; it targeted the other Indian Players.

The other Indian Players immediately began to scream.

Amidst the terrified screams were desperate pleas: "Hurry! Someone save me!!"

"Lord Shalu, please, save us!"

"I don't want to die, we don't want to die!"

"..."

Once, they could control the fate of low-caste people, ordering them around like dogs.

But now, their fates were being controlled by a low-caste person.

In the tall grass nearby, Shalu let out a low laugh:

"Then I'll bother to save you for a bit!"

"Prepare grenades."

Along with Shalu's command, the "click" of safety pins being pulled rang out.

Although India hadn't obtained a second [transcendent gene core] recently, they had acquired many [hot weapon cores].

Among them, grenades were the most numerous.

"Lord Shalu..." Jimny said in a low voice.

"If we blow that Prehistoric Giant Bear into a cripple, wouldn't that be bad?"

"Hehe~" Shalu chuckled, proudly lifting his bearded chin.

"No! As long as it has one breath left, I can merge with it and give birth to a perfect offspring."

At this point, Shalu couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Wonderful! Transcendent abilities are truly wonderful!"

"Let's set off fireworks for these wonderful transcendent abilities!!"

The order was given, and grenades with pulled pins were thrown by the players.

Seven or eight grenades traced perfect parabolas in the air, landing at the feet of that Indian player.

Of the original seven Indian Players, only he remained.

In just a short moment, six had died; the [National Fortune Game] Death Announcements had been ringing out one after another.

That Indian player looked at the grenades at his feet, and his steps halted involuntarily.

He stared wide-eyed at the tall grass ahead, his expression filled with grief and indignation.

There was a Prehistoric Giant Bear behind him and grenades at his feet...

"Shalu!! You deserve to die, An Ke will kill you..."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"

Consecutive explosions rang out as the grenades unleashed terrifying power.

The Prehistoric Giant Bear had just reached him.

Without the influence of [Natural Affinity], even though its intelligence had been enhanced, it had no idea what a grenade was.

[part:deepseek-chat]

So it didn't try to dodge, which led to it being caught in the grenade's blast.

The force of the explosion caused the Prehistoric Giant Bear's paw to feel pain, and fragments shot out like bullets, embedding themselves into its thick flesh.

The pain made the Prehistoric Giant Bear roar.

Inside the tree hollow.

Oufu and Three Hairs, seeing the scene ahead, couldn't help but turn pale with shock.

"A grenade?!"

"Damn it... these guys actually have grenades."

This was something Oufu had never anticipated.

"Quick, go out and help the Blazing Fire Bear!" Three Hairs shouted.

"But..." Oufu hesitated.

Their target was Three Hairs. Should they really go out to fight?

"If you don't help Little Mouse me this time, then Little Mouse me will definitely tell Master not to be friends with you anymore!"

Three Hairs yelled.

Oufu's expression was noncommittal. He gritted his teeth, "Cute Mouse, then let's fight together..."

"Lend me the mechanical exoskeleton."

A [core] cannot be sent into a [Portable Space], but as long as it is turned into an item, it can be placed inside.

Three Hairs wasted no time and immediately took the mechanical exoskeleton out of his [Portable Space].

Because he had worn it before, Oufu suited up quickly.

"Cute Mouse, let's go!!"

But just then, the sound of something dropping rang out at his feet.

Oufu turned his head to look and his pupils contracted in shock.

It was a grenade...

He immediately pushed off with both feet, jumping sideways to avoid the grenade.

The powerful kinetic energy provided by the mechanical exoskeleton allowed him to leap a considerable distance.

However, the grenade's fragments had already exploded instantly, with some pieces shooting into his body.

Fortunately, most hit his thigh, with only one striking his abdomen, though blood began to flow.

From the hole broken open in the tree hollow's ceiling above, a scornful laugh sounded:

"Can't even take care of yourself, and you still want to provide support?"

Below, Three Hairs was shocked: "You're injured!!"

"Little Mouse me is really angry now!"

Three Hairs glared furiously at the National Destiny Bearer ahead and immediately tried to climb out of the pocket.

