nycdaug Chapter 122 The Lv14 Stoneclaw Flying Beast!
Chapter 122 The Lv14 Stoneclaw Flying Beast!
"These marks..."
Chen Qi squatted beside the ravine that was several inches deep. As soon as his fingers touched the surface of the rock, a bone-chilling cold shot straight up from his fingertips to the top of his head.
That's neither weathering nor geological movement.
The broken rock still retained a trace of warmth and a strange smell mixed with fishy stench and sulfur.
"If I were you, I'd turn off the safety lock right now and stand back to back," Jiang Ming's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of nonchalant indifference, "instead of craning my neck like a flock of ducks looking around."
Chen Qi's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to turn around and give the order, a sharp sound, like tearing cloth, suddenly came from the gray and oppressive sky above.
"call--!"
A sudden storm of violence descended.
Without any warning, not even a shadow had a chance to form on the retina.
A young special operations team member standing on the outermost edge of the team suddenly felt everything go black.
Before he could even utter a cry of surprise, he was lifted off the ground like a doll by a crane.
"Xiao Liu!" his teammate shouted in alarm.
"Click."
A sharp, teeth-grinding crack abruptly cut off all the shouts.
The young team member's neck was broken at an odd angle, and his head slumped limply down.
Blood gushed out of his throat like a burst high-pressure water pipe, instantly staining the dark blue rocks beneath his feet.
A ferocious monster, the size of an adult male lion, with wings on its back and a spiral horn on its head, was standing on Xiao Liu's still convulsing corpse.
Its entire body was covered with a grayish-white keratin layer like granite, its muscles were bulging, and its dark yellow vertical pupils contained no wild beastly turbidity, only pure, mocking cruelty.
【Stoneclaw Flying Beast (Lv.14)】
[Danger Level: High]
【Characteristics: Rock-splitting claws.】
Weakness: Abdomen ,eyeball.】
"Enemy attack!!!"
Chen Qi roared and pulled the trigger, but fear slowed his movements by half a beat.
Da da da—!
The gun muzzle spat out flames, and the bullets struck the rock-like skin of the Stoneclaw Flying Beast, scattering a series of feeble sparks and producing a clanging sound like metal being struck.
This level of firepower would be more than enough to deal with bandits on Earth, but against a Lv.14 otherworldly creature, it would be like tickling it.
The stone-clawed flying beast didn't even bother to dodge.
Its large mouth, covered with fine, sharp teeth, opened slightly, emitting a low growl like the scraping of metal. Then, it suddenly shook its head, flinging Xiao Liu's corpse away like a broken sack.
Immediately afterwards, it used its hind legs to propel its massive body into a gray blur as it pounced on the team member closest to it.
"Aaaaah! Get away!"
The team member desperately raised his gun and fired, but one of the Stoneclaw Flying Beast's front claws had already swung down casually.
That claw was harder than steel, and its fingertips gleamed with a chilling light.
puff-
It's like cutting butter with a hot knife.
The thick Kevlar body armor worn by the team member couldn't even last a second before being torn open with a huge gash.
With a nauseating tearing sound, the team member was completely ripped open from his chest to his abdomen.
Colorful entrails mixed with steaming hot blood gushed out onto the ground.
"Old Zhang!!"
The remaining five special operations team members completely broke down.
In just three seconds.
In just three seconds, two comrades who had spent every day together were gone.
Is this another world?
Is this the place where they were asked to "record data"?
"No!" Chen Qi's eyes were bloodshot, but he found that his legs were as heavy as lead, and he couldn't take a step at all.
The Stoneclaw Flying Beast greedily licked the blood from its claws, its dark yellow eyes fixed on its third prey.
Just as it was about to pounce again, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly exploded behind it without warning.
"Get out of the way!"
A loud shout landed like a thunderclap.
Jiang Ming made a move.
He didn't choose to act when the two unfortunate men were killed, because they were too far away, and also because he needed to observe the monster's attack patterns.
But now, the timing is perfect.
[Thunder Prison - Horse-Slaying Sword] With a muffled whistling sound and trailing a dazzling arc of electricity, it slashed fiercely at the back of the Stone Claw Flying Beast.
Jiang Ming unleashed this sword strike without holding back, fully utilizing his power attribute!
clang!!!
The deafening clang of metal against metal made everyone's eardrums ache.
The rock-like skin, which could originally deflect even bullets, finally broke through the defenses of this blue rare-grade weapon.
"roar--!"
The stone-clawed flying beast let out a mournful scream.
