Chapter 113: Escape to Safety

"How... how many summoned beasts do you have!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"There is no need for you to know. Attack! Machinedramon!" Guardian shouted. Machinedramon immediately lunged forward, and Long Zhan charged in simultaneously.

"Clang!" The sound of clashing metal rang out. Long Zhan deflected Machinedramon with his black sword and said, "Master, please retreat. I will hold the line here."

"That’s right, Big Brother Long, leave this to Amaterasu. Once I’ve hacked these ignorant fools to pieces, I’ll reunite with you," she said, pointing her blade at the Guardians.

"What did you say? Don't get too cocky!" Silver Moon roared, raising her Ice Bow to fire a barrage at Amaterasu. Amaterasu dodged every attack with lightning speed and lunged forward, but an Ultimate Electronic Dragon quickly blocked her path, forcing her to stop.

Realizing that staying behind was useless—as I had little chance of winning against two top-tier experts simultaneously—I decided that discretion was the better part of valor. I turned and sprinted away. "Premium gear, powerful skills... when will I ever get my hands on things like that?" I muttered to myself.

"Weiwei Long, if you're a man, don't run!" Silver Moon cursed from behind.

"Don't worry, he won't escape. Come forth, Battleshipdramon!"

"How are there even more?" Hearing Guardian summon yet another beast behind me made my heart sink. Including this one, he already had seven summoned beasts. An ordinary summoner could only have five, but this Super Beast Breeder profession allowed for seven? This is way too overpowered!

A series of roars erupted behind me. I glanced back to see a massive, brown mechanical crocodile appearing, and I immediately activated my Fiery Eyes.

Name: Battleshipdramon
Type: Special
Race: Machine
Modified Mechanical Lifeform
HP: 16,000
Attack: 2,000
Defense: 5,000
Skills:
Battleship Launcher: Battleshipdramon opens the launchers on its body to fire multiple types of missiles, knocking down any enemy. Cooldown: 7 seconds.
Smokescreen Fang: Battleshipdramon throws a giant smoke grenade, creating a cloud that restricts the vision of enemies and slows them down for 10 seconds.
Tail Hook Smash: Battleshipdramon swings its iron tail for a powerful blow, knocking surrounding enemies into the air.
Plasma Dust-Breaking Cannon: Battleshipdramon fires a powerful plasma cannon from its mouth, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. After use, the unit enters an overheat state and cannot move for one minute. Cooldown: 720 seconds.
Description: Battleshipdramon possesses a sturdy defense that cannot be shaken even by a large-scale enemy barrage. Its solid frame allows it to charge through any terrain, no matter how treacherous. Notably, it can use multiple finishing moves on multiple enemies simultaneously, giving it the power to take on an entire legion alone.

16,000 HP and 5,000 defense—this mechanical monster is impossible for a human to fight. I gritted my teeth and accelerated, the mechanical roaring behind me growing louder. My life is in danger!

I ran until I saw a forest ahead and headed straight for it, hoping to use the terrain to shake off the massive Battleshipdramon. But it was all in vain. Before I could reach the woods, the Battleshipdramon caught up, letting out a mechanical dragon roar that was, to me, a death sentence.

I could smell the thick scent of gunpowder.

"Battleship Launcher, fire!" Guardian’s voice rang out.

I looked back and saw the launchers on the beast's back open, firing seven or eight missiles. Damn it, this is bullying! Using such high-tech weaponry—these Machine-race summoned beasts are just too underhanded.

I immediately activated my Feint and opened a transparent shield to withstand the incoming missiles. The trees around me were leveled by the explosions. I groaned slightly; the power of the Battleshipdramon was truly terrifying.

Two remaining missiles flew toward me and detonated, raining down fragments the size of a human head like a downpour. The sheer force was terrifying, causing my 5,000-durability shield to flicker violently, on the verge of shattering.

I watched in horror as the small missiles hit the ground, carving out craters. "Stop right there!" Silver Moon’s angry voice came from behind. I turned into a white blur and dove deep into the jungle.

"Guardian, the kid ran into the forest. What do we do?" Silver Moon asked.

"Hmph, he can’t escape. Battleshipdramon, flatten this forest for me!" As Guardian gave the order, Battleshipdramon let out a long howl. Its massive body rumbled forward, smashing through the trees as if they were nothing. With every step, the earth shook, and the surrounding trees swayed and creaked, on the verge of snapping.

I activated "Wings Spanning a Thousand Miles," instantly boosting my speed to dive deeper into the jungle. After a frantic run, the speed boost ended. This last gamble had put significant distance between us, but I could still hear the thunderous roar of the Battleshipdramon echoing through the forest, sending flocks of birds and beasts into a panicked frenzy.

Once my stamina was exhausted, I collapsed in a valley. From far away, I could faintly hear the beast's roars. After resting to recover my stamina and exiting combat status, I used a Return Scroll to head back to the city.

***

Back in the city, after buying some potions, I saw that my three summoned beasts had returned to my summoning space to sleep; they wouldn't be available for a while. Still, surviving the ordeal was a relief. I gathered my things and headed toward Long Xin’s location.

I soon reached the coordinates provided by Long Xin. There was a small outpost there, where several heavily armored soldiers stood guard with bows, watching the distance cautiously, ready to attack at the slightest disturbance. Standing in front of them was a silver-armored officer, hand resting on his sword.

Long Xin and Xiao Yue were standing next to the NPC officer. As I walked over, I heard Long Xin grumbling, "Big Brother, why are you so slow? You kept us waiting for so long."

"Exactly, Long Ling, you better have a good explanation," Feng Xiaoyue added.

I scratched my head. "Explanation? It’s not something I can explain quickly, but honestly, it’s a miracle I made it here in one piece."

"What’s wrong? Big Brother, were you being hunted?" Long Xin asked.

"Yes, and if your big brother hadn't kept an ace up his sleeve, I’d be nursing a Weakness debuff in Sky Dragon City right now," I replied.

"Oh? Who could hunt you? I’d love to see them," Feng Xiaoyue seemed intrigued.

I said, "I’d rather not see them again. Anyway, why did you call me?"

Long Xin said, "Come with us. We accepted a quest and need you to help us finish it."

Soon, we saw a graveyard. Level 29 Mutant Crows flew down from the gloomy sky, landing on a withered old tree. Up ahead, several zombies dripping with acid were wandering around, looking absolutely hideous.

I finally understood why they called me. The monsters here were either zombies or rotting corpses. The two women found it repulsive, so they needed me to tank the mobs. A level 45 zombie appeared, and I met it with my staff. A damage number of -1570 popped up over its head. After three more strikes, the zombie surrendered its experience points.

After knocking out over a hundred zombies, a flash of light signaled my level up. My attributes were fully restored, and I let out a silent cheer in my heart. Finally, level 48!

Then, I spotted a level 49 Elite Zombie Captain standing under a large tree ahead. Long Xin and the others stopped holding back and joined in, knowing this thing could drop good loot. But just as we had the captain near death, a fireball the size of a human head appeared before our eyes. To our shock, the fireball was pitch black! When it struck the Zombie Captain, a damage number of -6586 appeared over its head!

What the hell is that powerful? Who’s the blind fool trying to steal our kill? Several thoughts flashed through my mind, and I quickly looked toward the source of the fireball. A black figure emerged from behind a massive tombstone a few dozen meters away. The person was wearing a black magic robe, a hood obscuring their face, and they held a black book with the word "DEATH" written on the cover in large letters.

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen. I didn't mean to steal your kill; I just intended to kill you."