Chapter 446: Eye of Reconnaissance, Poison Kill

Chapter 446: Chapter 446: Eye of Reconnaissance, Poison Kill

As Seraphina Sullivan’s mind raced, her gaze fell involuntarily on Sharon Lynn, nestled close to Flora.

’Sharon Lynn... what’s so special about her?’

’Is it because of her parents, who might hold important positions in the Shelter?’

’Or does she herself possess some unknown value or connection?’

’In any case, both of them must be delivered safely.’

"Dr. Ford, are you almost done collecting samples?"

Seraphina urged, "We need to leave here as soon as possible.

The monster that left these tracks may be long gone, but we can’t be sure it won’t return. And its presence could attract other predators.

We’ll be much slower on foot, so we have to make the most of our time."

Dr. Ford, snapped out of his research-fueled excitement, quickly packed up his tools and samples. "Right, right, let’s go," he said, nodding.

"But on foot... these old bones of mine, and this little one..." He glanced worriedly at Sharon Lynn.

Chet Lucius volunteered, "Dr. Ford, I’m in good shape. I can carry you in shifts. We’ll have to trouble Miss Sullivan and her sister with Sharon Lynn."

Flora puffed out her chest. "Leave Sharon to me! I’m strong!"

With their roles assigned, the small, temporary team abandoned the impassable SUV. They shouldered the necessary supplies and set off on a journey fraught with uncertainty and danger.

The group of five abandoned the vehicle and began their arduous trek along the dilapidated highway, a path periodically interrupted by enormous footprints.

Sure enough, they were hit by several waves of sporadic attacks from smaller monsters along the way.

Whenever danger appeared, Seraphina was always the first to react.

The sniper rifle seemed to be an extension of her body. Every shot found its mark, with almost no wasted bullets.

Whether it was an ambusher lurking in the shadows, a target moving at high speed through the air, or even a monster with armored plating, none could escape being instantly killed or critically wounded by her precise shots.

Her efficiency was astounding.

Every time Dr. Ford saw Seraphina dispatch a monster with such clean efficiency, he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration:

"Sullivan, you’re incredible! Your marksmanship is practically godlike! Hundred Shots Hundred Hits!

"Were you... in the special forces before all this?

"Or maybe a competitive shooter?"

Seraphina simply offered a humble smile, offering no explanation. Instead, she changed the subject. "Dr. Ford, take a look at this monster’s corpse. Is it of any research value?"

"Yes! Of course!"

Dr. Ford was immediately distracted. He excitedly took out his small tools and, with Flora’s help, carefully collected the monster’s blood samples, tissue slices, and carapace fragments.

To him, every single sample was priceless.

Chet Lucius, meanwhile, held a well-maintained but standard-issue assault rifle. He vigilantly guarded their flank, picking off any stragglers and driving away other monsters drawn by the scent of blood.

But his gaze kept furtively drifting to the sniper rifle in Seraphina’s hands, his eyes filled with deep suspicion and curiosity.

[Eye of Reconnaissance]—this was one of Chet Lucius’s core Talent Skills.

Its Effect was stronger than Seraphina’s [Eye of Resume]. It could not only obtain a target’s basic information but also analyze their Energy composition and threat level to a certain degree, and even see through some forms of Disguise.

However, when he used [Eye of Reconnaissance] on Seraphina, the information he received was incredibly vague, as if obscured by a thick fog. He could only determine that she was a female human Player of a similar Level to his own (Level 4), but her specific Talent, Skills, and equipment details were completely hidden by some kind of power.

’Of course, he knew what it was.’

’The effect of the Stone of Concealment.’

’He’d owned one himself.’

But when he turned his gaze to the sniper rifle, his [Eye of Reconnaissance] sent a faint, stinging sensation back to him!

The feedback was incomplete, but it clearly indicated: This weapon contains highly concentrated unknown Energy, possesses a reality-altering trait, and is extremely dangerous!

’This is no ordinary firearm!’

’It’s most likely a manifestation of her unique Talent or a Profession Skill!’

What truly set off alarm bells in Chet Lucius’s mind were his observations of Flora.

Under his [Eye of Reconnaissance], parts of Flora’s information were clearly visible:

[Target: Flora Sullivan]

[Race: Decaying Flower]

[Threat Level: Medium-High]

[Note: Not purely human. A unique existence, seemingly bound by a powerful restraint or contract. Possesses a deep soul link with Seraphina Sullivan.]

’A humanoid, high-level plant life-form?!’

’And she’s clearly under Seraphina’s Control or bound to her by a contract!’

This discovery raised Chet Lucius’s wariness of Seraphina to an entirely new level.

’A Player who can subdue and command a non-human entity like that is anything but simple.’

’That bizarre sniper rifle of hers, plus this mysterious "sister"... Seraphina’s true Power and hidden cards are probably far greater than they appear.’

So, while Chet Lucius cooperated with Seraphina on the surface, he inwardly maintained a high level of vigilance and a sense of distance.

He knew that they were allies until they reached the Shelter.

’But what about after?’

’What if an irresistible opportunity presented itself, or a life-or-death crisis hit?’

’Would this seemingly gentle and calm woman, Seraphina, prove to be a reliable partner or a potential threat?’

Dr. Ford, of course, was oblivious to the undercurrents flowing between the two Players.

He fiddled with his collected samples as they traveled, alternating between excitement and frustrated sighs. "Sigh... these materials from the smaller monsters are valuable, yes. They can help us understand basic mutation mechanisms and Energy traits. But for figuring out how to fight the *really* big ones, they’re nowhere near enough...

"If we could just get our hands on a sample from a massive monster—even a small piece of tissue from a Cataclysm-Class Monster—we might have a breakthrough!

"For instance, we could analyze the Energy frequency of their Force Fields, or the unique properties of their physical composition..."

Seraphina kept watch on their surroundings as she listened to Dr. Ford’s lamentations, lost in thought.

’One of the monster’s Weaknesses is poison.’

With this in mind, she suddenly spoke up, her tone calm but with a hint of probing.

"Dr. Ford, since conventional weapons struggle to penetrate the defensive Force Fields of Cataclysm-Class Monsters, could we perhaps... try a different approach?

"Instead of a frontal assault from the outside, we could try to break them down from the inside."

Hearing this, both Dr. Ford and Chet Lucius froze for a moment and turned to look at her.

Seraphina continued, "For example... poison.

"We could find or synthesize a substance that’s Highly Poisonous, something that could cause severe damage to their internal organs or nervous system. Then we’d just have to figure out a way to get them to ingest it.

"That way, we might be able to bypass their external defenses and attack their core directly."

"Poison?!"

Dr. Ford’s eyes suddenly lit up, but his expression quickly turned contemplative.

"That line of thinking... is certainly novel!

"Our research has primarily focused on Energy-based counters and physical destruction. We haven’t delved deeply into biological warfare. But..."