14: Chapter 14 The King of the Radiation Forbidden Zone

The perimeter cordon of the Baijiang Nuclear Power Plant.

General Zhan Kuang stood by the command vehicle, looking at the radiation zone enclosed by barbed wire not far away.

"Second Lieutenant Luo Yu, the goal of this mission is very clear." He pointed to the area shrouded in dim light in the distance: "Clear all the Mutated Beasts in the radiation zone, and then let Godzilla absorb the radiation in the Core Area."

"Understood."

Luo Yu nodded in understanding.

"The radiation zone is divided into three levels."

General Zhan Kuang continued to remind him: "The radiation level in the Outer Area is a thousand times the normal value, the Middle Area is five thousand times, and the Core Area is more than ten thousand times. General Mutated Beasts are active in the outer and Middle Areas. The Core Area is too dangerous; only some slightly higher-level Mutated Beasts will be there."

"Okay."

Luo Yu understood and asked: "Do I need to wear a protective suit?"

"According to the regulations, you must wear one." General Zhan Kuang glanced at him and said meaningfully: "If you feel you don't need it, an exception can be made."

"No need."

Luo Yu grinned and shook his head decisively, "Radiation is not a threat to me or Godzilla."

"Good."

General Zhan Kuang fell silent for a few seconds, then said: "Then pay attention to your own safety."

"Wait a moment."

Just then, Su Qingxue took a step forward: "Reporting to the General, I apply to accompany Second Lieutenant Luo Yu into the radiation zone."

"Hmm?"

General Zhan Kuang frowned and said: "Do you know the radiation intensity inside?"

"I know." Su Qingxue's tone was calm as she said: "But I am an S-rank ice Awakener. I can use an ice shield to block some of the radiation, at least to provide support in the Outer Area."

"This..."

General Zhan Kuang could only look at Luo Yu, "What do you think?"

"No need."

Luo Yu shrugged and said: "I'm enough on my own."

"..."

A look of displeasure appeared on Su Qingxue's pretty face.

She could hear the meaning in Luo Yu's words—he felt she would hold him back.

"Second Lieutenant Luo Yu, my duty is to protect your safety. Even if you don't need it, I must follow."

"Lieutenant Colonel Su, I know you are an S-rank Awakener and very strong." Hearing this, Luo Yu turned around, looked her straight in the eye, and said seriously: "But... the radiation zone is not an ordinary battlefield. Even an S-rank Awakener cannot last more than ten minutes in the high-radiation Core Area."

"I won't enter the Core Area." Su Qingxue said firmly: "At least I can help you clear Mutated Beasts in the Outer Area."

"Suit yourself!"

Seeing how stubborn Su Qingxue was, Luo Yu compromised: "You can only stay in the Outer Area; you cannot go deep."

"Deal."

Seeing the two reach an agreement, General Zhan Kuang nodded: "Then it's settled. Su Qingxue will follow Luo Yu into the Outer Area, and everyone else will stand by outside the cordon."

"Yes!"

Five minutes later.

Luo Yu and Su Qingxue stood at the entrance of the radiation zone.

This was originally the employee passage of the nuclear power plant, but it had been sealed off, leaving only a heavy iron door.

General Zhan Kuang personally opened the iron door.

Creak—

Behind the door was darkness.

The air was filled with a pungent metallic and putrid smell.

Luo Yu took out a flashlight and shone it ahead.

The passage was very long.

The walls on both sides were covered with black mold, and a layer of viscous liquid had accumulated on the ground.

"Let's go."

Luo Yu stepped inside.

Su Qingxue followed behind him, a thin ice shield already condensed around her.

The iron door closed behind them.

Darkness swallowed the two instantly.

Only the flashlight's beam swayed ahead.

After walking about fifty meters, a damaged door appeared at the end of the passage.

Luo Yu pushed open the door.

The scene before him made him pause for a moment.

It was a massive space, which should have originally been the cooling pool area of the nuclear power plant.

But now,

The pool had dried up, revealing a cracked bottom.

A large amount of discarded equipment and metallic debris were piled at the bottom of the pool.

Most striking were the cracks in the walls, from which green fluorescent liquid was seeping, slowly flowing down and forming small puddles on the ground.

"This is the radiation zone." Su Qingxue reminded him in a low voice: "Those green liquids are high-concentration radioactive water."

"I know."

Luo Yu took out a Radiation Detector and pointed it forward.

Beep beep beep beep beep—

The device emitted a piercing alarm.

The numbers on the screen jumped wildly.

1000... 1500... 2000...

"The radiation level is already two thousand times the normal value." Luo Yu put away the device and said: "We are now in the Outer Area. Further ahead is the Middle Area."

"Is that so?"

Su Qingxue took a deep breath.

She could feel the sense of oppression permeating the air.

Even with the protection of the ice shield, her body began to experience discomfort.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. An S-rank Awakener's physical fitness is much stronger than an ordinary person's; I can still withstand this level of radiation."

Luo Yu said no more.

He placed the Little Lizard from his shoulder onto the ground.

"Godzilla, time to get to work."

The Little Lizard let out an excited "hiss" sound.

The next second,

Its body began to expand.

Thirty centimeters... one meter... three meters...

In the blink of an eye,

The Little Lizard turned into a three-meter-tall black giant beast covered in thick scales.

