11. Symbiosis
Ying Chelin fired the electromagnetic cannon, hitting the vine. The mutated Nine-Dragon Rattan had very few stems and leaves, making it difficult to see its complete appearance in the dark forest. The way it swung the vines resembled a large octopus, with only green-brown vines visible.
Just then, Ying Chelin suddenly noticed its roots.
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The DE team closest to the vine suffered the most damage. They originally thought the threat from the Nine-Dragon Rattan was manageable with their 12 mechas, but they were caught off guard when the normally docile vine suddenly went berserk.
Xu Yaojun frowned as he watched the situation. Before leaving KID, he overheard Shen Xingtang and Jiang Simiao discussing the contamination source. Coupled with the damage to Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao's mechas, he knew that snatching the anomalous crystal from KID would be a piece of cake for him.
He volunteered for the mission in Banute's contamination zone, seeking an opportunity to establish his reputation in the DE team after transferring from KID. DE had given him a chance, providing him with 11 A-level mechas as assistance, but little did they know that the sudden vine rampage would cause some mechas to be unable to hold their ground.
"Don't you know how to dodge? You suffer so much damage just from being flung once?" Xu Yaojun said coldly, "When it attacks, can't you dodge?"
"Xu-ge, it's too fast."
"Yeah, there are so many of its vines. It's impossible to dodge them all."
"Xu-ge, we're not as skilled as you, and we don't have competition-grade mechas."
Xu Yaojun didn't give up and commanded several waves to advance. However, the attacking vines were getting farther and farther away. After several rounds of encirclement, they hadn't cut off many vines, but the mechas' damage levels continued to rise.
The other DE mecha pilots couldn't help but complain. To prevent KID from getting a chance to intervene, most of them were tank and Vanguard mechas. There were only two Artillery and control mechas. They crowded in the front, blocking the vine's attacks, while Xu Yaojun, with his competition-grade Artillery mecha, hid in the back. How could he still have the audacity to say that they were dragging the team down?
The attack lasted for fifteen minutes, and not only DE but also the surrounding mechas suffered damage to varying degrees.
Xu Yaojun felt the situation was tricky. He quickly found a suitable high vantage point and charged his energy cannon.
The competition-grade mechas' weapons had the effect of A-level anomalous crystals. Xu Yaojun's energy cannon wasn't an ordinary one; it had the additional effect of advanced incineration upon hitting the target, making it more powerful than an ordinary energy cannon.
He immediately invested 20 units of energy, intending to create an opening with one shot. "Everyone, move back!"
DE's other members retreated one after another, and Xu Yaojun charged up and fired his shot.
With a loud bang, the Nine-Dragon Rattan, which had been waving its vines, seemed to sense the danger. It suddenly retracted, revealing a large mouth with fangs hidden beneath the vines, directly devouring Xu Yaojun's energy cannon!
Xu Yaojun cursed, "Damn, this isn't just a vine!"
From a higher vantage point, Ying Chelin saw the scene and suddenly became serious.
A contaminant capable of devouring energy cannons... This ability of the Nine-Dragon Rattan didn't seem like a simple A-level anomalous crystal.
"Devouring effect," You Su spoke up. "This thing isn't just an ordinary vine."
"Devouring!? Isn't the Nine-Dragon Rattan's ability regeneration?" Ji Qingfeng's face showed surprise. "I remember that anomalous crystals with devouring effects are all S-level crystals, right...?"
"Did we encounter an S-level anomalous crystal!?" Lin Yao's eyes lit up. "Let me check it out!"
Ying Chelin's attention was on the Vanguard mecha charging down. Lin Yao was a melee mecha pilot, quickly darting between the vines. As he passed through, the vines were continuously cut off.
However, the severed vines quickly regenerated. The regeneration ability was incredibly strong, recovering in nearly 10 seconds.
This situation was bizarre. Initially, the regeneration ability of the vines wasn't so potent, but as the battle progressed, it rapidly increased.
Severed vines regenerated, while remote energy cannons would be devoured by the strange buds protected by the vine.
It was as if all the energy devoured by the buds became nourishment for the Nine-Dragon Rattan...
The scene became extremely chaotic. The DE team's initial encirclement formation was completely disrupted by the Nine-Dragon Rattan, especially with the emergence of the devouring effect. Everyone around became vigilant.
In the chaotic state, the sole objective of all the mecha pilots present was the Nine-Dragon Rattan's anomalous crystal.
That was an S-level anomalous crystal with a devouring effect. If made into a weapon, it would be a weapon with a devouring effect.
More and more mechas attacked the Nine-Dragon Rattan, but the rampaging vine's counterattacks became fiercer. It swept through the surrounding mechas, continuously sending them flying, causing more and more damaged mechas.
Lin Yao entered the scene three times, cutting off the vines, only to see them quickly regrow. "This won't work. Its regeneration is too annoying."
"We've made a mistake."
Amidst the chaotic and noisy environment, a young and calm voice came through the communication channel.
