Chapter 432

Chapter 432: Becoming a Blood Reservoir

Circling was an unwise choice. Once the flatbed began to move in circles, the intelligence level evolved by the will of the mycelium could accurately predict the rays from above and the extraordinary beasts from behind.

Wang Xiao was well aware of this, so he issued orders to the superpowered individual in charge of propulsion, Mr. "Sail," Luke, and another wind-controlling superpowered individual:

"The best positioning is random movement.

As long as we drive unpredictably, the mycelium won’t be able to anticipate our path.

After all, even we don’t know where this strange vehicle is headed."

However, this was clearly not a sustainable solution. Although subtle, Wang Xiao had noticed that the Giant Trees were also capable of movement, meaning that bypassing this wall of trees was nearly impossible.

He paused for two seconds, then turned to a strong superpowered individual behind him:

"Throw me over there."

The superpowered individual hesitated briefly, but Wang Xiao couldn’t afford to wait. He repeated,

"Throw me to the nearest tree."

"Alright."

After a brief moment of hesitation, the superpowered individual’s expression hardened with resolve.

His right arm swelled like a balloon, and when it reached its limit, he grabbed Wang Xiao’s collar and hurled him toward the wall of trees.

Wang Xiao felt a sudden surge of weightlessness and realized he was now about ten meters above the ground, hurtling in a parabolic arc toward a Giant Tree.

The tree seemed unprepared for such an intrusion, and the glowing red cracks in its bark betrayed a flicker of surprise.

"Bang!"

Wang Xiao slammed heavily into the trunk, but this was exactly what he had intended.

He wedged his hands and feet into the crevices of the tree trunk and immediately activated his abilities to their fullest, beginning to draw heavily from the Giant Tree.

A torrent of life force surged into Wang Xiao’s body, but to the Giant Tree and the Mycelium Ecology, it was merely a drop in the ocean. Even ten Wang Xiaos wouldn’t pose a threat to this wall of trees.

Like a tiny hole could never drain a swimming pool, without a follow-up plan, Wang Xiao’s current actions would inevitably fail.

But he had prepared for this.

The superpowered individuals on the flatbed heard Wang Xiao’s voice through their communicators:

"Focus one-third of your firepower on me."

In such a life-or-death moment, the team members couldn’t discern whether the Captain’s command was rational, but since the mental monitoring device showed no alerts, they obeyed without question.

Wang Xiao’s plan was straightforward; he functioned like a reservoir for life force, with a finite capacity.

Normally, once filled, he couldn’t absorb on such a large scale.

But if he continually consumed while absorbing, that was another matter entirely.

His life force was far denser than that of the trees, meaning the same attacks that struck him would inflict significantly more damage.

In simpler terms, Wang Xiao had forcibly integrated himself into the Mycelium Ecology, becoming a living target with taunting and vulnerability effects.

The will of the mycelium quickly grasped the situation. After several rays struck Wang Xiao, he not only survived but seemed to grow even more energized.

In that moment, the mycelium understood just how detestable parasites could be, but more than that, it felt compelled to protect Wang Xiao.

Given the rarity of such a unique human and the need to preserve its own life force, it sought to ensure that this parasite suffered no harm from either side.

But Wang Xiao had anticipated this. Every time thick branches attempted to engulf him, blazing light swords severed them at their roots.

On the flatbed, Fresnel used his tactical equipment to continuously target the branches above. His ability couldn’t fell a Giant Tree in a short time, but cutting a few branches was well within his capabilities.

However, it was now afternoon, and February afternoons were always fleeting.

He silently prayed that Wang Xiao’s plan would succeed, or he would lose all combat capability as a superpowered individual, becoming no different from an ordinary person.

Under Fresnel’s cover, more firepower rained down on their Captain.

While the superpowered individuals marveled at the Undead’s resilience, they also pondered his intentions, quickly arriving at a plausible conclusion.

Wang Xiao was nearly driven into the Giant Tree by the relentless attacks from his own team.

Even if he were to leave the surface of the Giant Tree now, he would leave behind a complete human-shaped imprint.

As he continued to absorb life force, he felt as though he might merge with the Giant Tree itself.

The same sensation began to manifest within the will of the mycelium; a human body seemed to be fusing with their form, and the feeling was deeply unsettling.

Although Wang Xiao’s fragile consciousness would be obliterated by the will of the mycelium upon merging, it still sought to avoid any contamination. The sensation was akin to desecration.

But the more it tried to rid itself of this parasitic nuisance named Wang Xiao, the more the superpowered individuals below interfered.

With no other choice, the will of the mycelium made a desperate decision.

In an instant, it severed the nutrient supply to the Giant Tree where Wang Xiao was perched.

Along with that, it cut off the connections within the biological field and all linked mycelium.

The Giant Tree lost all thinking ability, instantly isolated from the broader ecosystem.

The mycelium remaining within could no longer form rational thought or absorb external nutrients, nor could it grow new branches to expel the parasite on its surface.

Almost visibly, the Giant Tree began to wither and decay under Wang Xiao’s relentless absorption, while the human superpowered individuals continued their assault. The tree started to rot, and at that moment, Wang Xiao issued a ceasefire command.

The superpowered individual who had thrown him onto the tree leapt down from the flatbed and, with a powerful thrust, charged forward, colliding directly with the roots of the Giant Tree.

Under normal circumstances, such an impact would have been futile, but with Wang Xiao continuously draining its energy, the Giant Tree had become as fragile as hollowed wood.

Cracks began to spread upward from the roots, and amidst the cheers of the team, the Giant Tree finally toppled.

The mercury flatbed crushed through the brittle, decayed wood fibers, breaking free from the encirclement of countless extraordinary beasts, while the rays and newly mutated extraordinary beasts continued their relentless pursuit from behind.