Capture

Although Ye Shi had spoken in a joking tone, there was nothing playful about what his hands were doing. Blue electric arcs danced across the tips of his bionic fingers, the eerie, flickering sparks flitting like ghosts to a crackling sound like snapping dry firewood. Flynn couldn't speak. Subjected to this electrotherapy, he couldn't even plead for mercy; his entire body convulsed as if gripped by a violent seizure. In truth, if this had been Lao Bai, paralyzing the power components of his power armor probably wouldn't have done much. This guy, however, just had fancy gear. His base body was likely nothing more than an average Awakened, and his enhancement path was probably geared toward reflex nerves. Still, when you thought about it, this electrical discharge ability was pretty damn impressive! Not only could he fire electromagnetic railguns bare-handed, but he could also release close-quarters electromagnetic pulses and overload circuits—and on top of that, give his opponent a nice round of shock therapy afterward. His portable reactor provided plenty of power; if he felt like it, he could keep shocking someone all day long. "What's the matter, buddy? Cat got your tongue?" With his hand resting on the exoskeleton's shoulder plating, Ye Shi teased with a cheeky grin. Beneath his grip, the man inside the suit was twitching so hard his eyes had rolled back. Just then, hurried footsteps approached from the distance. Jiang Xuezhou finally caught up. Resting her hands on her knees, she wheezed out a shout. "Ye Shi! Don't... don't shock him into cardiac arrest! We need to interrogate him... take him alive!" Ye Shi, who had been having the time of his life, flinched and quickly pulled back his sparking hand. As the electrodes parted from the body, the man's shoulders stopped spasming. But he didn't move at all anymore, remaining frozen stiff right where he stood. "Holy crap, did he actually pass out?!" Ye Shi felt a pang of panic, mostly terrified that he might end up having to give the guy CPR. Still dangling in midair by her throat, Feng Qing let out a weak cough and rasped, "...Could you... maybe put me down first?" Since her feet weren't touching the ground, she hadn't taken much of the current, but she was at the end of her rope regardless. She felt that if she hung there any longer, she'd be heading straight back to Dawn City to see the Administrator. "Ah! Hang in there! I'll get you down right away!" Seeing Feng Qing's eyes about to roll back as well, Ye Shi hurriedly switched to the arc-welder attachment built into his bionic arm and performed a circular cut right around the "iron hand" strangling her neck. Electric sparks hissed and sprayed outwards. Just then, a faint, feeble wail came from the corner of a wall nearby. "Medic! I need a medic! *Cough*... I'm dying!" Even though she couldn't understand what the person was shouting, seeing another wounded soldier sprawled against the wall sent Jiang Xuezhou scrambling over in a rush. "I'll help!" ... With half her body wedged into the warped metal pipes, Gui Gui—who had just logged back on—felt as though her entire body had shattered into pieces. Barely a single part of her answered to her commands. That kick had to have packed the power of at least a level-50 Strength build, right? No— Maybe even level sixty. Her chestplate had caved inward into a sharp V-shape. Fortunately, thanks to the exoskeleton's protection, she had only broken a few ribs and picked up several deep bruises. With the help of a certain Academy researcher, she finally managed to wriggle out of the half-ruined exoskeleton. As a nano-healing injection was plunged into her leg, she felt a warm current spread across her entire body. It felt like she had been propped back up, and her sluggish limbs regained some responsiveness. "Phew... Saved! Ah, thank you... How much was that healing shot? I-I-I'll transfer the money to you." Hearing her heartfelt gratitude, an embarrassed smile crossed Jiang Xuezhou's face as she waved her hand. "No need, no need... Our supplies are redeemed with G points; they don't cost money." By this time, with Ye Shi's help, Feng Qing's feet had also touched the ground, and she slipped free of the severed exoskeleton arm. Both of her arms were injured, though the bones weren't broken, merely dislocated. With Ye Shi's assistance, she popped both arms back into their sockets and wrapped them in bandages to stabilize the injuries. As for a full recovery and reducing the swelling, that would have to wait for the hibernation pod. Even if she had to lie in a hibernation pod for a day or two, it was still far better than having to respawn back in Dawn City. She hadn't explored enough of this new map yet, and she and Gui Gui were planning to visit Triumph City afterward. Looking at the mangled wreckage and mechanical parts scattered all over the ground, Ye Shi felt a wrench of heartache. Noticing his expression, Feng Qing nodded slightly in apology. "Thanks... and sorry for wrecking your loot." "No worries, no worries, as long as you're all right," Ye Shi said politely with a wave of his hand and a smile. "I'll take it back to Boulder City and let Ibers have a look. Maybe it can still be used after some repairs... By the way, what brought you two down into the