Chapter 8

Long Cheng arrived at the bridgehead of the artificial lake. The bridge, a steel structure, was about thirty meters wide, with a flat and almost straight body.

In the distance, twelve Fire Tornado drones were visible in the air, scattered on both sides of the bridge. It was clear that the person who set up the firepower was an experienced hand. The twelve Fire Tornado drones were positioned at different heights, creating a crossfire that formed a "death zone" about one kilometer long. The bridge had no cover and was very narrow, making a strong breakthrough a dead end.

It seemed that the other side had placed all their bets here.

In other words, as long as they could get through the "death zone," the danger ahead would significantly decrease.

Iron Farmer King straightened its upper body, returning to an upright position. Its next actions left the onlookers puzzled.

Iron Farmer King jumped directly into the lake from the bridgehead. Since the water was shallow near the shore, it only submerged to its waist.

The public channel of the surrounding students was quite lively.

"What's he doing? Is he really going to turn into a duck and swim over?"

"Iron Farmer King doesn't have that function; it would be a lame duck."

"He's just thirsty, drinking some water, and then he'll eat the machine."

The atmosphere in the security center was also relaxed. They thought Iron Farmer King was about to give up. The main control AI had run various simulations, and the results were consistently the same: once Iron Farmer King entered the封锁带, it would be turned into a sieve.

Just as everyone was waiting for Iron Farmer King to give up, it roared and strode back onto the shore, heading to the bridgehead.

It crouched down, all four limbs on the ground, and began to accelerate.

It looked no different from before.

"This is stubborn to the end."

"Just a last-ditch effort."

"Get the medical team ready. The principal said no one should die. Hope this guy has a big heart."

Fermi held his coffee cup, but for some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy. On the screen, Iron Farmer King, on all fours, was accelerating, its advance determined.

Could it not see that there was no chance of winning? Was the driver's personality fierce? Or was it a last-ditch effort as his colleagues said?

His hand rubbed the coffee cup, his eyes fixed on the screen where Iron Farmer King was speeding along the bridge.

Fermi suddenly felt something was off.

Iron Farmer King was getting closer to the first drone. Fermi didn't dare to blink, realizing he might have overlooked something.

The first Fire Tornado opened fire, spewing flames and light bullets like rain toward the charging Iron Farmer King. Iron Farmer King suddenly changed direction, dodging the light bullets and continuing its advance.

Hmm? Fermi noticed something strange. Iron Farmer King seemed less agile than before. The change in direction was slightly delayed. This detail was hard for the average person to notice, but an experienced hand could see it immediately.

Thud, thud, thud!

Iron Farmer King was rapidly approaching the fire zone. Each time its limbs touched the ground, it produced a deafening roar, like the heavy drumbeats of a storm.

No, the sound was wrong!

Iron Farmer King had... become heavier!

Recalling Iron Farmer King's jump into the lake, Fermi suddenly realized what was happening, his face changing. "Oh no..."

In the cockpit of Iron Farmer King, Long Cheng saw a green notification box flashing.

"High-pressure water gun ready. Please select the type of liquid to spray. 1. Potion. 2. Nutrient solution..."

Long Cheng chose the nutrient solution.

A red warning box then appeared: "Attention! No nutrient solution detected. Please confirm if the nutrient solution is filled!"

Long Cheng switched to manual mode and selected "mist" under the nutrient solution option.

He knew the Iron Farmer King's system manual by heart. The mist mode for spraying nutrient solution could atomize the liquid, making it easier for crops to absorb it, typically used for special nutrient solutions and specific crops.

Iron Farmer King had two large water tanks, which were now full of water, about twenty tons.

Without hesitation, Long Cheng activated the water gun.

A thick white mist, propelled by the high-pressure water gun, shot out over a hundred meters, forming a white mist belt. Iron Farmer King didn't pause, charging into the mist, its form quickly swallowed by the dense white fog.

The white mist continued to spew out, like a monstrous creature expanding and spreading.

In no time, the bridge was covered in a white fog.

The public channel exploded.

"Damn, that's so cool!"

"He really was thirsty!"

"Agricultural armor! Agricultural armor! Am I seeing things? Am I dreaming? Someone kiss me to prove it!"

"Come on! My big mouth can't wait!"

The security center was also in chaos.

"My God, what is this?"

"How did this happen? What is the white mist? Is it toxic?"

Fermi's face was grim. He stared at the bridge shrouded in white mist, the thick fog obscuring everything. The white mist rolled forward like an avalanche, engulfing the three Fire Tornado drones near the bridge before they could react.

The three Fire Tornado drones were in chaos, losing control and circling in the fog, spraying light bullets everywhere. Two unfortunate drones were hit and fell into the lake as fireballs.

The Fire Tornado drones had many advantages, but their range of use was limited, mainly due to their poor resistance to interference.

Fermi couldn't help but admire the driver's skill. He had noticed that Iron Farmer King's weight had increased, and he realized it must have been due to the water in the tanks.

