Chapter 088: Tempered by Thunder and Lightning - Part 1

“Gubong!”
The Abyssal Thunder Toad let out a thunderous roar, and the dense, stubby bone spikes covering its body erupted with arcs of electricity, instantly weaving a net of lightning around itself.
Amidst the rapid crackling discharge, the Thunder Lizard transformed into a streak of lightning, darting around the massive body of the Abyssal Thunder Toad, leaping and bounding relentlessly, leaving behind scorched patches on the toad’s tough, elephant-like skin where the electricity had struck.
The enormous Abyssal Thunder Toad bellowed in torment, its cries echoing like cattle as it shifted and shuffled, trying in vain to shake off the pesky creature that scurried across its surface. But that was clearly impossible.
The dense, explosive arcs of electricity radiating from their clash were deadly to most creatures—like the unfortunate plasma toads nearby, caught and killed by the stray currents.
For the two battling bosses, however, their innate resistance to electricity rendered these high-voltage attacks mostly ineffective, causing nothing more than pain. Thus, what appeared to be a fierce duel was, in truth, little more than mutual torment—or rather, a one-sided beating.
The monsters were enjoying their exchange, but the members of Squad Seven, hiding nearby, were suffering.
Although the sinkhole was vast and there was a considerable difference in elevation between both parties, the charged particles diffusing through the air from their battle numbed everyone.
The men could endure, but the girls looked like wild witches, their beautiful hair standing on end, making them resemble startled cats.
No one dared to move, much less activate their particle disruptors to escape.
The high-energy arcs spilling from the two boss monsters seemed invisible, but even a single stray spark could leave one charred outside and tender within.
Bai Yuxi stood before the group, struggling to maintain his super-active shield, blocking the occasional arc that came their way. Just two hits had cost him over a hundred thousand units of super-active energy.
Fortunately, his peculiar body endowed him with a unique trait: “100% lossless conversion of extraordinary energy.”
This allowed him to rapidly absorb enough extraordinary energy from the mist of super particles released by the dying plasma toads, replenishing what he had lost in earlier battles. Without this, the residue of his super-active energy might not have been enough to withstand those two high-energy arcs.
Sensing the rapid dissipation of super-active particles within his bio-magnetic field under the assault of charged particles, Bai Yuxi broke out in a cold sweat and quickly switched his energy mode, no longer daring to rely on his thick reserves to brute-force the shield.

He also realized that, before these high-risk creatures, the super-active thickness his Squad Seven companions had admired was nothing more than brittle glass waiting to be shattered.
Each “Particle Impact Fist” that collided with a high-energy arc sent charged particles through his body, making his hair stand on end and his limbs tremble uncontrollably, his hands and feet twitching like chicken claws. Yet at least the energy consumption wasn’t as severe as brute resistance.
High-voltage currents coursed through his body, bringing unimaginable pain.
At this moment, Bai Yuxi felt as if he were undergoing electrical torture in a magnetic bombardment infantry chamber—painful, yet oddly exhilarating.
He discovered that each surge of electricity killed off swathes of cells, but the stimulation prompted new cells to proliferate.
In his “super-evolution” state, his cells seemed to undergo incredible changes, adapting to the intensity of the shocks. He actually began to find the sensation of electricity coursing through him strangely enjoyable.
Every bolt that struck him hurt to the marrow, but once absorbed by his cells, it left him with a bizarre feeling of comfort throughout his body.
Was there a hidden masochistic gene within him that he hadn’t noticed before?
Seeing stars, Bai Yuxi continued punching through incoming arcs, thinking he must have been shocked senseless—was he hallucinating, or were blue arcs really flickering around his right index and middle fingers?
“Huh?”
Bai Yuxi paused, hurriedly bringing his right hand before his eyes. He wasn’t seeing things.
A faint blue arc flickered across his index and middle fingers, resembling the positive and negative terminals of a stun gun!
He was dumbfounded; his two fingers instinctively touched, sparking a crackling arc between them with a sharp, explosive sound.
“What’s happening?”
The members of Squad Seven, huddled behind Bai Yuxi, noticed the anomaly.
But this was hardly the time for scientific inquiry.
Distracted, Bai Yuxi’s interception of the high-energy arcs faltered.
Willy, hiding behind him, stared in horror and pointed ahead, screaming, “Hey, hey, hey…”

“Szzzt!”
Bai Yuxi’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, convulsing and foaming at the mouth, spinning as he fell.
For some reason, his super-active shield failed to automatically block the incoming high-energy arc’s damage this time!
The squad stared, mouths agape, at Bai Yuxi’s charred body, hair standing upright, smoke wafting from his head, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water.
Jason and Drumstick, closest to him, instinctively rushed forward to help him up.
But Su Xiaoke, sheltered at the back, screamed nervously, “Don’t touch him!”
Startled, the two froze, and were pulled back by Lofi and Maya.
Just as they withdrew, another stray high-energy arc shot towards them.
Before hitting the group, it seemed to be attracted, suddenly veering and slamming into Bai Yuxi’s prone body!
“What do we do?”
Watching Bai Yuxi’s body jerk violently under the high-voltage arc, Drumstick shouted anxiously, “If this keeps up, Xiao Bai is done for!”
“He’s not done for… he’s already cooked!”
Willy’s mouth hung open. “I’d say he’s about eighty percent finished!”
“No, look!”
Xia Youyou cried out, pointing at Bai Yuxi, who was still twitching uncontrollably on the ground. “Look!”