Fang Senyan sighed, slowly releasing the foot he had pressed onto the accelerator, because pressing it further would be meaningless.

Listening to the faint sound emanating from the brand-new dual-core engine, a sound that could only be described as the ragged gasp of an old man on the verge of death, Fang Senyan knew that any further effort to accelerate was futile.

The problem wasn't the fuel; the gauge, checked just before departure, was still full, and even now, it was more than half full.

The toxic gas and acidic fumes seeping from the Dead Zone had quietly corroded the Vulture combat vehicle's engine. In the core areas demanding precision, the resulting pitting and unevenness caused the deliverable power to drop lower and lower, eventually becoming a joke.

"Time is precious," Fang Senyan said to himself.

He swiftly leaped out of the cockpit, gazing at the Vulture’s surface, mottled from corrosion by the acid and toxic mists. His fingertips suddenly elongated, sharpening into a silver-white blade... much like the metal man from the movie Terminator 2... and with effortless ease, he sliced off a large piece of the vehicle’s seat leather, fashioning it into a crude mask to cover his face.

The Dead Zone treated everyone equally, pouring its acid mist and poisonous gas over Fang Senyan. Yes, this harsh environment, which had defeated countless foes, was beginning to conquer the creature before it. Walking forward with heavy steps, Fang Senyan frowned as he monitored the rate at which his vitality was dropping, ultimately arriving at one conclusion:

Even someone as formidable as him would perish if exposed to such an environment for more than ten hours.

Realizing this, Fang Senyan couldn't help but knit his brows. He found himself re-examining one of his skills, muttering under his breath:

"If things get too dire, I'll have to pause this. Doing so should extend my survival time by about five hours."

The ability Fang Senyan was scrutinizing was precisely the potent skill derived from the Virus Lord: Wound of Corrosion!

At this moment, the name of this ability was replaced by ??? because it had merged and mutated with an ability tailored for the owner, previously obtained from Pandora's Box! Thus, its name was now superseded by a progress bar that was counting down; it had currently reached 89%.

Undoubtedly, the combination of these two abilities consumed a significant portion of the Sun Ladder's capacity. Therefore, if Fang Senyan temporarily suspended this progress bar, he believed he could hold out longer.

Faced with this dire survival crisis, Fang Senyan began calculating how to maximize his endurance. Considering the long distance he might have to travel, he didn't rush to depart. After improvising the mask, he also cut several strips of leather and tightly wrapped them around his legs before setting off, moving towards the distance at a steady pace.

Less than ten minutes after Fang Senyan abandoned the derelict Vulture combat vehicle, a figure silently materialized near the scrapped machine. It was the GHOST, which had been modified—the assassin Messenger of Suffering, dispatched by the Queen.

It had undergone another evolution specifically tailored to the damned environment of the Dead Zone.

Its carapace-like exoskeleton had vanished, replaced by a light, pliable skin resembling a nutshell, impervious to the acid mist and toxic gas. The filtration system in its respiratory organs had been upgraded to four layers.

Furthermore, to facilitate pursuit, the muscles in its legs and arms appeared more developed, showing a clear enhancement in agility. Corresponding to this trait, the Messenger of Suffering had more external bone spurs, which now shone with specks of dark green light, clearly indicating potent toxicity—evidently, if one possessed a massive advantage in speed, the best tactic was to keep the enemy at range and kite them to death.

After confirming that this Vulture was indeed the one Fang Senyan had driven, the Messenger of Suffering hunched its body, baring its teeth, and circled the vehicle twice. It sniffed the spot where Fang Senyan had been sitting, then began to shriek and roar maniacally, tearing the abandoned Vulture into shards of scrap metal with its claws and teeth! Brownish blood sprayed out during the process, but the creature spared no effort, ripping off its own teeth and breaking its claws in the frenzy!

This was the origin of the Messenger of Suffering's name: inflicting pain on the enemy, and also enduring pain itself, missing no opportunity to create suffering. For it, pain was the driving force of life, the root of battle—either it made the enemy suffer, or it would suffer even more itself!

Finally, the Messenger of Suffering violently smashed the energy core, emitting a piercing screech so sharp it seemed intended to bore through the heavens and fly into the cosmos.

