Chapter 017: Special Equipment - 1

After Bai Yuxi killed the ax-wielding man, the surge of super-active energy he absorbed was not abundant, but it perfectly compensated for the energy vacuum caused by his cells’ rapid metabolism after accelerated evolution, preventing cellular failure that would have resulted from energy depletion.

All in all, this miraculous reversal was purely the outcome of multiple coincidences, but it must be said—Bai Yuxi’s luck was truly extraordinary.

He swam across the surface of Dong Lake in the deep of night and stepped back onto the shore, unharmed despite the ordeal. Though his stamina was not much depleted thanks to the super-active energy, this was the first time in his life he had swum such a distance in such deep, wild waters without a life ring. His innate fear of water left his nerves unusually taut and his body trembling slightly; he had no choice but to find somewhere to rest and recover for a while.

In the sweltering midsummer, this was not the season for plum blossoms. As a result, the Plum Garden by Moshan beside Dong Lake was not favored by visitors. Added to that, it was already past midnight—anyone out for a nocturnal stroll to escape the heat had long since departed. In the vast expanse of the plum orchard, there was not a single soul besides the wild, twisting plum trees. The tranquil environment finally allowed Bai Yuxi, whose nerves had been strung tight, to relax.

If all went well, he could hide here until morning before leaving, avoiding any encounters with those Overlimit Warriors currently tearing through the city in their frantic search.

He found a random bench under a streetlamp, took off the strange set of gear he’d seized, and laid it out to dry while he checked through his “spoils of war.”

After being soaked in the lake for so long, all traces of blood and gore had been washed from the equipment. Now, under the orchard’s amber lights, their original appearance was revealed.

With some annoyance, Bai Yuxi pulled out his own soggy wallet, keys, and phone from his sports waist bag. He pressed the power button a few times; it was clear that the phone, which had cost him 799 yuan, was beyond saving. Still, perhaps that was for the best—at least he wouldn’t have to worry about being tracked by its signal.

He wasn’t sure whether the mysterious organization behind the ax-wielder, the “Jiang Viper Society,” had the means to deploy military satellites or the like. He extracted his SIM card for safekeeping and tossed the ruined phone into a trash can a dozen meters away. Then he turned his attention to the curious set of equipment.

First was a vest, much like a military tactical one, covered in leather hard cases of various sizes. The entire vest was crafted from a thick, tough leather that felt like crocodile hide, but clearly belonged to some unknown creature. It was more armor than clothing, lined with a layer of silicone padding and a spring layer woven from fine metal wire. The vest appeared to be not only stab- and bullet-resistant, but also provided a degree of shock absorption—an excellent piece of defensive gear.

The matching pauldrons, elbow guards, knee guards, arm and leg protection were all made from the same rough, rigid leather, with special metallic mesh strips embedded at key points to bolster defense. Accompanying these was a protective belt at the waist and a wrap-around groin guard. The belt, nearly a hand’s width, was ringed with twelve hard leather cases, each packed with an assortment of strange tools and parts—it felt like a gadget kit straight out of a James Bond film.

The only drawback was the groin guard attached to the belt; its design was embarrassingly conspicuous. If not for the side guards protecting his pelvis and the weapon holsters, he would never have considered wearing such a mortifying piece.

The only part Bai Yuxi found truly satisfactory was the pair of knee-high tactical boots. Though their inner workings weren’t visible, judging by his experience wearing them, they incorporated highly advanced ergonomic design. The elastic soles and spring-loaded heels not only made walking and running easier and more agile, but also significantly increased the wearer’s speed and jumping power. Features like slip-resistance, shock absorption, and ankle support were almost secondary.

What puzzled Bai Yuxi was—what era was this, anyway? This kind of advanced tactical equipment wasn’t made from Kevlar fiber, high-strength rubber, or other modern high-tech materials, but rather from some kind of natural biological leather. And whether it was the ax-wielder or the blonde girl before him, their weapons were all axes and short swords—cold weapons. Was this retro, or just nostalgia?

From the pile of miscellaneous items, Bai Yuxi picked out a few things that seemed useful to him.

Among them were five vials of “bionutrient solution,” the same kind the blonde girl had administered to him. This stuff could treat injuries, rapidly restore stamina, and even replenish the body’s energy needs—solving the hypoxia problems that had plagued his brain for years.

There were also three glass spheres about the size of tennis balls, stored in the hard leather cases attached to the belt. When he first opened them, Bai Yuxi was startled—he’d already witnessed their power and knew well how dangerous the swirling orange liquid light inside each was. Fortunately, the cases for the spheres were clearly designed with special shock absorption. Otherwise, the ax-wielder would never have dared to carry four of these potentially explosive devices into battle.

The rest of the odds and ends were unfamiliar to Bai Yuxi. Although he worried that some of these items might contain trackers from the Jiang Viper Society, considering that more battles were likely ahead, he decided to keep them—they might prove useful. After all, even if there were a locator, the ax-wielder wouldn’t have activated it without reason and risk exposing his position. Moreover, Bai Yuxi had swum a considerable distance in this gear, taking quite some time; if there had been a tracking device, his enemies would have found him by now.

Just to be safe, Bai Yuxi used the short sword to pry off the golden snake-shaped emblem on the chest of the tactical vest—clearly the most suspicious part—smashed it, and tossed it far into the lake.

Concerned that the ax-wielder might have had body odor or athlete’s foot, Bai Yuxi, with his mild obsessive cleanliness, even after such a long soak in the lake, rewashed the black skintight garments and other close-fitting gear in the water before setting them out to dry on the bench.