Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

No wonder Ying Qiuhuai believed that even if she were to be upgraded to a double S-rank, the possibility of defeating the Destruction Dragon was extremely slim.

Chapter 412 Scorched Earth (Section 420)

Passing through the tangled layers of sea fog, a gray-black island emerged at the edge of the horizon. Gu Cheng casually brushed aside her stray hairs, her mind filled with the sky view provided by the deputy commander.

Visual observation alone is not enough to determine the landing. Once the team is closer, Gu Cheng uses bio-electric radar to conduct a second scan. After confirming that there are no potential dangers underground, he instructs everyone to land according to the original plan.

As the command was given, Gu Cheng suddenly realized that the buoyancy around her had weakened significantly, and her body fell rapidly. The heels of her boots hit the ground with a dull thud. She steadied herself, and her light brown hair swayed gently with the movement.

"Place carefully. Also, Miss Wang, could you please help me count the number of people?" the girl said gently.

Two minutes later, Wang Yuxin nodded to Gu Cheng, who finally relaxed and sighed inwardly that the journey had been fraught with danger but ultimately ended without incident.

"Let's go. We'll find a suitable campsite on the outskirts of the island first, and then we'll consider our next move. Everyone, please be careful not to get separated."

Compared to the mainland, the island beneath their feet was noticeably less vibrant, with a cold, damp sea breeze carrying a strong, salty smell.

All the awakened beings present had witnessed the giant sea monsters firsthand and knew that it was not advisable to linger on the shore, so they all followed the main group and headed away from the coastline.

As the journey shortened, the black fog in front of her grew thicker and thicker, even showing signs of becoming tangible. Gu Cheng narrowed her tea-colored eyes and slowly stopped walking.

"Captain Gu, have you made any new discoveries?" Wang Yuxin asked her in a low voice.

Gu Cheng reached out and touched her eyelashes, saying calmly, "Look ahead."

The woman looked up at the sound and was immediately met with a vast expanse of charred blackness. In the distance, the land was parched and cracked, forming several densely packed fragments like a spider web. In addition, several weathered bird skeletons lay scattered nearby.

"How could this be..."

Wang Yuxin unconsciously opened her mouth, her fingers gently touching her lips, her face full of disbelief.

Her supernatural ability allows her to extract water from her surroundings, making her far more sensitive to humidity than others. Wang Yuxin knew very well that such an arid landscape could not possibly form in a location so close to the ocean.

Gu Cheng glanced back at her, her pink lips parted slightly: "This at least means we haven't come to the wrong place."

When Surtur appeared, it caused a violent volcanic eruption, turning the entire ruins of the capital into a sea of ​​fire. The dawn that should have arrived was forcibly reversed by supernatural forces, ultimately presenting a desolate and chaotic twilight.

According to Ying Qiuhuai's description, Nidhogg's strength far surpasses that of the fire giants. If it only has this slight anomaly, it would not be consistent with its identity as a destructive dragon.

Halfway through her thought, Gu Cheng suddenly pursed her lips, her slender eyebrows furrowing slightly.

She thought about the formation of the island, the continental plates that were torn apart, and gradually understood the description of the Destruction Dragon in the letter.

A black dragon named Nidhogg awakens from the seabed, its sharp wings flapping as it spreads calamity and destruction across the scorched battlefield.

It is so powerful that it can stir up the tides and tear the earth apart with just its claws and giant wings.

......

After a brief rest, the Awakened Squad established a temporary camp on the outskirts of the island, with the outermost tents about 300 meters away from the scorched earth.

As the core leader of the team, Gu Cheng naturally wouldn't go out to search with the others. She needed to stay in the camp to maintain order and prevent the crows from infiltrating and causing panic among the people.

"Captain Gu, the paper angel can be released again."

A pretty young woman with a single ponytail spoke up sweetly. Gu Cheng turned around and looked at Zhao Xinfeng, her eyes calm as still water.

"Keep an eye on the direction of the scorched earth and report any abnormalities immediately."

