54: Rushing to the rescue, burning with anger

"Hold on tight."

Gu Pingsheng barked.

Before Su Ruan could react, her body suddenly took to the air.

Gu Pingsheng wrapped one arm around her waist, tucking her under his arm like a rag doll.

The next second.

Boom!

The alloy floor beneath his feet instantly cracked.

Innate Skill: Flesh Overclocking (Pseudo-Activation)

Although it was only a weakened version borrowed from Tang Xiaoxiao's ability, the explosive speed remained terrifying under the boost of Gu Pingsheng's current fury.

His entire being turned into a black afterimage, shuttling through the complex corridors at extreme speed.

The wind whistled in his ears, scraping his cheeks painfully.

Su Ruan hugged the rabbit in her arms tightly, her large eyes filled with excitement.

She could feel the killing intent emanating from Gu Pingsheng, almost tangible.

That look of being enraged for someone's sake... it's so beautiful... In front of the database entrance.

This place had already turned into a slaughterhouse.

Zzzzt—

The ear-piercing sound of laser cutting rose and fell.

A dozen giant [Mechanical Spiders (Tier 3)] were waving their sharp limbs, frantically attacking the defensive line.

They were pitch black all over, their compound eyes flashing with crimson light, every attack leaving deep gouges in the alloy walls.

"Get lost!"

Lin Qinghan shouted sternly.

The High-Frequency Vibration Blade in her hand was already chipped, but she still stood firmly in front of the door.

Her Nano-Combat Suit was torn and tattered, with deep wounds on her left shoulder and abdomen showing bone, blood staining half her body red.

But her gaze remained as cold as ice, without the slightest hint of retreat.

Because behind her was Gu Nian, who was currently cracking the final program.

"Cough, cough..."

In the corner, Gu Nian clutched her right arm, her face as pale as paper.

Blood flowed through her fingers, dripping onto the tactical tablet.

She had been accidentally grazed while trying to dodge a laser just now.

Although it hadn't hit the bone, the intense pain still caused cold sweat to pour down her face.

"Adjutant... how much longer?"

An An's voice came from the shadows, tinged with anxiety.

She had already done her best.

One of the daggers in her hand was broken, and she had several new wounds on her body.

The defense of these Mechanical Spiders was too high, and their numbers were too great; they were simply impossible to finish off.

"Ten seconds!"

Gu Nian gritted her teeth, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.

"Give me ten more seconds!"

Just then.

Boom!

The largest elite-level Mechanical Spider suddenly crashed through Lin Qinghan's defense.

Its massive metal limbs, like a reaper's scythe, lunged straight for Gu Nian in the corner.

"Gu Nian!"

Lin Qinghan's pupils constricted; she wanted to return to help, but she was pinned down by two other spiders.

An An rushed out from the shadows, trying to block the blow, but was kicked away.

It was over.

Gu Nian watched the approaching sharp limbs and closed her eyes in despair.

At that critical moment.

"All of you... DIE!!!"

An enraged roar exploded at the end of the corridor like a thunderclap.

Immediately after.

A blinding white light instantly swallowed the entire space.

[High-Intensity Flashbang (Purple)]

Buzz—!!!

Everyone's vision instantly went pure white, leaving only a sharp ringing in their ears.

The Mechanical Spiders' compound eyes bore the brunt of it, instantly overloading and emitting bursts of chaotic electrical noise as their movements stiffened.

Bang bang bang bang bang—!!!

Dense gunfire rang out.

Every shot was accompanied by the rumble of thunder.

That was the roar of the Thunder Qilin.

Gu Pingsheng emerged from the white light like a god descending to earth.

The dual pistols in his hands spat purple tongues of fire, each bullet precisely penetrating the joints of the Mechanical Spiders before exploding.

Boom boom boom!

The elite spider lunging at Gu Nian had its head instantly riddled with holes, its massive body collapsing with a crash less than half a meter away from her.

"Ruan Ruan! Clear the field!"

Gu Pingsheng tossed Su Ruan into the air from under his arm.

"Heehee~ Roger that~"

Su Ruan performed an elegant flip in the air and landed steadily.

The rabbit doll in her hand instantly grew larger, blocking the pursuers from behind.

At the same time, her fingers flicked repeatedly.

Zheng zheng zheng—

Countless transparent threads wove into a net of death in the air.

The Mechanical Spiders still stumbling around in their blinded state were instantly sliced into countless fragments.

Metal limbs scattered across the floor, and machine oil sprayed everywhere.

In just one minute.

The battle was over.

In the entire corridor, only the sound of mechanical parts hitting the floor and the heavy breathing of the group remained.

Gu Pingsheng didn't bother with the loot.

He holstered his guns and strode to the corner.

"Gu Nian!"

He helped Gu Nian up from the wall, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Where are you hurt? Let me see!"

Gu Nian opened her eyes and looked at the man in front of her, drenched in sweat and looking fierce.

The icy despair from moments ago was instantly washed away by a warm current.

"I... I'm fine..."

She smiled weakly, trying to hide her injured arm behind her back.

"It's just a scratch..."

"Don't move!"

Gu Pingsheng pressed down on her shoulder authoritatively and carefully pulled her arm toward him.

Her sleeve was already soaked with blood.

A two-inch-long wound stretched across her fair forearm, the flesh torn and mangled, looking gruesome.

Gu Pingsheng's heart twitched violently.

An indescribable surge of violent emotion churned in his chest.

But he took a deep breath, forcing down that killing intent.

Now was not the time to lose his temper.

"Bear with it."

He took out emergency spray and bandages from his storage space.

His movements were incredibly gentle.

He first rinsed the wound with saline, then sprayed on a hemostatic agent.

Sss—

The moment the agent touched the wound, Gu Nian trembled from the pain and subconsciously bit her lip.

"Cry out if it hurts."

Gu Pingsheng kept his head down, focused on wrapping the bandages.

His brow was furrowed as if he were the one who was injured.

Because they were so close.

Gu Nian could even feel his warm breath on her skin.

And the scent on him, a mix of gunpowder and sweat.

It was pungent.

But it made her feel incredibly safe.

She looked at Gu Pingsheng's profile.

She saw his jawline tightened with anger, and his eyes, which were usually full of playful amusement but were now filled with heartache.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

This man... he always talked about profit like a cold capitalist.

But when it really came down to it... he was more reliable than anyone.

"There, all done."

Gu Pingsheng tied a neat bow and then looked up.

He happened to lock eyes with Gu Nian's moist gaze.

Their gazes met in the air.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Gu Nian's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away in a panic.

"Tha... Thank you..."

"Thank you, my ass."

Gu Pingsheng cursed irritably and flicked her forehead.

"If you dare to be this reckless again, I'll throw you back to the slums."

Though they were threatening words, his tone carried an unmistakable hint of doting.

Gu Nian clutched her forehead; instead of being angry, she burst out laughing.

"Understood, Captain."

She pulled a black chip from her bosom and handed it to Gu Pingsheng.

Her gaze became serious once more.

"However, this trip wasn't for nothing."

"This is what I salvaged from the database at the last second."

"It's the highest-level access code for the Ruins' Main Control Room."

Gu Pingsheng took the chip.

His fingertips brushed against Gu Nian's cold fingers, and he gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Also..."

Gu Nian took a deep breath and dropped a bombshell.

"That so-called 'God'..."

"It's actually not a deity at all."

"It's a rogue... Artificial Intelligence."