"No..." Oufu stopped him at once.

"We can't be sure which one is the one who wants to hunt you. It's too dangerous."

In Oufu's view, perhaps they were just trying to provoke Three Hairs.

If Three Hairs confronted them head-on, he would be playing right into their trap.

Although Oufu was injured, with the support of the mechanical exoskeleton, he still had the strength to fight.

At the same time, the insects that survived the arrow rain returned to his side.

Enduring the pain, Oufu chuckled lowly, "What if I just leave? What can you do about it?"

"bombardier beetles, fire!!"

"Seven-spotted ladybugs, devour them!!"

"..."

Oufu gave orders to all the insects, while he, carrying Three Hairs, used the mechanical exoskeleton to sprint towards the tree hollow's entrance.

From start to finish, he never intended to fight them.

First, regroup with the Prehistoric Giant Bear.

Soon, the sounds of battle erupted from behind.

"Hot! So hot! Damn it, what is this bug spraying?"

"My face! My body..."

bombardier beetles can store two special liquids inside their bodies that undergo a specific reaction, allowing them to eject a high-temperature, corrosive liquid.

"Damn it! Kill these bugs quickly."

Sorry...

Oufu silently apologized to these insects in his heart...

...

Under the cover of the insects, Oufu carried Three Hairs and ran swiftly towards the Prehistoric Giant Bear.

At that moment, the Prehistoric Giant Bear was spewing fire at the surrounding grass.

Since the grass was huge and offered excellent concealment, it was difficult for the bear to determine the enemy's direction.

Additionally, because the enemies had smeared themselves with mud, its sense of smell was also ineffective.

However, by covering a large area, it could still attack the enemies.

Under this indiscriminate assault, many National Destiny Bearers were burned by the flames and immediately panicked, running around.

This reaction was perfectly normal. They were merely players randomly selected by the [National Fortune Game], not elite soldiers.

Further back in a safer area, Jimny watched the carnage on the "front line" with relief.

It was a good thing he was such a capable lackey, otherwise he might have been thrown onto the "front line." But the main reason was his cleverness.

Just then, the nearby Shalu laughed:

"Jimny, you are truly the smartest person I've ever met."

"Just as you said, after being worn down, the flames on that Prehistoric Giant Bear are gradually disappearing."

During the earlier deployment, Jimny had offered Shalu a strategy: first, deplete the Prehistoric Giant Bear's transcendent abilities.

Because Shalu had also obtained transcendent abilities, they understood that using them came at a great cost.

A Prehistoric Giant Bear, due to its massive physique alone, already had enormous energy consumption.

If it frequently used transcendent abilities on top of that, it would most likely become weak very quickly.

Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

It's just that such a strategy required sacrificing lives to achieve...

"Heh... you flatter me, Lord Shalu," Jimny said modestly.

"Lord Shalu, now we can use the flashbangs..."

"Good!"

Shalu did not hesitate and followed Jimny's arrangement.

This battle would consume most of the [hot weapon cores] they had acquired over the past few days.

But as long as they could fuse with the Prehistoric Giant Bear, it would all be worth it.

"Throw the flashbangs!!!"

Two flashbangs were tossed.

One was angrily swatted underfoot by the Prehistoric Giant Bear, its light smothered beneath its paw.

However, the other one successfully detonated, blinding the Prehistoric Giant Bear.

The intense white light robbed the Prehistoric Giant Bear of its vision and also temporarily deafened it.

This made the Prehistoric Giant Bear even more furious.

It let out an unprecedented roar that echoed through the dim forest, causing many animals to flee in panic.

Afraid of encountering the source of the sound.

At the same time, a pillar of flame shot skyward once more, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

In the distance.

The Hulking One, moving through the forest, saw the firelight ahead and shouted:

"Master, there's a fire! Should we call 119?"

At that moment, An Ke was sitting on the mantis. Its two "scythes" had unfortunately disappeared. No! To be precise, they had been transferred.

To King Kong's feet.

"Stop talking nonsense!" An Ke's face was grave.