sewers?" Earlier, he and Jiang Xuezhou had wandered the alleys for ages without spotting anyone from the Enlightenment Society, only running into two street thugs. Perhaps thinking the two looked like easy targets, the thugs had cliché-style walked up demanding cash. Naturally, Ye Shi had beaten them to a pulp and tossed them into a roadside dumpster. Lately, recruitment demand in Avent City was booming and pedestrian traffic was surging. The influx of survivors was a mixed bag, and a few light-fingered riffraff were bound to slip through the cracks. Though he hadn't caught any Enlightenment Society agents, beating up two petty thugs counted as doing his part for Avent City's public order. Shortly after dealing with them, however, gunshots had suddenly echoed from beneath a nearby manhole cover. Ye Shi had realized that they hadn't searched underground yet, so he dragged Jiang Xuezhou down with him. As it turned out, his intuition had been spot-on. Moreover, shortly after he went down, Gui Gui—who had been kicked offline—had hopped onto the official forum and put up a post. Tracking the sounds of explosions, he had quickly found this spot, and a single strike from the shadows had brought the fight to an end. Compared to the disciple he had run into back in Shelter 0, this guy's combat prowess was somewhat lacking. Ye Shi had practically crept right up to his back while the guy was still busy bragging. Feng Qing steadied her breathing and briefly explained their situation. "We took a quest from Mosquito to clear out a mutant nest. We had no idea there'd be more than just mutants down in these sewers." Pausing, Feng Qing glanced around, her expression turning cautious. "This guy is probably an Enlightenment Society disciple, and there might be more than one around here... We'd better watch our backs." "Don't worry," Jiang Xuezhou chimed in, supporting the injured Gui Gui as she walked over, the corners of her lips curling with confidence. "I will never be ambushed by someone in optical camouflage again in my life." Optical camouflage could create visual invisibility, but it couldn't hide changes in electromagnetic fields. Ever since her brush with danger in Shelter 0, she had equipped herself with a magnetic sensor array capable of non-stop detection of all active electronic components and electromagnetic wave emitters within a twenty-meter radius. Nowhere in this world did technology exist that could maintain both electromagnetic shielding and optical invisibility at the same time. Combine that with Ye Shi's borderline unscientific perception, and she was a hundred percent confident they could nip any threat in the bud! Yet for some reason, Ye Shi—who had previously felt completely secure against ambushes—suddenly lost his confidence upon hearing her words. He let out a dry cough. "Don't do that. I felt the same way at first... but planting a flag like that is making me nervous." Seeing him undercut her again, Jiang Xuezhou glared at him with raised eyebrows. "What weird nonsense are you talking about now? What 'flag'? I'm being serious, all right?!" "Right, right, sure..." Ye Shi brushed her off perfunctorily, then turned to Feng Qing and shrugged. "Anyway, the Academy has some black-tech gadgets that can detect optical camouflage. Not totally reliable, but paired with my Perception-type talent, it's decent enough." Feng Qing and Gui Gui exchanged a look, both sighing in awe. "Black-tech..." "Must be nice." Unable to understand the dialogue between Ye Shi and the other shelter residents, Jiang Xuezhou knitted her brows suspiciously. "Are you badmouthing me behind my back?" "How could I? Am I that kind of person?" Ye Shi said, caught between laughter and tears. Yet the suspicion on Jiang Xuezhou's face only deepened; she clearly didn't buy his explanation. "Really? Then translate what you just said!" "I said Academy science and technology is number one under heaven!" Ye Shi declared shamelessly without skipping a beat. "Hmph, at least you have some sense..." Feeling sweet as if she had just eaten chocolate, Jiang Xuezhou proudly tilted up her chin. Yet before her smugness could last even a second, she caught the expression on the face of the girl named Gui Gui beside her. Immediately, her upturned lips and lifted brows collapsed together. "Wait, you're lying! You said that last time too! But the pronunciation was completely different!" Liars were what she despised most in the world. Realizing she had been played, Jiang Xuezhou flushed bright red with fury. She kicked out at his shin, only for her toe to catch thin air as he easily dodged aside. "Hahahahaha! Sorry! I was kidding, hahaha! I didn't think you'd actually fall for it!" Even though he knew he looked obnoxious laughing, Xiao Jiang's flustered, furious expression was simply too adorable, and Ye Shi couldn't help snorting like a pig. Seeing how smug he was, Jiang Xuezhou—who had only been mildly annoyed—felt her temper flare hotter the more she thought about it. Letting go of Gui Gui's arm, she charged right after him. "You jerk... Stand still! I'm... I'm going to knock your head crooked!" "Haha! Touch my head first if you can!" Watching the two chase each other around in the sewer, Feng Qing rubbed her temples with a complicated expression. She considered herself