Its back was cleaved open by the horse-slaying sword, leaving a half-meter-long gash. The grayish-white rocky skin rolled up, revealing the bright red muscles and white bones underneath.
The lightning-attribute enchantment effect is triggered instantly.
It's sizzling!
The bluish-purple electric current surged wildly into its body through the wound, scorching the area around it until it was charred black, and the air instantly filled with the smell of burnt meat.
"Such a hard shell."
Jiang Ming felt a slight numbness in the mouth of his hand.
If this sword had been used on the previous goblin warrior, it would have split it in two, but this stoneclaw flying beast was only seriously injured.
As expected of a Lv.14 monster, its defense is even more disgusting than that Thunderhorn Flame Bull that only knows brute force.
Wounded wild animals are the most dangerous.
The excruciating pain completely unleashed the ferocity of the Stoneclaw Flying Beast.
Instead of running away, it suddenly turned its head, and its thick tail, covered with bone spurs, swept across like a battering ram with a whistling sound.
Too close, there's no way to avoid it!
Jiang Ming's pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately parried with his sword.
boom!
A tremendous impact came.
Jiang Ming slid backward three or four meters, leaving two deep furrows on the rocky ground beneath his feet.
Before he could even regain his footing, the Stone Claw Flying Beast had already turned around, opened its blood-red maw, and bit down hard on Jiang Ming's head.
Those sharp teeth, like intersecting daggers, could crush a head like a watermelon if they bit down hard.
"court death!"
Instead of retreating, Jiang Ming advanced, forcefully pressing his left hand against the spine of the sword and pushing the horse-slaying sword upwards.
Click!
The stone-clawed flying beast missed its bite and instead bit the broad blade of the [Thunder Prison Horse-Slaying Sword].
Sparks flew everywhere!
The grinding sound was so loud it made your scalp tingle.
The Stoneclaw Flying Beast clearly underestimated the sword's hardness, and several broken teeth flew out mixed with blood and foam.
"Fire! Fire now to provide support!"
Chen Qi finally snapped out of his shock and looked at Jiang Ming, who was wrestling with the monster, and roared at the top of his lungs.
This is not only about saving Jiang Ming, but also about saving themselves!
If Jiang Ming dies, their few broken guns won't even be enough to fill the monster's teeth!
Da da da da da—!
The remaining five team members also realized what was happening, and even though their hands were shaking like leaves, they still held on tightly to the trigger.
A hail of bullets instantly engulfed the man and the beast.
"Hold!"
Jiang Ming's expression changed drastically.
What a bunch of incompetent teammates!
Opening full-auto fire at such close range?
Are you planning to send me away too?!
The bullets had no eyes and struck the stone-clawed flying beast with a series of crackling sounds.
Jiang Ming was not hit by stray bullets because he retreated quickly.
"Awoo!"
In the chaos, some lucky person got lucky and a stray bullet happened to pierce the Stoneclaw Flying Beast's intact left eye.
The eyeball burst!
The murky liquid splashed.
The Stoneclaw Flying Beast let out an even more piercing shriek than before, its enormous wings flapping wildly, stirring up a cloud of flying sand and stones.
It loosened its grip on the giant sword, its head shaking wildly, clearly in extreme pain.
This is an excellent opportunity to finish off the enemy.
If Jiang Ming quickly steps forward and thrusts his greatsword into its eye socket, he can completely end this Lv.14 elite monster.
But Jiang Ming did not move.
The gunfire behind them didn't stop; instead, it became more intense and chaotic as they saw the monster injured.
Several bullets grazed past him, sending sparks flying.
"A bunch of idiots!"
Jiang Ming cursed under his breath and decisively gave up the spoils.
He quickly created a distance of more than ten meters and moved to a relatively safe area.
The biggest joke is getting shot to death by your own teammates just to get some experience points.
"Ceasefire! Ceasefire!"
After Jiang Ming stopped, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
But those special operations team members were clearly in a frenzy—or rather, terrified.
His finger was pressed tightly against the trigger, and even though the magazine was empty, it was still making a "click-click-click" sound.
The stone-clawed flying beast, blind in one eye, flapped its wings wildly a few times, its massive wings stirring up clouds of dust.
Although it wasn't very intelligent, it knew that the two-legged beast with the greatsword was not to be trifled with, and coupled with the intense pain in its eyes, its survival instinct overcame its hunting desire.
"call--"
With a sudden flap of its wings, its massive body rose from the ground, wobbling as it soared into the greyish-white sky.