Three Hairs had just sent a message saying all was fine, and the next moment he was attacked by Indians.

Fortunately, An Ke hadn't rested on the spot but had planned to rendezvous with Three Hairs as soon as possible and continue the journey.

However, the distance still required some time to cover.

Using [Psychokinesis] would only be slower.

As for having King Kong act as a "crane," by the time it arrived, it would likely be exhausted.

That wouldn't be worth it either.

"King Kong, you go at your fastest speed to provide support first."

"Once you arrive, have Oufu use the [powered armor]."

"As you command, Master!"

King Kong no longer held back its speed and charged straight towards the distant firelight.

An Ke watched King Kong depart and sighed helplessly, "What a pity... can't use the [teleportation device]."

The area Three Hairs had explored had not cleared the fog on the [National Fortune Map] for An Ke.

To dispel the fog, he had to explore it personally.

And with the fog present, he couldn't use the [teleportation device] to go there directly.

In the distance, at the location of the firelight.

Oufu reached the side of the Prehistoric Giant Bear.

However, the latter was currently in a frenzied, deadly state, suffering from negative buffs like deafness, and was attacking everything around it indiscriminately.

Even Oufu and Three Hairs were almost caught in the crossfire.

"Blazing Fire Bear, stop! It's Little Mouse me!" Three Hairs cried anxiously.

Oufu also shouted at the Prehistoric Giant Bear, "Don't waste your strength for nothing. This is the enemy's trap."

However, the Prehistoric Giant Bear couldn't hear. It continued to act on instinct, attacking wildly in all directions.

Gradually, the flames on its body diminished.

The once towering pillar of fire became a flickering candle in the wind.

Finally, the Prehistoric Giant Bear struggled to even spit out a single flame.

It stood there irritablely, panting and baring its teeth, issuing a warning.

At that moment, Shalu, Jimny, and some National Destiny Bearers who had been hiding in the safe zone stepped forward.

The former laughed heartily, "A beast is just a beast after all."

The Prehistoric Giant Bear seemed to hear the sound. It tilted its head.

Unfortunately, its ears only registered a "buzzing" sound, making identification impossible.

The Prehistoric Giant Bear wanted to launch another indiscriminate attack like before but found itself somewhat powerless.

It was feeling a bit weak now...

On the other side, Oufu and Three Hairs watched as the National Destiny Bearers, no longer hiding, emerged from the grass.

Gathered from various directions, there were roughly only a dozen or so left.

Not only from the front, but now National Destiny Bearers also closed in from behind.

This group was the one that had attacked from the broken hole earlier. Clearly, they had killed all of Oufu's insects.

Their numbers were slightly larger, nearly thirty, though many among them were seriously injured contestants.

Some had large areas of burns or corrosive marks on their bodies, while others had limbs that had been gnawed.

If not treated promptly, they probably wouldn't live much longer.

From the original large team of over 80 people, only over thirty remained, plus a dozen or so severely injured members.

Oufu couldn't help but address the Indians and Philippines:

"Is it worth it?"

"To hunt Master An Ke's companion, is doing all this worth it?"

"With deaths so severe, your countries in reality must be gone by now, right?"

"The old dynasty falls, a new dynasty rises. Isn't that just the normal cycle of dynastic change?" Jimny stepped forward and said with a laugh.

"Lord Shalu and we have merely done what is commonplace throughout history."

Shalu laughed heartily, growing even more appreciative of Jimny:

"Well said! Jimny!"

"Ah! When we return, I will reward you handsomely."

Jimny clasped his hands, "Thank you, Lord Shalu."

Oufu and Three Hairs both looked at Shalu.

At first, they had thought Jimny was Shalu. They hadn't expected Shalu to be someone who looked like a lowlife, with a face that was crooked and misshapen.

Oufu understood the implication in Jimny's words and couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart.

Even in an era of scarce resources, India was the world's most populous country.

The fall of Indian Country meant a death toll of unprecedented magnitude...

He instinctively pushed Three Hairs back into his pocket.

Seeing this, Shalu sneered and gave the order: "Children, take down this Prehistoric Giant Bear!!"