Chapter 4: New Ability: Beast Transformation

Chapter 4 New Ability: Beast Form

"What was that?"

Feixue whispered, noticing a straight fissure on the rock wall that stretched from the very top all the way to the ground. She looked at Luo Ke suspiciously, trying to find a clue.

"Don't look at me. I just woke up too. I guess we’re just lucky," Luo Ke shrugged. He couldn't admit that he had used his bone blade to carve his way down; after all, if he had truly fallen from that height, he would have likely been smashed back to his original form.

"We can't just sit here and wait for death," Feixue stated her plan concisely and immediately put it into action. Knowing the reality of their situation, she didn't waste time questioning why they were still alive; figuring out how to survive until the end was what mattered.

She stood up and took a few steps, then turned back to see Luo Ke still lying on the ground, unmoving. "What’s wrong?"

As she helped him up, her gaze shifted to his back, and she trembled slightly. The skin on the right half of the Dustman's back was a bloody mess. The exposed wounds were caked with sand and grit, and a faint, almost imperceptible crimson substance was oozing from them.

"You’re going to die," her tone softened. "I’ll carry you."

Luo Ke suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring into the dark canyon to one side. "Something is closing in, and it's fast!"

Feixue was startled but drew the pistol from her thigh holster and braced herself. 4048 was acting unusually, and his judgment was worth considering.

*Roar—*

A blooming, chrysanthemum-like head tore through the darkness and lunged at them.

A Snake-Dog!

Immediately after, three more Snake-Dogs emerged from behind, grinning hideously as they launched an attack on Feixue.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Feixue fired several shots in quick succession, all hitting the nearest Snake-Dog. The bullets accurately pierced its mouth and other vulnerable spots. It stumbled and collapsed to the ground, whimpering a few times before falling silent.

It was dead, but not entirely. It would regenerate and revive before long; the core inside its body had to be destroyed to truly eliminate it.

As her magazine ran dry, Feixue gripped her combat knife and unleashed a whip kick. Her body spun 180 degrees in mid-air, her heel slamming into the Snake-Dog's face. She thrust her knife out, nearly gouging out an eye, but the creature reacted quickly and pulled its head back.

Meanwhile, the other two Snake-Dogs launched a surprise attack!

Feixue remained calm. Seeing the direct assault had failed, she didn't linger. She pushed off the ground to dodge their claws, then grabbed Luo Ke and began to sprint.

A cylindrical object rolled on the ground—it was a grenade with its pin pulled.

*Boom—*

The mountainside shook, and the Snake-Dogs were buried beneath the rubble.

The two ran until Feixue was panting, hot breath escaping her lips.

"You can always trust Feixue," Luo Ke stood alone, leaning against the wall. The pain in his back had dulled, and his condition had recovered slightly.

"What? What trust me?" Even though Feixue wore a metal mask, it wasn't hard for Luo Ke to imagine her stunned expression.

"You’re reliable," Luo Ke smiled.

"I won't deny that," Feixue answered coolly.

Luo Ke flexed his right arm, warily scanning the canyon ahead and behind. "But it's my turn to step up. No matter what you see in a moment, please don't backstab me! After all, I’ve never seen a Lighthouse Brightener from behind."

Feixue was confused, but sensing the solemn tone in Luo Ke’s voice, she entered a combat stance.

Before the beasts arrived, their low growls filled the air, and a pungent, foul stench was carried by the wind. At least ten Snake-Dogs charged out!

In such a moment, Feixue remained calm, dodging with poise and avoiding direct contact. After all, she was only flesh and blood, not everyone had Mark’s physique, and the so-called "superior genes" didn't offer any supernatural enhancements.

*Clang—*

Accompanied by a sharp, humming whistle, a warm, silvery light flashed in the gloomy canyon.

Feixue turned back and froze on the spot, a chill of terror creeping up her spine.

What in the world was this Dustman?