Hearing the unfamiliar voice on the communication channel, Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao immediately looked at the B-level mecha that had remained silent all this time. This person's presence was too weak. While the other remote mecha occasionally spoke, this B-level mecha had not said a word since they entered the communication channel.
Ji Qingfeng said, "What did we get wrong?"
Ying Chenlin highlighted a few points in the shared field of view and explained, "This is not just a pollutant; they have a symbiotic relationship."
In the field of view, the pollution value at the coordinates of the Nine-Dragon Rattan had soared to 6000, and the value was still unstable.
The grey-colored mech remained at the farthest distance, right at the limit of the Nine-Dragon Rattan's attack range, observing the chaotic battlefield with indifference.
You Su casually listened to the calm voice of the boy in the communication channel, and the high-magnification scope of the sniper rifle was continuously focused on the root of the Nine-Dragon Rattan, gradually revealing its appearance.
The pollution value was indeed abnormal, reaching the standard of an S-level pollutant but was extremely unstable.
In the communication channel, Ji Qingfeng's doubts were resolved.
"A symbiotic relationship, the Nine-Dragon Rattan and the flower buds coexist. The Nine-Dragon Rattan has strong attacking abilities and carries the regenerative ability of its anomaly, while the buds protected by its roots possess the power of devouring."
You Su explained, "A single pollutant cannot possess two different anomalous abilities. If they have a symbiotic relationship, some of the connections make sense."
The buds absorb energy and feed it back to the Nine-Dragon Rattan, while the Nine-Dragon Rattan provides protection to the buds.
The more people there are, the more energy they give to the buds, and the stronger the Nine-Dragon Rattan becomes.
Ji Qingfeng suddenly understood, "So, the members of DE have fattened up this Nine-Dragon Rattan!?"
"Fattened up? Doesn't that make it harder to deal with?" Lin Yao recalled, "I remember Xu Yaojun's shot just now was over 10, and now it's 15... How much did they fatten it up!?"
A shot of 15???
Ji Qingfeng almost fainted, "I’m really grateful to him."
In other words, the Nine-Dragon Rattan went berserk to this extent all because the other mechs provided it with enough energy.
The surroundings of the Nine-Dragon Rattan were in complete chaos, and several mechs had already retreated hundreds of meters due to excessive damage. On the field, only five mechs from DE remained, and a few others were moving towards the exit of the contaminated zone to retreat.
Ji Qingfeng saw the situation and said, "Wow, DE can't handle this, so they're going to find reinforcements outside?"
"Seriously? If we can't handle it, should we just run away?" Lin Yao added, "Then can we defeat it?"
Both Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao were not the type to think deeply. The soaring pollution value had cut off external communication. They now only had two choices: either stay here and figure out a way or retreat from the contaminated zone and seek help.
"No, our lineup is quite capable."
Ying Chenlin flexed his right hand, reconnecting the long-disconnected neural connection to his right arm. "The reason why the Nine-Dragon Rattan has been so strong is that DE's Artilleries have been continuously attacking its roots. And the melee mechas around are all protecting the Artillery mechas, leading to the current situation."
Ji Qingfeng hesitated for a moment. "If we don't destroy the roots, then how can we deal with it? It has regenerative abilities. Should we continue to fight it?"
Ying Chenlin replied simply, "We kill the buds first, then the Nine-Dragon Rattan."
Lin Yao became more active when he heard that it could be killed. "How do we kill it?"
"Since the buds devour energy and are protected by the Nine-Dragon Rattan... then it's straightforward. We just have to starve the buds of energy and use close combat weapons to deal with them," Ying Chenlin adjusted the field of view to lock onto the roots of the Nine-Dragon Rattan. "The premise is that we need to get close enough to lift the protective layer of the buds."
Ji Qingfeng said, "Getting close is the difficult part. We only have one restraining lock chain for control weapons."
Ying Chenlin suggested, "But what if we add the stun magnetic cannon and gun firepower?"
You Su, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "Let's not rush."
His gaze fell on the fleeing DE team in the distance. "I don't like to leave opportunities for others. What about you guys?"
Ying Chenlin paused for a moment while adjusting the mecha's parameters, then suddenly looked at the gun and cannon mecha.
Ji Qingfeng realized something and looked towards the location of the DE team. "To be honest, I feel the same way."
He didn't hesitate to reveal his other hobby, "I also like to see people getting beaten up. What about you guys?"
Lin Yao became spirited and belatedly joined the topic, "Beat up Xu Yaojun?"
"Xu Yaojun?" Ying Chenlin was puzzled.
"Oh, the red mecha mixed in with DE, he used to be from our team..." Lin Yao didn't mention the possibility of Xu Yaojun colluding with the mechanics and continued, "He's familiar with DE's management, and after leaving, he mocked me and Da Feng, saying that our mechs are all trash. When we first discovered the Nine-Dragon Rattan, it was the two of us. During the fight, he brought the people from DE to force us back."
Ying Chenlin understood now.
After a while, he said, "Then let's beat him up."
Lin Yao nodded, "Yeah!"