Zhao Xinfeng is a B-level Awakened who Gu Cheng rescued from the ruins the day before yesterday. His code name is "Paper Angel". He can release floating paper figures to monitor the area and can also share the paper figures' vision with the team through mental transmission.

This kind of aerial reconnaissance was exactly what the team lacked. In addition, Zhao Xinfeng had performed quite well along the way, and her calm and cautious personality prevented any mistakes. Gu Cheng simply made her her deputy, mainly responsible for collecting battlefield intelligence.

Upon receiving the order from his superior, Zhao Xinfeng quickly crouched down and released the paper angel. A slender figure rose from his palm and slowly floated into the sky.

About three or four seconds later, Zhao Xinfeng closed her eyes and sat in the sleeping bag, observing the environment through the paper figure's perspective. She saw the scorched land in front of her stretching for miles, extending deep into the interior of the island.

There were no bushes, no puddles, no ruins; apart from the occasional seagull carcass, the entire scorched earth was almost completely bare.

As he maneuvered the paper figure upwards, the thick black fog began to obscure his vision. Zhao Xinfeng frowned and had no choice but to descend and approach the island.

Gu Cheng did not ask the other party to share their vision at any time. Instead, he kept a close eye on the adjutant's every move while holding his knife. The girl naturally noticed the latter's furrowed brows.

"What's wrong? Is the situation not good?"

The paper angel was only a temporary substitute for the naked eye; Zhao Xinfeng's other senses remained in place, which is why she could hear Gu Cheng's question.

"Hmm, this place gives me a very strange feeling."

"Be more specific," Gu Cheng said softly.

Zhao Xinfeng pursed his lips upon hearing this, his voice low and somber: "Perhaps...it's because the biodiversity here is too low..."

Previously in the ruins of Beidu, the paper angel could discover countless crack monsters as soon as it went up to the sky, but the island in front of them was unexpectedly lifeless, and not even a mutated fly could be seen.

"Captain Gu, is it possible that they've all hidden themselves?"

Zhao Xinfeng muttered to himself, then quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.

"No, there's no way to hide in such an open space."

Unless they are subterranean creatures that live underground year-round, it's impossible to go half a day without seeing one.

Hearing Zhao Xinfeng's explanation, Gu Cheng couldn't help but think of the results of the bioelectric radar scan earlier. She deliberately lowered the detection range to the insect category, but still couldn't find any living organisms.

Something unusual must be going on. The girl gently stroked the blade and once again reminded Zhao Xinfeng not to miss anything unusual.

Just then, a commotion arose in the camp, indicating that the exploration team responsible for the search had made some progress.

"Captain Gu, we've found another Awakened squad."

Wang Yuxin rushed to Gu Cheng, intending to report the situation, but found the latter standing there in a daze, her fair face turned to the side, her pearly teeth gently biting her cherry lips.

Qin Kexin's voice lingered in his mind.

"Phew, we finally found Orange! Sister Xi is with us too!"

The next second, Su Wanxi connected to the communication channel, her tone as gentle as ever, yet seemingly concealing a myriad of emotions.

"Orange...long time no see..."

Chapter 413 Reunion (Section 421)

It had only been three or four days since they parted ways, but it felt like an eternity to Su Wanxi. As she followed Qin Kexin through the camp, she maintained a mental connection with Gu Cheng throughout.

As Su Wanxi walked through the fork in the road between the tents, she saw a young woman wearing a black combat suit with soft, fine brown hair.

Gu Cheng was also looking at her, her cherry lips slightly pursed, her gentle brown eyes shimmering beneath her long eyelashes.

No see in one day, like every three autumns.

Su Wanxi seemed much more haggard. Her once smooth and fair skin had become even whiter, and her delicate and beautiful lips had lost some color, opening and closing slightly with her breath.

A spasm-like pain shot through her heart. Without thinking, Gu Cheng quickly stepped forward, wrapped her arms tightly around the woman's back, and pressed her delicate body against hers.

"Su Wanwan..."

