15: Chapter 15 Luo Ning

But she knocked on it twice again.

"Bang bang!"

She pointed to the jetpack on her back, then pointed to herself, and mouthed, "Out of fuel, give me some."

"I have the resources."

But opening the hatch to transfer supplies at this altitude was tantamount to suicide. He immediately leaned toward the glass, shouted, and gestured, "Trading House! List it! I'll buy it!"

Luo Ning was also an extremely clever person and instantly understood Zhou An's meaning.

While using the last bit of power to dodge the monsters' lunges around the fuselage, she rapidly operated the virtual panel with one hand.

A few seconds later, Zhou An refreshed the latest list in the regional Trading House and found a bizarre trade request.

[Seller: Luo Ning]

[Item for Sale: Ordinary Gravel x 1]

[Requested Items: Aviation Fuel x 100, High-Density Energy Core x 50]

"Luo Ning... So that crazy woman is called that."

Zhou An didn't hesitate at all and clicked to trade immediately.

He was least lacking in energy right now.

[Ding! Trade successful.]

Outside the glass, Luo Ning, having just received the supplies, seemed as if she had been injected with a shot of adrenaline.

She shoved the energy core into the jetpack's slot, and the previously dim exhaust flame instantly erupted with a dazzling blue light.

"Hahaha, fully restored! Scum, prepare to die!"

Luo Ning's wild laughter even penetrated the soundproof glass. She once again transformed into a humanoid turret in the high altitude, firmly locking onto the monsters attempting to approach the Cloud Top Fortress.

Time ticked by second by second.

[Ding! Weapon modules loaded.]

[storm twin-linked autocannon array online!]

[high-frequency tracking cutting ray online!]

"It's done!"

Zhou An slammed his hand on the console, the frustration that had built up for half an hour completely erupting at this moment.

He glanced at Luo Ning, who was still struggling outside, and quickly opened the side decompression airlock.

"Get in!"

Hearing Zhou An's shout, Luo Ning didn't hesitate at all, rolling into the airlock.

"Bang!"

The hatch closed.

Luo Ning collapsed directly onto the cold metal floor, gasping for air.

Her tight-fitting combat suit was slashed open in several places by the monsters' sharp claws, revealing fair skin marked with bloodstains.

The jetpack on her back was now emitting black smoke, its casing severely deformed, looking like it was about to be scrapped.

"Just lie there for now, leave the rest to me."

Zhou An didn't even glance at her, sitting directly in the main control seat and slamming his hands onto the activation keys for the two weapon modules.

"Hum—"

The armor plates hidden on the top of the Cloud Top Fortress slid open to the sides.

Two cold, pitch-black [storm twin-linked autocannon array]s slowly rose, their thick barrels gleaming with the light of death under the searchlights.

Below the fuselage, a slender [high-frequency tracking cutting ray] emitter, radiating a blinding halo of light, was also in position.

"You had fun ramming me earlier, right? Now, the times have changed!"

"Boom boom boom boom—!"

The autocannon array spat out tongues of fire several meters long, solid kinetic armor-piercing rounds tearing through the darkness like a metal storm.

Those Tier 2 monsters with astonishing defense were instantly shredded into pieces of flesh under this terrifying rate of fire.

Meanwhile, the high-frequency tracking cutting ray below swept out silently. Even thick-skinned meteorological deformities, when swept by this ray, were sliced in two without any resistance, just like a hot knife through butter.

Under the suppression of heavy firepower, the previously impenetrable beast tide was instantly cleared out in a large area.

Zhou An manipulated the weapons to fire wildly while pushing the fortress's speed to the limit.

Five hours later.

The [Cloud Top Fortress] finally broke through the last layer of the monsters' blockade, and a faint light appeared ahead again.

[System Notification: You have exited the high-risk zone of the extreme dark erosion environment.]

[Distance to the 500km safety line from the Black Mist, current remaining time: 10 hours.]

"Phew—"

Zhou An released his sore hands and let out a long sigh of relief. Three hours of high-intensity firepower discharge had almost burned through most of his newly accumulated resources, but he had managed to save his life.

He turned his seat and looked at the girl who was still sprawled on the floor.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Zhou..."

"I know! Zhou An, right? The god-tier big shot at the top of the resource leaderboard! That jerk wanted by the whole region!"

Before Zhou An could finish, Luo Ning, who had been like a puddle of mud, suddenly did a kip-up and sat up.

Her distinct black and white eyes stared fixedly at Zhou An, not only showing no lingering fear from the life-and-death escape but instead flickering with a fanatical light like a predator eyeing its prey.

"Damn, I didn't notice when I was outside, but this all-steel armor, twin-linked autocannons, and the constant temperature system inside... this is not simple..."

As Luo Ning spoke, she circled the main control console, clicking her tongue in wonder. Her erratic thinking and manic state gave Zhou An a headache.

"Since you know who I am, how dare you just board my ship? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and loot your gear?" Zhou An narrowed his eyes.

"Forget it."

Luo Ning waved her hand.

"If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have given me the supplies earlier. Besides, this crappy jetpack of mine isn't worth much. We've been through life and death together, right?"

Watching Luo Ning's slightly manic demeanor, Zhou An couldn't help but ask.

"Your... current SAN value, what is it?"

Luo Ning glanced at her panel indifferently, grinned, and held up one finger.

"1 point."

"How... how much?!"

Zhou An's eyelids twitched wildly, and he nearly jumped out of his chair.

"1 point! Are you crazy?! The system said that falling below 20 points means losing your sanity and falling into the abyss. At 1 point, how are you still able to stand here and chat with me like nothing happened?!"

"Calm down, calm down." Luo Ning patted Zhou An's shoulder with an expression of someone seeing a bumpkin.

"This is just basic operation."

She pointed to her head and said triumphantly, "My starting talent, [Mad Scientist]. The effect is simple: the lower my SAN value, the stronger my research inspiration, mechanical modification ability, and combat performance!"

"To modify my jetpack into a heavy firepower platform, I've been lurking on the edge of the Black Mist for the past few days, actively keeping my SAN value at the lowest level."

Zhou An listened in astonishment. How could there be such a perverted talent in this world that forces one to seek suffering?

"But this doesn't comply with the system rules."

Zhou An frowned.

"Below the safety line, wouldn't the system judge you as mutated and dead?"

"Of course, there are other effects."

"This talent grants me a privilege: [Blood Lock Berserk]. When my SAN value drops to 1 point, I force-lock this state; I won't mutate, and I won't die."

"But this isn't invincible. The locked state can only last for a maximum of three hours. Once this time passes without replenishing my SAN value... I will turn into some strange thing."

Speaking of this, Luo Ning looked at Zhou An pitifully.

"So, big shot, although I bought you thirty minutes, this three-hour blood lock time is almost up."

"Do you... have anything here that can restore SAN values? Or even clean water? Otherwise, you might have to fight a crazed deformity in this beautiful control room in a little while."