Even though he had thought about the water in the tanks, Fermi never imagined that the driver would use a water mist to break through.

Impressive!

However, Fermi wasn't ready to give up. He still had a chance.

The remaining drones quickly ascended to avoid the white mist below, then opened fire, pouring a rain of bullets onto the bridge. The mist interfered with the drones' vision, just as it did with Iron Farmer King's.

As long as the drones' firepower was strong enough to seal the bridge, Iron Farmer King would be trapped.

After a full minute of attack, the drones stopped, their barrels red-hot, but they hadn't heard the sound of the armor exploding.

"Did we hit it?"

"Should have. With that density of fire, how could it get through?"

Fermi listened to his colleagues' discussions, his eyes fixed on the screen, his fists clenched, revealing his inner tension.

He was nervous. Theoretically, Iron Farmer King couldn't get through. The remaining ten drones formed a tight fire net. He had even positioned the two drones at the back to hover above the bridge, directly targeting the front.

But he wasn't sure.

Iron Farmer King's every move had surprised him. The operations were like a deer's leap, leaving no trace. A broken-down agricultural armor from twenty years ago could perform so many tricks, completely defying conventional tactics.

The mist was thick and persistent.

Everyone in the security center held their breath, staring at the screen, afraid to blink. Had they won?

Suddenly, someone screamed, "Something is moving!"

"Under the bridge!"

"Quick, quick!"

The cries of alarm were filled with panic and confusion.

Under the bridge, a thick, sturdy figure moved with surprising agility, like a steel gorilla, swinging along the steel framework. The pile driver had been replaced with a thick iron hook, which held the steel beams, becoming Iron Farmer King's steel branches.

Fermi finally understood what he had missed.

Under the bridge!

Using the mist as cover, Iron Farmer King had quietly moved to the bottom of the bridge, where the thick metal structure provided a massive shield, protecting it from all attacks.

Fermi's mouth was dry, and he was filled with regret. How could he have missed the bottom of the bridge? He had forgotten that without the white mist, moving to the bottom of the bridge would be suicidal.

He suppressed his tension, still seeing a chance.

Iron Farmer King's exit from the mist wasn't the best position; it still had to face the two drones at the back. Fermi guessed that the water in Iron Farmer King's tanks had been used up.

The two Fire Tornado drones began to descend rapidly, flying backward while moving toward the bridge.

Fermi's guess was entirely correct. The twenty tons of water in Iron Farmer King's tanks were now completely gone, providing cover only up to this point.

Before Iron Farmer King emerged from the mist, it was already prepared.

Iron Farmer King hooked the bridge railing and swung itself onto the bridge like a pendulum. In mid-air, it completed the replacement of its arm components, the pile driver now ready.

Thud!

Like a meteor striking the bridge, a deafening roar echoed as Iron Farmer King landed on all fours, its body suddenly crouching, then launching forward like an arrow from a bow.

Accelerate, accelerate, and accelerate!

The hum of the R6 power core, running at full capacity, reached Long Cheng's ears. His expression was calm. The bridge railings on both sides rushed backward, and light bullets rained down from ahead.

Iron Farmer King's speed increased, and as it landed, it twisted its waist, its body bending in an unusual way.

Pfft, pfft, pfft. Light bullets rained down, leaving a dense pattern of shallow craters where it had landed.

Another damn random wave jump!

Fermi was grinding his teeth. On a narrow bridge, random wave jumps were hard to execute, especially with enough Fire Tornado drones. Now, with only two left, they were far from enough to contain Iron Farmer King.

Fermi, pushed to the brink, decided to make one last attempt!

The two Fire Tornado drones descended rapidly, stopping five meters above the bridge, positioning themselves directly in front of Iron Farmer King to get a better firing angle.

The two Fire Tornado drones sprayed light bullets wildly, without restraint.

With less than a hundred meters between them, there was almost no chance of evasion.

The dense light bullets almost blinded Long Cheng, giving him a familiar feeling. His eyes were locked on the two drones ahead.

Is this the final obstacle to my admission?

Iron Farmer King, running at full speed, suddenly crouched, stopping abruptly, defying the laws of physics.

Pfft, pfft, pfft.

The two Fire Tornado drones couldn't stop, their barrels continuing to spray light bullets, which rained down on the bridge in front of Iron Farmer King, creating a field of shallow craters.

Long Cheng whispered to himself, "Charge through."

The powerful force from the R6 power core surged into Iron Farmer King's lower joints, the metal grinding with a screech as the knee joints bent to the extreme. In the next moment, Iron Farmer King's thick metal feet slammed into the ground, the bent knee joints snapped open, and the pile driver, which had been suppressed, instantly burst to its maximum power, hammering the ground.

Iron Farmer King's form disappeared.

A blurred, massive shadow, like a gust of wind, swept past.

Behind it, two showers of parts, sparking with fire, rained down.

Long Cheng reminded himself to hurry; crossing the bridge had taken a lot of time.

---

(End of the page)