Chapter 17: Brothers in the Next Life

Sensing the presence of the Alpha, the wolf pack transitioned from their initial state of defeat into a frenzy. They lunged viciously at the hunters, locking both sides in a fierce and inextricable struggle.

At that moment, Knife-Master, leading Group One, shouted urgently over the communication channel: "Group Three, Group Four, retreat immediately! Group Two, hold your ground! We are on our way!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the positioning signals for Group Two on the display screen flickered out one by one. The leader of Group Two wheezed, his voice trembling: "It's... too late..."

Then, the final signal vanished as well.

Zhuang Yun, Jiang Mingxu, and Lake were at the rear of Group Four; the moment they heard the order, they took off at a sprint. Zhuang Yun, piloting her light mech, soared high and fast, unable to help but praise Lin Yiwen, who sat beside her: "This is truly impressive!"

Soon, however, Zhuang Yun’s expression turned solemn. She could clearly see an Alpha wolf, several times larger than a standard A-rank Nightmare Grey Wolf, leading the rampaging pack straight toward Group Four.

The leader of Group Four issued a decisive command: "It’s an S-rank Alpha; none of us are a match for it. Scatter and run! Stick to the plan: in groups of three, take down the pack first!"

Group Four dispersed, and the wolf pack split up to pursue them. The group that had intended to treat this mission like a leisurely retirement trip—Zhuang Yun, Jiang Mingxu, and Lake—now found themselves forced to retreat as a unit. Jiang Mingxu and Lake, having brought heavy-duty, high-attack mechs for this hunt, were forced to fight while retreating, their progress agonizingly slow. The five wolves in hot pursuit made their struggle extremely difficult. Although Zhuang Yun’s "Spirit Void" was capable of saving her life, its projectiles were like water balloons, splashing harmlessly and possessing less power than a full-force strike of her own palm.

Zhuang Yun observed the wolves here; they were not like the star beasts she had encountered on Nanhua Mountain. These were far more violent and bloodthirsty. Dealing with them would be tricky, but the beast core on the Alpha’s head was red—and it looked incredibly valuable.

Fortune favors the bold!

She didn't want to reveal her true abilities, so she needed to find a way to get rid of the others. Glancing at Lin Yiwen, who sat beside her with a calm expression, she calculated: how could she knock him unconscious?

Just then, Knife-Master arrived with three others to provide support. While his mech lacked the devastating firepower of Jiang Mingxu and Lake’s heavy units, it possessed a unique advantage in agility and terrain adaptability. Experienced and cool-headed, Knife-Master used his mech’s high-energy beam rifle to pin down the two most aggressive wolves while directing Jiang Mingxu and Lake.

"You two take the front for defense. Lake, use your mech cannon to concentrate fire and take one down to relieve the pressure! Zhuang Yun, stay behind Lake and provide auxiliary fire."

Hearing this, Jiang Mingxu immediately adjusted his mech’s stance, his massive shield tightly guarding the front of the group.

Lake took a deep breath and aimed at a slightly fatigued wolf. A flash of light erupted from the mech’s cannon, and a searing energy beam tore through the air, striking the target with lethal precision. The wolf let out a howl and collapsed.

Soon, all five wolves were felled. Just as the group was cheering and letting out a sigh of relief, the Alpha struck with lightning speed. It lunged, jaws wide, and clamped onto Knife-Master, who was at the front.

Knife-Master’s mech cockpit was torn apart in an instant, leaving his bloodied torso exposed to the frigid air—a truly harrowing sight. The Alpha chewed on the mangled mech for a moment before spitting it out like scrap metal in front of the group. Crimson saliva dripped from the wreckage, seemingly a silent provocation to those who stood helpless before it.

The sight left everyone deathly pale. Knife-Master, who had been commanding them with such composure only moments ago, was dead in an instant. Facing such an insurmountable power, despair began to take root.

The Alpha’s gaze soon locked onto the nearest target: Jiang Mingxu. It fired a ball of lightning, hitting him with a single shot. The force of the impact sent Jiang Mingxu sliding back dozens of meters before he crashed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Had it not been for the top-tier A-rank configuration of his mech, the S-rank beast’s strike would have surely destroyed both the machine and its pilot.

The Alpha began charging its next attack. Seeing this, Zhuang Yun focused her energy and pushed the "Spirit Void" to its limit, racing to pull the fallen Jiang Mingxu to safety.

"I’ll hold it off!" Zhuang Yun shouted excitedly. "You guys run!"

With that, she zipped around the Alpha, launching attacks and buzzing around it like a mosquito, denying it a moment of peace. Beside her, Lin Yiwen was stunned. Zhuang Yun, who had been slacking off the entire time, was now charging to the front. Did she have such extreme faith in the flight device he had built for her, which matched S-rank speeds?

While he was flattered, this was hardly the time for such trust! Facing the formidable Alpha, Zhuang Yun remained calm and composed. Lin Yiwen seemed almost soothed by her aura, but reason compelled him to protest: "Zhuang Yun! Don't throw your life away!"

Zhuang Yun: "Don't worry, I won't die! Watch as I beat this thing into the dirt!"

Lin Yiwen: "..." Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming!

Those on the ground realized Zhuang Yun was buying them time, so they kept retreating without looking back. Lake cried out, his voice choked with emotion: "Zhuang Yun! Let’s be brothers in the next life!"

Zhuang Yun: "..."

Zhuang Yun’s speed was blinding. The smoke from her projectiles clouded the Alpha’s vision, and she managed to dodge every one of its attacks by a hair’s breadth.

The Alpha was thoroughly enraged by these tactics, becoming increasingly violent as it fired countless beams from its maw.

"Uh oh, out of ammo," Zhuang Yun thought, her heart tightening.

As the smoke cleared, the Alpha spotted her and swiped a claw, severing one of the legs of her mech. Zhuang Yun plummeted from the sky due to the loss of balance.

As she fell, she prepared to reach for her Shiyu Bow: "Here’s my chance!"

Seeing Zhuang Yun fall, Jiang Mingxu and Lake turned back: "Zhuang Yun, hold on! I’m coming to save you!"

Zhuang Yun: "..." Please, I beg you, stay away!

Lin Yiwen observed Zhuang Yun’s facial expressions—shifting from joy to sorrow—and was utterly bewildered. Jiang Mingxu did not dodge or weave away from the Alpha’s attack; he charged straight at it... he knew...

"Jiang Mingxu!" You fool! Don't go throwing yourself into the line of fire!

Zhuang Yun watched as the lightning orb shot toward Jiang Mingxu; it was a guaranteed death sentence! Just then, from an unknown direction, two S-rank mechs descended like divine reinforcements. Moving at astonishing speeds, they stood firmly before Jiang Mingxu, intercepting the Alpha’s strike.

"So there was a backup plan after all!" Zhuang Yun remarked with a click of her tongue.

The two mechs were sleek and formidable, radiating powerful energy fluctuations—clearly top-tier equipment. The two S-rank mechs worked in perfect synergy, moving with lightning speed; one drew the Alpha’s attention while the other sought an opening for a lethal strike.

Under the joint assault, the Alpha began to falter. One mech seized the moment, using its energy cannon to strike the Alpha in the head, crushing it completely.

The beast core shattered, and the Alpha’s massive body crashed to the ground. Seeing the shattered core, Zhuang Yun was heartbroken: "It hurts! That is truly painful!"