Chapter 26

The mechanical dogs were all of uniform size, as big as adult wolfhounds, and looked quite intimidating. Equipped with infrared eyes, they were indeed a bit difficult to deal with when encountered suddenly. Moreover, the mechanical dogs roamed throughout the ruins, their mechanical steps producing a clattering sound as metal rubbed against metal, adding to the pressure if they surrounded you.

"The reason the mechanical dogs have such a large alert range is all thanks to their eyes. They can form infrared images and identify enemies to launch attacks directly. Even if there are obstacles within ten meters, they can still detect them. You need to be careful about this," the gambler explained the mechanical dogs briefly.

The infrared eyes of the mechanical dogs mainly functioned through infrared thermal imaging. Unless you were a corpse with no temperature, hiding behind obstacles would be useless. Therefore, half of the mechanical dog's strength lay in its eyes.

Bang, bang, bang! The bandit pulled out a pistol and fired at the nearest mechanical dog. The bullets collided with the metal of the mechanical dog, sparking. Although the bullets left dents, they did not penetrate the mechanical dog's defenses.

Click, click, click. The mechanical dog that was hit turned its body mechanically, its two eyes shining like laser lights, instantly locking onto the bandit. Then, a red light suddenly lit up on the mechanical dog's head, flashing continuously like a police car's siren, but without any sound.

However, a red light, no matter where it appeared, indicated that something was happening. So when the mechanical dog locked onto the bandit, the red light immediately lit up, and all the mechanical dogs within about ten meters turned to look and then charged over.

"The dogs seem to be used for early warning. I was so focused on their combat ability that I forgot their specific function," the bandit scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

Boom, boom! The ground trembled twice as Wang Fusheng and the bandit released their mechs from the mech space and jumped onto them. The originally stationary mechs quickly moved forward with large strides.

However, before the two, a bandit with claws on his hands had already rushed out. In front of the gambler, a palm-sized disc floated, originally with sharp saw teeth around it.

Without any visible movement, the disc flew out with a whoosh, faster than the bandit, directly hitting a charging mechanical dog. The disc quickly spun, producing a harsh metal grinding sound and sparks, like a steel factory's machine cutting steel.

Although the disc seemed light, its destructive power was enormous. In one strike, it cut a large hole in the mechanical dog. Without the outer metal protection, the internal wiring of the mechanical dog was instantly severed by the disc's saw teeth. The mechanical dog, spewing sparks and twitching, then turned into a pile of scattered scrap metal. Several different metal parts burst out from the scrap, and Wang Fusheng noticed that the points on his electronic device increased by two.

When forming a team, the gambler set the captain's mode to average, meaning that any items dropped or points earned from killing monsters were evenly distributed. Now, with five people in the team, each person received two points, meaning that killing an ordinary mechanical dog earned 10 points.

Swoosh! After the gambler's initial attack, the bandit also pounced on a mechanical dog, the claws on his hands directly gripping the dog's chest. The sharp claws pierced in, and the bandit's arms suddenly pulled apart, tearing the mechanical dog to pieces.

At this moment, Wang Fusheng and the bandit, driving their mechs, arrived. Compared to the gambler and the bandit, Wang Fusheng and the bandit's combat was much more brutal, utilizing the mechs' large size and weight. Wang Fusheng kicked a mechanical dog flying with one foot, though it didn't turn into scrap, the metal on its abdomen was dented, and sparks began to flash inside. The bandit, on the other hand, leaped up and used the mech's knee to smash the mechanical dog into the ground, creating a metal pancake.

"The energy core is in the head, but the metal on the head is too hard," the bandit spat, clearly finding that his gun, which was not very effective against the metal monsters, was like a dog biting a turtle, unable to penetrate.

Bang, bang, bang! Wang Fusheng and the bandit were like bulldozers, and after the bandit killed the mechanical dog that charged at him, he didn't stay but ran to a distance, attracting another batch of mechanical dogs before Wang Fusheng and the bandit had finished off the ones in front of them. The gambler controlled the disc to assist from the side.

Especially when Wang Fusheng kicked or the bandit punched, causing the outer metal of the mechanical dogs to crack, the gambler was responsible for the finishing blow. With the already cracked metal shell, the disc could easily fly in and destroy the internal wiring, without the need to cut through the metal shell to damage the internal wiring, which would be more troublesome.

This also saved Wang Fusheng and the bandit from having to chase after the mechanical dogs with cracked shells, as the heavy mechs were not easy to control. Although it was their first time working together, the team's roles—drawing the monsters, main combat, and support—were very well-coordinated.

