Zheng Tian kited one. Ou Youning then bombed the other two, Ren Zhong dragged away the one that was more severely injured in the explosion, while Wen Lei and Bai Feng held down the other.
After a few grueling minutes of battle, Ren Zhong was the first to cut down his opponent with a sword, then went to support Wen Lei and Bai Feng.
When Zheng Tian returned with the only survivor kited, the crystal chips of the other two Ruined Beasts had already been extracted by Hanyu.
Of course, the key factor in the team’s improvement was still Ren Zhong. His combat skills improved far too rapidly.
In just a few days, he had transformed from a fresh rookie in mechanical battles to a battle-hardened veteran.
Initially, his moves against the Ruined Beasts were flashy, which often had miraculous effects, but they also consumed a lot of physical energy and armor power.
Gradually, he began to return to simplicity and unadorned techniques, each move precise, yet always capable of achieving the best combat outcome with minimal motion.
As for his various parameters, there was no need to measure them, one could tell that the increases were astonishing just by looking.
Everyone became curious and puzzled once more.
The rapid progress in his combat skills was terrifying!
Was there a master helping him progress?
Could it be that his sparring at a friend’s house was actual, serious training?
Ju Qingmeng was in charge of the Military Weapon Store, so by that logic, she should be a graduate specialized in weaponry management, unlikely to have such skills.
Who in the town could it be?
Could it be the town guard captain, the daughter of Mayor Ma Dafu, renowned as the strongest Fourth Level Mechanical Warrior in town, Ma Xiaoling?
In the realm of imagination, amidst these five days of slacking off in the morning, fiercely working in the afternoon, and burning the midnight oil at night, Ren Zhong’s daily earnings averaged an impressive 73.77 points.
The income from daytime collective actions fluctuated between 30 and 50, while his personal nighttime income fluctuated between 25 and 40.
But Ren Zhong felt his sacrifice was huge, after all, he hadn’t been able to use his wrist watch to sleep for five consecutive days, directly losing 5 Contribution Points as sleeping fund lock-in capital.
Everything was going well, but now, inside his room, Ren Zhong still decided to take a gamble.
It was now the afternoon of the 13th day, 5 o’clock, after the group returned successfully and cashed in again, Ren Zhong’s personal assets reached the astonishing figure of 430.66.
But he was still 257.34 Contribution Points short of acquiring Sid Meier’s "Armored Insights".
At a normal pace, he couldn’t possibly gather enough money before the professional title assessment began on the evening of the 15th day.
He had thought about slacking off, feeling there was no need to push himself this hard.
However, his anger towards this world awakened his sense of caution.
He didn’t know specifically which day he might die or in what manner.
He could never forget the indifferent and composed expression on Bei Lihui’s face when he shot and shattered his own body.
This was more infuriating and alarming than dying at the hands of Ruined Beasts and Hunters.
Every time he remembered, goosebumps spread all over his body.
He lacked a sense of security far too much.
If he didn’t push forward desperately, even surviving would depend entirely on luck and others’ whims.
Since he had decided to obtain "Armored Insights" this time, he couldn’t allow himself to slow down.
The stock trading had been forcibly put aside for now, and he absolutely had to get "Armored Insights" to alleviate his inner unease.
If he really wanted to slack off, he could easily find a more effortless way.
For instance, idling away some days, then neatly cutting his throat to end things.
When he came back next time, he’d compress all non-essential expenses, just tagging along with the group leisurely for ten days or so, then dabble in the stock market for ten days to make some easy money, and then use the liquidated money to buy "Armored Insights".
This operation was both relaxed and satisfying.
But Ren Zhong chose not to.
His self-motto during his academic days was "What can be learned today should not be delayed until tomorrow."
Now his motto had become "What can be settled in this life should not be left to the next life. If possible, I truly wish to never die."
He took out the auxiliary onboard computer again and began entering information.
He was organizing information on the Second Level Ruined Beasts that had mutually spared him over the past days, planning the night’s action route and battle plan.
Yes, he intended to challenge the wilderness solo, and it was a higher-level kind of challenge.
Forty minutes later, Ren Zhong went downstairs, mounted his motorcycle, and headed straight for the Military Weapon Store.
"Manager Ju, here is the list of items I need. I’m relying on you."
Ju Qingmeng: "One-time high-frequency plasma knife, Sticky Acid Erosion Spray, Blast Fishing Net... Mr. Ren, what are you planning to do with these bizarre things?"
Ren Zhong didn’t know how to answer; he could only say, "I have some unusual hobbies."
"Oh... Mr. Ren, you really know how to have fun. But if the opponent is a Professional, ahem, try not to accidentally kill someone. Or, don’t let others find out."
Ju Qingmeng understood again.
Ren Zhong rolled his eyes, another over-imaginative person.
This world is beyond saving.