Chapter 451

Chapter 451: Three Mode Switch

Liu Xiaoheng stood on the soft footpad, feeling the subtle sensation of being enveloped, which made him slightly nervous.

The soldier exoskeleton closed around his back, and the soft structure encasing his entire body began a process akin to inflation.

As a weapon intended for mass production, the exoskeleton couldn’t possibly be custom-fitted for each individual.

This was where the importance of extra space became evident.

The elastic inner lining, under external pressure, completely filled every gap between the exoskeleton and the user.

At the same time, the researchers’ voices echoed inside his helmet:

“Take a deep breath and hold it for now. Exhaling prematurely will result in significant discrepancies in your chest measurements.”

He followed their instructions precisely, only relaxing when the researchers’ voices returned.

The next moment, the calibrated exoskeleton officially activated, and his vision brightened as several lines of text and a question appeared on the viewing window:

“System running normally. Remaining energy: 99.9%…”

【13×13=？】

“169.”

Liu Xiaoheng calculated in his head for two seconds and quickly provided the answer.

“Alertness confirmed. Operator permissions granted to [Liu Xiaoheng]. This is [Skydome], ready to assist you in your upcoming actions.”

“Hiss.”

A short burst of air escaped from the exoskeleton, and Liu Xiaoheng finally felt the relaxation of his limbs and body.

Previously, he had been in a nearly restrained state, but now he truly gained control over the exoskeleton.

Liu Xiaoheng twisted his neck, glancing to either side, where his teammates were making similar adjustments.

It seemed everyone had at least made it past this stage.

The researchers’ voices came through the speakers once more:

“The task list will now be sent to your viewing windows. Complete all the tests, and you’ll be done for the day. The order doesn’t matter; just coordinate among yourselves.”

After speaking, the researcher sat down in front of the display screen, monitoring the data streaming in from hundreds of sensors.

A series of tasks appeared before Liu Xiaoheng and the other four participants, including but not limited to: stationary and moving target shooting, long-distance running, sprinting, shuttle jumps, and special weapon testing. It felt like they were back at a military sports event.

The group briefly discussed via internal communication before dispersing to begin the tests.

In a corner of the training grounds, Yan Ming stood beside several researchers, observing the scene and posing a question:

“If we’re cutting down trees, why not just equip a chainsaw?”

One researcher adjusted his glasses and replied,

“The initial plan was indeed to use a chainsaw, but recent tests showed that standard chainsaws have limited effectiveness against the Giant Trees in the Misty Forest. Even if we manage to cut them down, it’s difficult to prevent the mycelium from rapidly decomposing and reclaiming them.”

Yan Ming patted his head, growing more puzzled:

“Then why switch to this knife-like equipment? It seems less effective than a chainsaw.”

“This modification is primarily for dealing with extraordinary beasts. The high-frequency vibrating blade can penetrate the defenses of the majority of extraordinary beasts.”

“The harder the outer shell of those creatures, the more difficult it is to deal with such attacks. As for the extraordinary beasts that rely solely on their fur for defense, although they have some resistance to vibrations, their energy levels are generally not high. We can simply turn off the vibration mode and start hacking away.

“Moreover, we are also attempting to repurpose the biomass in the batteries. That material is virtually inexhaustible, so there’s no need to conserve it.

“If the energy stored within the biomass is depleted during an operation, there’s no point in bringing it back. Additionally, since it’s highly toxic to living organisms, we’ve added a magnetic interface to the weapon handle…”

Yan Ming’s face twisted into a look of horror:

“Ah, are you saying that you…?”

“Hehe.”

The researcher grinned, a hint of madness in his smile, and licked his lips:

“Our high-frequency vibrating blade is poisoned.”

Hearing this, Yan Ming couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. Now he fully understood the weapon research team’s plan.

His background wasn’t the best; he had spent his childhood in the outer city and knew of an Old Era craft—tattooing.

The principle behind this weapon was clearly somewhat similar.

As the primary weapon equipped with the soldier exoskeleton, the technologically advanced blade had three modes.

For low-level extraordinary beasts, one could simply hack away. If encountering a creature with a shell, activate the vibration mode to cut through. For those measuring several meters or even tens of meters, activate both the vibration and poison modes before attacking.

If it can’t be cut, use vibration; if vibration doesn’t work, use poison…

Hiss… These people really have some ideas.

Seeing their creation being acknowledged, the grinning researcher continued:

“I’ve already secured approval from Supervisor Ji. During the next beast tide, we’ll deploy the weapon in actual combat. After all, one real battle is worth more than a hundred experiments.

“I’ve also requested close observation. I can’t wait to see those extraordinary beasts poisoned to death… Hehe, while the overall design of the weapon was Supervisor Ji’s work, the idea of adding poison was mine. I really want to kill all those beasts…”

As the researcher rambled on, Yan Ming thought of another concern: the weapon development team must never fall into the hands of extraordinary beasts. If their brains were to be infected by mycelium, it would be a clear advantage for the enemy.

“So… now that we have a basic strategy for the beast tide, what should we do about those plants?”

The researcher looked up at Yan Ming, their eyes meeting. He moved his lips and uttered a single word:

“Burn.”

—

“Boom!”

The nozzle beneath Liu Xiaoheng’s left arm unleashed a torrent of flames, shooting over ten meters and engulfing all obstacles in a sea of fire.

Even through his mask, he could feel the heat wave, an indescribable thrill surging through his brain, making him want to shout out in exhilaration.

The immense counterforce from the nozzle caused Liu Xiaoheng to lean slightly backward, but the strong grip of his feet and the support from the exoskeleton at his waist absorbed the sudden force, preventing him from losing balance.

Guided by the voice that called itself [Skydome], the blazing flames consumed all targets.

“Task completed. You may proceed with other tests.”

“Okay.”

Liu Xiaoheng responded instinctively, though it likely didn’t matter much.

So, which task should he choose?

His eyes scanned the dense list of pending tasks and landed on an intriguing project:

Cold weapon testing.

Following [Skydome]’s guidance, Liu Xiaoheng glanced at the waist of the exoskeleton.

There hung a long blade, radiating power and technological sophistication, its handle nearly reaching his chest. At first glance, it was hard to tell whether it was a knife or a sword.

He drew the weapon and noticed that only one side was sharpened.

The thick blade suggested it would be heavy, but with the exoskeleton’s support, it felt as light as a plastic tube.

So, could this thing really be used to chop down extraordinary beasts?