This was not because Wang Fusheng and the others had a special connection, but because they all had rich combat experience and used the formation for clearing war ruins in the military. After all, Wang Fusheng was a war hero, and the gambler and the others were active-duty soldiers.

Thus, the originally quiet ruins became restless. The bandit's method of drawing the monsters was very systematic, though it seemed many each time, it was just within the team's capacity. The targets drawn were also on the path the team had to take, without disturbing the mechanical dogs in other areas.

Like a sharp blade, the team plunged deeper into the ruins. The bandit, besides occasionally firing to help the bandit control the monsters, spent most of his time picking up the items dropped by the monsters and driving the pickup truck, looking very relaxed.

After a while, the bandit stopped drawing the monsters, and Wang Fusheng and the bandit also stopped fighting. The mechs needed to recharge and cool down to avoid reducing their lifespan.

Like other weapons, mechs also had a lifespan. Proper maintenance and repair when not in use could extend the mech's lifespan. Overloading would accelerate the wear and tear. Wang Fusheng and the bandit's mechs were given by the system, and they had no spare mechs, so they couldn't push too hard.

"Armor-piercing rounds, this place dropped armor-piercing rounds. Can I borrow the scavenger's sniper rifle for a bit?" The bandit, who was picking up the items, called out excitedly, holding several bullets that were clearly longer than the others. These bullets generally couldn't be used in fully automatic weapons due to the small magazine capacity.

However, semi-automatic weapons could be manually loaded, so sniper rifles could use them. The bandit wanted to use Wang Fusheng's sniper rifle, not his own. Clearly, Wang Fusheng's sniper rifle was very powerful, making the bandit, who loved guns, very eager to try it out.

"Sure, adjust the scope's angle, the sniper rifle's scope is a bit high," Wang Fusheng reminded the bandit, as each marksman had their preferred shooting angle.

"Got it." The bandit, excited, threw the items into the back of the pickup truck and went to the front to get Wang Fusheng's sniper rifle. After assembling the sniper rifle in the car, it was a bit inconvenient to bring it into the mech, so Wang Fusheng left it in the car. For such a valuable item, Wang Fusheng just left it there, and although the gambler and the others didn't say anything, their looks towards Wang Fusheng became more friendly.

After a series of continuous battles, everyone was tired. After a simple check of the mechs, Wang Fusheng moved his limbs and prepared to watch the bandit shoot. The cockpit of the mechs was limited in space, and sitting for too long was indeed uncomfortable, so after coming out, Wang Fusheng and the bandit checked the mechs while also stretching their bodies.

"Everyone, pay attention, watch me blow its head off." After adjusting the scope's angle and loading the bullet, the bandit shouted excitedly. The gambler and the others watched with smiles as the bandit aimed at a mechanical dog. After such intense battles, a small break with a bit of entertainment could help everyone relax.

Bang! The bandit, seemingly wanting to show off, didn't use a stand but held the sniper rifle with his left hand to shoot. As he pulled the trigger, the recoil made his shoulder jolt, but even without seeing the result, Wang Fusheng knew the shot hit.

For a marksman, even when shooting moving targets, the feel of the shot, the sound of the bullet flying, and the recoil on the shoulder could tell an experienced marksman whether they hit the target before the bullet actually hit. This was a kind of intuition, a natural instinct from shooting a lot, like a sixth sense. Although it might seem pseudo-scientific, every talented and qualified marksman had this intuition after success. Wang Fusheng had it too, so when he heard the bullet leave the barrel and saw the bandit's shoulder jolt, he knew the shot hit.

The bandit, after pulling the trigger, smiled, clearly knowing that the bullet still in flight would hit the target with 100% certainty. So the bandit knew his victory in advance.

As expected, about 500 meters away on a high slope, a mechanical dog, moving with mechanical steps, had a small hole drilled in its forehead as its front limbs touched the ground. Then, the mechanical dog's body flashed with sparks, and a puff of burnt smoke rose, turning it into a pile of scrap metal.

"Hehe, that was satisfying. Is the scavenger's sniper rifle really not for sale? Name your price, anything is negotiable." Seeing the effect of his shot, the bandit couldn't put down the sniper rifle. If it were his own sniper rifle, even with armor-piercing rounds, it wouldn't have been able to take down the mechanical dog in one shot, as the attack power wasn't strong enough.

Starting today, there will be two updates every day. I need your recommendations and support to keep the momentum going.

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