pretty casual when playing games, but compared to top-tier players, she was truly out of her depth. This was a sewer, for crying out loud. Couldn't they pick a more romantic spot to flirt? Gui Gui hobbled over to her side, pinching her nose with her forefinger and pulling a miserable face. "Dammit... Just when I was getting used to the sewer smell, it suddenly got even more sickeningly sour." They had already been force-fed a heap of PDA up on the surface this morning, and now they were getting another mouthful shoved down their throats underground. Feng Qing sighed and cast a helpless look at her best friend. "They did just save your life, you know. Bear with it." Choked by the remark, Gui Gui wore a pained grimace as if she had endless complaints but nowhere to vent them. Finally, she pressed her right hand to her flat chest. "Guh... Just kill me." Feng Qing tilted her head, not quite catching what anime meme she was referencing this time. Still, that wasn't the main point. Glancing at the Enlightenment Society disciple standing frozen like a statue, Feng Qing then looked over at Ye Shi, who had already been pinned to the ground by Jiang Xuezhou, and pointed toward the side. "Not to interrupt your games... but what should we do with this guy?" Her face burning, Jiang Xuezhou halted her hands. Finally catching his breath, Ye Shi strained to turn his head and coughed. "Let's haul him up first... If nothing went wrong, he should be the only one at the nearby outpost. Rather than searching slowly, it's better to make him lead the way." While helping Feng Qing down from the exoskeleton earlier, he had already checked; their prisoner still had a pulse and might even have regained consciousness by now. However, he had already ripped out the battery pack from the exoskeleton the man was wearing, locking all moving parts and administering a sedative injection for good measure. Even if this guy woke up, he wouldn't be able to budge an inch, left only to stand there stiffly and glare helplessly. "Good idea," Feng Qing gave a thumbs-up. "Then Gui Gui and I will head up? You two... carry on?" She said the second half in the Human Alliance language—in other words, the language Jiang Xuezhou could understand. Picking up on the subtle teasing, Jiang Xuezhou shot Ye Shi one last venomous glare, then cleared her throat with an attempt at nonchalance, getting up from the ground with flushed cheeks. "C-carry on with what?! I'm going up!" Watching that face burn so hot it looked ready to puff steam, Feng Qing couldn't help letting a fond, knowing smile spread across her lips. Were all their friends from the Academy this innocent and pure? Involuntarily, she thought of Boss Xia, who used to argue with players for entire afternoons. Speaking of which, the weapon shop in Ling Lake Wetland Park had rotated through several NPCs by now, but the one she missed most was still that red-haired young woman from the very beginning. "Let's all go up together then. It's just as well—I was worried Gui Gui and I wouldn't be able to keep this guy under control on our own." Seeing that Feng Qing was ready to leave, Gui Gui suddenly lifted her head as if remembering something. "Wait, what about the mutant nest quest? Are we just going to abandon that little rat we sent out earlier?" Feng Qing froze for a second, clearly having just remembered that as well. After a brief pause, she said, "We'll have to come back down in a bit anyway." "We'll see what that little guy managed to find when the time comes." ... In the tavern by the entrance of the labor market, Fang Chang was sipping coffee when his phone suddenly rang. It was Lao Bai. "You caught him already?" His eyes widened in surprise, and he pushed back his chair to stand up. "Got it... I'll be right there." Dolly, who had been writing an article, paused her pen and looked at him curiously. "You found him already?! That fast?" She had just been about to offer mobilizing the power of the newspaper, yet the person had already been captured. "In the sewer beneath 17th Street. They likely have a fixed stronghold hidden down there, just like the one under Evernight Port. We might be able to find the clues we need inside... Provided, of course, that we can pry open that disciple's mouth first." As he spoke, Fang Chang reached out to grab his overcoat draped over the back of the chair, pulled it onto his shoulders, buttoned it up, and looked at Dolly. "I'm heading over there first. I should be back before evening. If you get hungry, feel free to order food." Dolly smiled and waved at him. "Go on, go on, stay safe out there... Oh, right! If there's any explosive news, make sure to let me know!" Seeing her playful expression, Fang Chang offered a gentle smile. "I will... And you too, try to stick close to the military camp. Public safety in this settlement hasn't been great lately—not just because of the Enlightenment Society, but also wastelander drifters coming from other regions." Dolly raised an eyebrow and teased, "No matter how bad the public safety gets, could it possibly compare to old Boulder City? Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who's easily pushed around." Fang Chang chuckled, reaching out to gently ruffle her fluffy, emerald-green hair. "I believe you. Wait for me to get back."