Chapter 35: You Don't Just Want My Gear, You Also Want My...

Chen Yuan stared at the scene before him and silently swallowed.

Such a powerful impact, and yet... she was completely unscathed?!

Oh, no, the black armor on her chest had been slightly scorched by the flames, it just wasn't very noticeable.

What kind of monstrous gear is that? I want a set!

He squeezed his legs around Tieniu's chassis and whispered urgently, "Run!"

「Master, please set an escape route.」

Tieniu's simple, powerful voice emanated from its speaker, breaking the brief silence that had followed the explosion.

Chen Yuan wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Aren't you usually pretty smart? Why are you asking such a stupid question now?! And even if you have to ask, do you have to be so loud? Do you think she's deaf?! Stupid dog!

At that moment, the pretty face beneath Lan Ya's mask had already shifted through several shades of green and red. You have some real nerve, kid. Looks like I misjudged you. If I didn't have this armor protecting me, I'd probably be a popsicle by now!

A cold snort came from within the mask, followed by a voice tinged with ice. "Heh. Run?"

A knot of tension formed in Chen Yuan's gut. He felt like a cornered prey. If he didn't run now, it would be too late!

"Tiedan! Tieqiong! Get her!"

"Tieniu, you idiot, run for home!"

「Roger.」 「Roger.」 「Roger.」

This time, Tieniu didn't drop the ball. Its four legs pumped, carrying its master on its back as it bolted in one direction. Tieqiong and Tiedan extended their weapons and charged forward.

The distance between them was only five meters; they crossed it in an instant. The sharp conical drill spun, the pincer opened wide, and they attacked the woman's chest and limbs.

Lan Ya was somewhat surprised by the ferocity of the two robot dogs' assault. She had seen the man shooting zombies from the side earlier but hadn't seen the robot dogs in action. Only now did she realize that his true reliance wasn't the compound bow in his hands, but these three robot dogs. How were they made? They're actually kind of cute... asking for an escape route before running away.

However, Lan Ya had no intention of getting entangled with them. She bent her knees and then pushed off the ground with explosive force, launching her entire body more than five meters straight up before rocketing forward. While easily dodging the attack, she closed the distance between herself and the fleeing man.

After carving an arc of nearly ten meters through the air, her feet landed back on the ground, shattering the frozen concrete and leaving two deep craters.

Seeing the man still trying to escape up ahead, she didn't stop, pushing off again. After several flips in mid-air, she landed steadily two meters in front of Chen Yuan.

Tieniu screeched to a halt, the distance between them now less than a meter.

Lan Ya's pale blue eyes, blazing with fury, were locked on the fleeing man. A glacial voice emanated from her mask.

"Run? Do you think you can get away?"

Chen Yuan swallowed hard. Judging by her movements, she was incredibly strong. At the very least, he was no match for her on his own. Hmm, even with the three robot dogs, it was probably a no-go. He was just now discovering that killing twenty zombies was not enough to make him cocky. Now he'd run into a real powerhouse. Not only could he not win, he couldn't even escape.

She wants the gear on my body? What a joke! Just take it! As long as he had his Hyperspace Portable Tent, she could take not only the bow and arrows but the stupid dog under him as well. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. What was the harm in giving up a little gear?!

Having come to this conclusion, Chen Yuan squeezed out an awkward smile. "Ahem, I was just testing your reaction speed." As he spoke, he smoothly drew an arrow from his back and offered it to her. "Here, it's just a little trinket, nothing special. If you like it, it's yours."

Lan Ya raised an eyebrow, temporarily suppressing the rage in her heart. He knows when to fold. That's rare. But what a clumsy excuse for running away.

"Hmph. That's more like it."

Though she appeared calm on the surface, the shockwave from the explosion had left her insides aching. She took the arrowhead and examined it, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. It looked so ordinary. How could it have such immense power? Hmm, she wasn't a professional, she couldn't tell.

Her gaze returned to the man. "Alright, take off your mask. Let me see your face."

Hearing this, Chen Yuan felt a certain part of his anatomy tighten. Damn it! You don't just want my gear, you also want my ass? How can I tolerate this?!

He quickly raised his right hand and ripped the mask from his face. Fine, you can have my ass. It's not like I'm the one losing out, anyway.

Lan Ya was a bit surprised by how cooperative he was. Looking at the man's face, she was momentarily dazed. He's so young… and handsome… Ahem, what am I thinking?! She secretly shook her head, raised her left hand, and lightly touched a spot on her temple. The pale blue visor of her helmet instantly transformed into a red beam of light.

She aimed the red beam directly at the man's face and began to scan.

At this moment, Chen Yuan also became nervous. This was a parallel world, after all. What if he had no records at all?

The red beam disappeared, and the visor returned to its pale blue color. At the same time, Lan Ya's slightly relieved voice sounded out. "Alright, no criminal record. Here, you can have this back..."

She tossed the arrow back at him. The angle and force were just right, aimed at his chest, a small bit of payback for his earlier shot.

Chen Yuan saw the arrow flying toward him and fumbled to catch it. "Shit, I don't have any armor!" he yelped internally. "Thank god it didn't explode… thank god…"

While cursing in his heart, a look of confusion crept onto his face. What does this mean? Does my handsome face have no currency in this market?

Lan Ya's beautiful eyes glinted. She had seen the man's confusion and said, annoyed, "I'm an official government agent. Why would I rob you of your gear?!"

Chen Yuan froze. Official government agent?

Huh. That actually had some credibility. Why else would she have such incredible equipment? And why hadn't she just dealt with him after he shot an arrow at her? Wasn't that the typical MO of the authorities?

Even though it was the Ice Age, the official government hadn't died out yet. In other words, the land he was standing on was not lawless territory. There was order, just not much of it...

But weren't all the officials hiding in the shelters?

Seeing the man's blank expression, Lan Ya sighed inwardly while patiently explaining. "You didn't really think the only thing the government did was have everyone hide in shelters, did you?"

Chen Yuan rubbed his chin and said in a perfectly serious tone, "I actually did think that." At least, that's what he had seen and heard so far.

You... Lan Ya was truly speechless at his logic. She said, exasperated, "Before this Ice Age began, the government made all kinds of preparations. Besides improving the shelters, they also dispatched massive Hunter Squads to clear out potential threats."

Chen Yuan looked around and said with a strange expression, "This massive Hunter Squad you're talking about… it's not just you, is it?"

Lan Ya's face twitched uncontrollably. "There are more than eight thousand cities of various sizes in our Great Xia. The number of personnel dispatched is different depending on the city's scale. At least ten thousand agents have been sent out! Is that not massive enough?!"

The corner of Chen Yuan's mouth twitched. That was actually quite reasonable. He scratched his head. "Oh. So?"

"So, I was assigned to Jiangcheng!" Lan Ya practically ground her teeth. Kid, can you even hold a conversation?!

"Alright, I get it." Chen Yuan nodded slightly, basically believing her story now. He looked at the sturdy armor she was wearing, and his heart began to stir. The poor rely on mutation, the rich rely on technology. If I had that armor, would I have been in such a pathetic state today?

Lan Ya felt a chill run down her spine from the man's meaningful gaze. She couldn't help but snap, "Hey, what's with that look?!"

"Ahem, nothing. So, if you have something you need, you might as well just say it. My time is limited, and I still have to go home and sleep."