By this time, Fang Senyan had already walked a full fifteen kilometers. Although the ghost-like wail of the wind constantly assaulted his ears, and the accursed environment ceaselessly gnawed at his life force, he maintained sufficient vigilance, especially since his powerful perception constantly warned him that danger had not retreated.

After the Messenger of Suffering let out its sharp, provocative roar, even after countless collisions echoing through the mountains and being churned by the mournful wind, the sound faintly reached Fang Senyan's ears. His brow furrowed, and he muttered unconsciously:

"It came fast... Wait! Something feels wrong."

Fang Senyan was a man with an acutely sensitive battlefield intuition. Thinking carefully, he immediately realized what was amiss: the style.

If a major figure like the Queen of Blades were to personally pursue him, she would view it as a profound insult. Therefore, she would absolutely not shout provocatively; silently eliminating him and leaving would be her style.

"The Queen of Blades sent someone else to kill me? Right, this is another unexpected development. This woman is far from simple; she always devises countermeasures that exploit my blind spots! And based on her temperament, whoever she sends must be guaranteed to kill me... Who is pursuing me? Hero Zergling? Hero Hydralisk? Hero Mammoth? Hero Mutalisk? ...No, while these standard units might surpass me in strength, the Queen of Blades wouldn't judge them as guaranteed killers..."

Fang Senyan suddenly noticed the weapon he had plundered—the one carrying the Queen's memories: the obscure... Spiked Sniper Rifle.

"That bitch transformed from a Ghost soldier into a Zerg leader, and SNAKE was also a Ghost soldier. Could the one chasing me be..."

Having reached this realization, Fang Senyan stopped. He was not someone who enjoyed being chased like a stray dog fleeing for its life. Therefore, he was already contemplating a counterattack; he needed to gauge his opponent's strength. With the right timing, terrain, and advantage, if he had a few minutes to set up the battlefield, even if he couldn't win, escaping wouldn't be too difficult.

So, Fang Senyan watched the Messenger of Suffering sprint towards him nimbly from the distance. Its nearly deformed long legs and arms acted like poles for a pole vaulter, allowing it to effortlessly gain momentum in the air. Then, with a flash of light, a series of data appeared before Fang Senyan:

Messenger of Suffering: Primate Hominidae Infected (Modification only possible for individuals possessing specialized psychic power) Attribute: Ominous. Vitality Talent: Agony Amplifier. The predecessor of the Messenger of Suffering was a powerful GHOST; its psychic power was converted into a potent energy collector, causing vigorous, active life energy to flood every cell. Any healing effect received by the Messenger of Suffering will be amplified by 1000%, and its self-recovery speed will be additionally accelerated by 300%. Ability: Bone Spear Sniping, specifics unknown. Ability: Toxic Sting Guiding Pierce, specifics unknown. Ability: Unknown. Passive Ability: Agony Boiling. The Messenger of Suffering can draw extra strength from the pain of its enemies or its own suffering. Whether it sustains damage or inflicts pain upon others, the Messenger of Suffering gains a bonus to its attack speed and movement speed.

Description: The Queen of Blades, Morrigan, was once merely a minor GHOST, recognized by the Overmind for her potential and consequently modulated into the monstrosity she is now. Perhaps coincidence played a role, but it is undeniable that Morrigan possessed immense GHOST mental power to begin with. Now, Morrigan has obtained the "toy" of another GHOST. Her modulation process, though crude and simple, was achieved by combining her own strength with a sliver of luck, resulting in the current Messenger of Suffering... So that's how it is. No wonder the Queen of Blades is so supremely confident, completely unconcerned even by the harsh conditions of the Dead Zone—she sent this thing to hunt me!" Fang Senyan murmured as he read the details.

At this point, he found the situation troublesome. Fang Senyan's greatest advantage was his energy efficiency and ability to endure prolonged conflict; now, he was facing an opponent who appeared even better at enduring and outlasting him, immediately causing a sense of oppressive tension.

This tension reached its peak when Fang Senyan counted down to thirty-seven seconds remaining, because upon seeing the appearance of the pursuing Messenger of Suffering, a fleeting sensation of dread sparked in his heart. RQ

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