A few drops of dark red beast blood fell from the sky, corroding several small, smoking pits into the rocks.
The gunfire only subsided sporadically when the monster's figure disappeared into the depths of the mountains.
Dead silence.
A suffocating silence once again enveloped the area.
Only heavy breathing could be heard, mixed with the pervasive smell of gunpowder and blood in the air.
"They...they left?"
One of the team members slumped to the ground, his rifle clattering to the ground.
He looked at the two mutilated corpses not far away, and his stomach churned.
"Wow--"
He took off his helmet, turned to the side, and vomited violently.
This is the real battlefield.
There were no slow-motion shots like in the movies, no rousing background music, only a pathetic scene of excrement and urine flowing everywhere and disgusting bits of flesh scattered all over the ground.
Chen Qi's face was deathly pale. He braced himself on his knees, breathing in the cold air in large gulps.
He looked up at the distance.
Jiang Mingzheng walked out from that side.
His clothes were covered in mud spots, marks left by the mud splashed up when he was hit by a stray bullet.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been taken down by the "friendly forces" just now.
"Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang." Chen Qi swallowed hard, his voice dry as if he were chewing sand. "Thank you... If it weren't for you just now..."
"Shut up."
Jiang Ming coldly interrupted him.
"Shut up."
Jiang Ming coldly interrupted him.
He walked to the Thunder Prison Horse-Slaying Sword stuck in the ground, pulled it out, and shook off the remaining beast blood.
Then, he turned around, his dark eyes fixed on Chen Qi, his gaze even more dangerous than that of the stone-clawed flying beast.
"Were you saving me, or were you killing me?"
Jiang Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.
Several special operations team members lowered their heads in shame, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Fully automatic fire? At this close range?" Jiang Ming walked up to Chen Qi, looking down at the so-called captain. "Is your tactical skill just emptying the magazine and then praying to your ancestors that the bullets can automatically distinguish friend from foe?"
Chen Qi opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but found himself speechless.
In that situation just now, fear certainly overwhelmed reason.
Listen.
Jiang Ming pointed a finger at Chen Qi's bulletproof vest. "This is the last time. If there's another instance of this indiscriminate shooting, I wouldn't mind cleaning up your burdens for the monster first."
After saying that, he ignored the group and turned to walk towards the two corpses.
He crouched down, expressionless, and began searching through the pool of blood.
"What...what are you doing?" one of the team members couldn't help but ask, his voice tinged with anger. "Xiao Liu and the others have already sacrificed their lives. Can't you show some respect for the deceased?"
Jiang Ming didn't even look up; he had two spare magazines and a tactical knife in his hand.
"respect?"
Jiang Ming stood up, casually wiped the blood-stained magazine on his clothes, and stuffed it into his waist pouch. "You don't deserve my respect."
He turned around and threw the tactical knife at the feet of the teammate.
"The monsters here have skin much thicker than yours. The penetration of the Type 95 rifle is barely acceptable, but if you miss their weak points, it's no different from a fire poker."
Jiang Ming pointed to the corpses on the ground, "If you don't want to become monster excrement like them, bring everything you can. Ammunition, grenades, medkits... even a compressed biscuit."
"This is not Earth. There are no logistical supplies or helicopter rescues."
"Every bullet is a life for you."
Chen Qi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the grief and discomfort in his heart.
He knew Jiang Ming was right.
Although this man's words were so cold-blooded that you wanted to punch him, every single one of them was a brutal survival rule.
"Everyone, listen up!" Chen Qi's voice was still trembling, but he had regained some of the authority of a squad leader. "Organize equipment! Recover...recover the belongings of our fallen comrades!"
With tears in their eyes, the team members silently began to clean up the mess.
Jiang Ming stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the distance.
The armored vehicles on the playground are still there; they are currently the only heavy equipment they can rely on.
But this place is too open.
That stone-clawed flying beast was just the beginning.
Once the smell of blood dissipates, who knows what else might emerge from these mountains?
"Are those cars still drivable?" Jiang Ming asked Chen Qi.
"Yes," Chen Qi nodded. "They're all full of oil."
"Then let's get moving." Jiang Ming slung the greatsword back over his shoulder. "Drive the car into the lobby on the first floor of the teaching building and block the door. Since there are flying monsters here, being in the open is like being a sitting duck."
"Okay." Chen Qi replied without hesitation this time.
After that battle, the special operations captain's pride has been completely shattered.
Here, ranks and badges are meaningless.
Only power is true currency.
The man before them clearly possessed power beyond their reach.