His right arm had completely transformed into a sharp, several-meter-long bone blade, with ribbon-like crimson substance swirling and dancing around it.

"You!" Feixue was terrified that Luo Ke would turn and join forces with the Shifter-Beasts to gang up on her. But recalling what he had said—not to backstab him regardless of what she saw—she slowly shifted her focus, concentrating entirely on dodging to avoid becoming a burden.

Luo Ke’s transformation stunned Feixue and also drew puzzled gazes from the Snake-Dogs. Their tentacles emitted a faint glow as if they were communicating, and they circled Luo Ke, hesitating.

Luo Ke wouldn't miss this opportunity; he targeted the nearest Snake-Dog and slashed horizontally.

A flash of cold light whistled, and the turtle-like head was severed.

The sudden combat interrupted their communication, and the encirclement battle began instantly. Relying on his combat instincts, Luo Ke perfectly dodged the simultaneous attacks of several Snake-Dogs and vaulted onto the back of one.

With one stroke, he severed several tentacles, and with another, he stabbed down. The sharp bone blade frictioned against the Snake-Dog's tough hide, and the blade won out, slicing through the skin protecting its head and neck.

"Neck-slitting surgery, free of charge!" Luo Ke grabbed the writhing neck of the Snake-Dog, lowered his waist, and executed a perfect shoulder throw.

*Bang!*

Dust billowed into the air.

On the other side, Feixue, who had climbed the rock wall to take cover, gasped. Could 4048 be one of Dr. Jiali’s test subjects? With this kind of strength and speed, it felt like he could beat Sharif, even in his armored suit, to a pulp.

"Hoo..."

Luo Ke exhaled a turbid breath. Don't be fooled by his current prowess; the wounds on his back were burning incessantly, and he urgently needed to devour monsters to recover.

The Jaw-Beast was indeed the strongest Shifter-Beast encountered so far (excluding the Lord of Light and Shadow for now). Luckily, he had only grazed the edge of the light beam; otherwise, his journey through the heavens would have ended before it even began.

The battle continued. The wounds caused by the bone blade couldn't heal in the short term, so the condition of the Snake-Dogs plummeted, and their desire to fight gradually waned.

"Finally running away." Luo Ke braced himself and let out a sigh of relief.

The surviving Snake-Dogs looked at each other, then reluctantly retreated, leaving behind three corpses.

One of the corpses was emitting a blue light, seemingly trying to regenerate. Luo Ke stepped forward and gave it a jab, extinguishing the blue light completely.

"Turn around, no peeking," Luo Ke said weakly.

Feixue, who had just jumped down, was full of questions, but she turned around and stood still.

Feixue was trustworthy. Luo Ke lunged at the Snake-Dog corpses, spider-like legs extending from his mouth as he devoured them entirely.

+8
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Evolution Value: [95/100]

"Ding! The host is about to undergo the first evolution, and is hereby rewarded with a new ability—Beast Form!"

Beast Form: Free transformation between human and Shifter-Beast forms. After transforming, combat power is increased, and the appearance becomes wilder.

The evolution value provided an effective physical replenishment, and Luo Ke immediately felt much better, his recovery speed also increasing significantly.

"What is going on with you?" Feixue asked when she saw Luo Ke approaching, taking a subtle half-step back.

Luo Ke rubbed his numb right hand. "You should be glad I’m not an ordinary person, otherwise we’d already be two piles of flesh."

Feixue stiffened. She had never seen a Dustman dare to speak to a Lighthouse Citizen with such a relaxed and comfortable tone.

"I won't tell anyone for now, but if you have any ill intentions..." Feixue didn't finish, but her meaning was clear.

Luo Ke didn't care. Whether his secret was exposed wasn't actually important, because the plot of *Ling Cage* progressed rapidly—the entire first season spanned only a few days. If he wanted to change the various tragedies, how could he not rely on his mutation abilities?

Therefore, becoming stronger before the climax arrived was the top priority right now!