Su Qingxue's eyes widened.

It was the first time she had seen Godzilla's combat form with her own eyes.

The sense of oppression radiating from the giant beast made her instinctively take half a step back.

"This is... your beast pet?"

"Yes." Luo Yu patted Godzilla's leg, "Don't look at it being only three meters now. Once it's full, it can grow to fourteen meters."

Su Qingxue's throat tightened.

Fourteen meters?

What kind of concept was that?

A first-tier Abyssal Giant Beast was only about ten meters.

Suddenly,

A rustling sound came from the distance.

Luo Yu and Su Qingxue turned their heads at the same time.

The flashlight's beam shone in the direction of the sound.

In the shadows of the discarded equipment, dozens of pairs of green eyes lit up.

"It's Mutated Rats." Su Qingxue reminded him in a low voice.

As soon as she finished speaking,

Those green eyes began to move.

Giant rats the size of cats crawled out of the shadows.

Their fur had already fallen off, revealing rotting flesh and white bones.

Glowing saliva flowed from their mouths.

Squeak squeak squeak—

Piercing shrieks rang out.

Dozens of Mutated Rats rushed over at the same time.

"Watch out!" Su Qingxue raised her hand, and an ice spike condensed in her palm.

Whoosh—

The ice spike shot out,

Piercing through the foremost Mutated Rat.

Unfortunately,

The Mutated Rats behind didn't care about their companion's death at all and continued to rush forward frantically.

"Move aside."

Luo Yu's voice rang out.

Su Qingxue instinctively dodged to the side.

The next second,

Godzilla moved.

It suddenly opened its bloody maw, and a faint blue light flickered deep in its throat.

Boom—

A high-temperature plasma ray shot out.

That was the Atomic Breath.

The ray swept across the ground, and all the Mutated Rats hit were instantly turned to ash.

Even the ground was scorched with a black mark.

The entire process took less than a second.

Dozens of Mutated Rats,

Wiped out completely.

Su Qingxue stood there, her mouth slightly agape.

She knew Luo Yu's beast pet was strong, but she hadn't expected it to be this strong.

Although those Mutated Rats were only E-rank Mutated Beasts, there were many of them and they were fearless. Even for her, it would take some effort to deal with them.

But what about Godzilla?Standard

One breath, and they were all killed in an instant.

"Let's go."

Luo Yu's calm voice interrupted her thoughts: "This is just an appetizer. There's even stronger stuff ahead."

Su Qingxue snapped back to her senses and followed.

The two continued forward.

The deeper they went, the higher the radiation level became.

There was more and more fluorescent liquid on the ground, and the cracks in the walls grew larger.

A nauseating smell permeated the air.

"The radiation level is already three thousand." Luo Yu glanced at the detector, "We're almost at the Middle Area."

Su Qingxue didn't speak.

She could feel her physical discomfort becoming more and more obvious.

Cracks had already begun to appear on the ice shield.

Just then,

A low roar came from ahead.

Roar—

The sound was like the roar of a wild beast, yet also like the sound of metal grinding.

Luo Yu stopped.

"Something's coming."

As soon as he finished speaking,

A massive dark shadow pounced from the darkness ahead.

It was a Mutated Dog, as large as a bull, covered in rotting fur. Its eyes flickered with a frantic red light, and its fangs were twenty centimeters long, dripping with green saliva.

"D-rank Mutated Beast!" Su Qingxue's expression changed.

The strength of a D-rank Mutated Beast was equivalent to a D-rank Awakener, and because of long-term exposure to radiation, its physical fitness was even stronger than an Awakener of the same level.

The Mutated Dog roared and pounced at Luo Yu.

Su Qingxue wanted to strike, but Luo Yu stopped her.

"No need."

Godzilla stepped forward and raised its thick front claw.

Smack—

It slapped the Mutated Dog's head.

Bang!

The Mutated Dog's head was slapped directly into the ground.

The ground cracked, rubble flew, and the Mutated Dog struggled a few times before becoming still.

Godzilla released its claw, lowered its head, opened its mouth, and began to absorb the radiation energy within the Mutated Dog's body.

Hum!!

Green light surged from the Mutated Dog's body and was swallowed by Godzilla.

In just three seconds,

The Mutated Dog's body shriveled up, turning into a dried corpse.

[Ding! Beast pet devoured a D-rank Mutated Beast, evolution progress +0.1%]

"Not bad."

Luo Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Su Qingxue watched this scene, her mind a complete blank.

She finally understood,

Why the military valued Luo Yu so much.

This kind of ability... it was simply tailor-made for the radiation zone. It was ten thousand times more useful than any Awakener or Mecha Pilot!

"Keep moving."

The two continued forward.

Along the way,

They encountered several more waves of Mutated Beasts.

Mutated Cats, Mutated Rats, Mutated Dogs... the numbers grew, and the levels got higher.

But... without exception, they were all crushed by the three-meter-tall Godzilla. Some were slapped to death by a claw, others were burned to ash by the Atomic Breath.

Su Qingxue went from initial shock to gradual numbness.

She realized she was completely useless,

Because in the radiation zone, even as an S-rank Awakener, she was greatly restricted. But... there was no harm without comparison; those Mutated Beasts were as fragile as toys in front of Godzilla.

In other words,

Luo Yu's beast pet was the King of the Radiation Zone.