The girl's voice wasn't from telepathic communication, but rather a warm, sweet, and melodious sound that gradually seeped into my ear.

Upon hearing this, Su Wanxi relaxed her brows, supported her waist with her soft hand, and responded to Gu Cheng with even greater enthusiasm.

"orange."

"I've found you..."

After speaking, Gu Cheng rested her head on Su Wanxi's shoulder, relaxed her body, and silently felt the fragrance of the other's hair and the warmth from her neck.

All the unease and anxiety vanished as she whispered sweet nothings to her lover. Gu Cheng was about to peck Su Wanxi on the cheek when she turned her head and noticed that many people were looking at them. The latter also noticed this, but simply smiled at Gu Cheng and reached out to rub her head.

"...Wait a little longer."

The previously calm and gentle Captain Gu was now hugging Su Wanxi like a koala. Wang Yuxin was a little surprised. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Kexin resting her chin on her hands, staring at them with bright eyes.

This person... seems even more excited than the person involved...

Wang Yuxin had never been a fan of shipping couples, so she naturally didn't understand what Qin Kexin was moved by. She only felt that Captain Gu and Miss Su looked pleasing to the eye together and were indeed a perfect match.

However, the necessary procedures still had to be followed, so Wang Yuxin had no choice but to bite the bullet and break the beautiful atmosphere of their long-awaited reunion.

"Captain Gu, regarding this Awakened Squad..."

The crack was clearly not a good place for romance. Gu Cheng snapped out of her brief moment of joy, slowly released Su Wanxi, and turned to look at Wang Yuxin.

"I will discuss this in detail with the team leader via telepathy. I may need Ms. Wang's help in compiling the information about the Awakened."

Before they even met, Qin Kexin had already told Gu Cheng about the general situation of their team. Su Wanxi didn't add anything after hearing it, so there probably wouldn't be any major problems.

Back in the tent, Zhao Xinfeng had already sent the second paper angel into the sky. After giving a few brief instructions, he received permission from Gu Cheng to leave and catch up on his sleep.

After the curtain closed, Su Wanxi took the initiative to hug his fiancée and leaned down to give the girl a light kiss on the forehead.

"Captain Gu, you've worked hard!"

Along the way, Su Wanxi saw male and female survivors in the camp and knew that her wife had probably been working very hard these past few days.

After hearing this, Gu Cheng fluttered her eyelashes a few times, saying that her own abilities were limited and that she was very grateful for the assistance from Miss Wang and Deputy Zhao.

"And you, Su Wanwan?" The girl rubbed her hair, her voice low. "Don't lie to me, are you hurt somewhere?"

His face was pale, and his body went limp when she hugged him.

Upon hearing this, Su Wanxi narrowed her watery eyes slightly, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "I have a minor injury on my right shoulder."

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng hurriedly looked up at his fiancée's shoulder. He had been so focused on looking at her that he had only just noticed that there was a large hole in her combat suit on the shoulder, with the fabric of the top and bottom pieces being different and showing obvious signs of repair.

Immediately afterwards, a slender, white hand swept across Su Wanxi's neck and landed on her chest. Gu Cheng cleanly and efficiently unbuttoned Su Wanxi's outer garment, revealing a gray-green bulletproof vest underneath, and a glimpse of her fair skin that couldn't be concealed due to the speed of the movement.

Su Wanxi lowered her head and saw her fiancée's anxious face, which was full of concern for her. Her heart warmed suddenly, and she gently placed her soft hand on the back of her hand.

"It's all over now."

The clothes were torn, how could nothing have happened?

Gu Cheng was heartbroken and mistakenly thought that she had hurt Su Wanxi by being too rough, so she had to slow down and carefully peel off the combat suit.

Contrary to the expected cruelty, the fiancée's right shoulder was rounded and smooth, radiating a porcelain-white luster that made one want to take a bite.

Could it be that a bone is broken?

Seeing that Gu Cheng was still doubtful, Su Wanxi simply pulled her along and gently touched her. Feeling the delicate touch from her palm, the girl was stunned and looked at her fiancé.