Safe zones were footholds for those within the underground ruins. As long as one stayed inside, there was no need to worry about attacks from copper mechanical lifeforms.
Thanks to the shelter of safe zones, both Beyond's team and the Association's team could maneuver within the underground ruins for so long.
Now, with the 'master switch' cut off by the Masked Man, both Beyond's team and the Association's team lost their sanctuary and faced the frenzied siege of copper mechanical lifeforms.
Originally, safe zones were contradictory places… they were shelters but also spawn points for copper mechanical lifeforms.
Therefore, areas near safe zones usually had quite a few copper mechanical lifeforms roaming around.
The change came too suddenly, but neither Beyond's team nor the Hunter Association's team was weak.
On the contrary, they were the top-tier teams from the Six Continents. How could they be thrown into disarray?
On the Association's side, support members were protected in the center of the formation, while main combatants set up a defensive perimeter, keeping the oncoming copper mechanical lifeforms at bay.
Among them, Netero's 100-Type Guanyin was akin to a meat grinder. With each palm strike, it could shatter several copper mechanical lifeforms.
Under the rapid barrage of palm strikes, the endless stream of copper mechanical lifeforms turned into wreckage, quickly piling up a small hill before the Guanyin.
The other directions were handled by Ginta, Morel, and the others, barely managing to block the copper mechanical lifeforms coming from all sides.
If Kanzai and Botobai were still here, perhaps the pressure on the team could be reduced by a notch.
"It's truly endless."
Morel manipulated his smoke soldiers, arranging them into an impenetrable formation ahead.
His smoke soldiers lacked powerful attack methods. They couldn't, like the 100-Type Guanyin, destroy copper mechanical lifeforms with a single palm strike easily.
The strategies employed by the smoke soldiers mainly involved surrounding and targeted kills.
Utilizing delicate multi-threaded control, two smoke soldiers dealt with one copper mechanical lifeform.
One smoke soldier was responsible for restraining, while the other used the tactic of knocking out the 'energy crystal' to eliminate the copper mechanical lifeforms one by one.
Ginta's approach was even more brutal. Given the copper mechanical lifeforms' characteristics of ignoring Nen Defense and their rusting attacks, even though he was a close-combat type, he had no intention of letting them get close.
His method was simple and brutal: throwing.
He used the wreckage of copper mechanical lifeforms killed by teammates as throwing projectiles, attached a bit of Nen, and hurled them like a shotgun blast, destroying many copper mechanical lifeforms in one go.
While his kill efficiency wasn't as high as Netero's 100-Type Guanyin, it wasn't slow either.
Knowing the threat of copper mechanical lifeforms, Hunters with long-range attack methods wouldn't rashly engage in close combat.
However, Hunters without long-range attack methods, if they needed to participate in combat, had to risk engaging in close combat with the copper mechanical lifeforms.
For example, Menchi. Although she was a Gourmet Hunter, her close-combat abilities were not weak. Moreover, she had studied under Linne and mastered the [Soft Palm] technique.
She charged into the enemy ranks, wielding her pair of kitchen knives with a blend of hard and soft techniques. She either directly sliced the copper mechanical lifeforms in half or found openings to pick out the energy crystals hidden inside the gears.
For a time, she continuously slaughtered the copper mechanical lifeforms before her.
Whether using long-range or close-range attacks, the Hunter Association's members each displayed their unique skills, steadily holding off the onslaught of copper mechanical lifeforms.
In the center of the formation, support members like Sanbica and Pyon could only watch their comrades fight.
For any Pro Hunter, possessing combat ability was a basic requirement.
Although Sanbica and Pyon were categorized as support members, their combat abilities were still passable.
But in this battle, due to the limitations of their abilities, they couldn't help at all.
For example, Sanbica's ability to control viruses. If used against biological beings or Nen Users, her ability could be quite effective.
But the copper mechanical lifeforms in the ruins were immune to viral attacks, rendering her ability useless.
Although she very much wanted to join the fight and contribute to the team, she was self-aware. In the current situation, not causing trouble was enough, let alone joining the battle.
Her gaze followed Menchi, occasionally shifting to Netero and other teammates expending their Nen. She sighed deeply in her heart.
'The feeling of being unable to do anything... is really terrible.'
As time passed, the ground became littered with the wreckage of copper mechanical lifeforms.
Although the Hunter Association held their defensive line, everyone was deeply concerned.
Because the incessantly attacking copper mechanical lifeforms seemed endless, giving a sense of futility.
If this continued...
"We can't afford to stay here. We need to break out as soon as possible."
Netero coldly watched the copper mechanical lifeforms charge forward, only to turn into wreckage under the Guanyin's palms.
No one knew how long this suicidal onslaught of copper mechanical lifeforms would last.
If they didn't do something and stayed here to fight a war of attrition with the copper mechanical lifeforms, it would be akin to a slow death.
Most crucially, their current location was deep within the underground ruins.
Without the shelter of safe zones, they had no capital for a prolonged battle.
Even though they hadn't completed their mission, the situation was pressing, leaving Netero with no choice.
"Chairman, we need to find a way back to the surface," Cheadle suggested with a grave expression.
"I know."
Netero replied without turning his head.
Then, he quickly scanned the situation and said gravely, "I'll create a breakthrough. Follow closely."
Before his words faded, he suddenly strode forward, and the palm techniques of the golden Guanyin underwent a fundamental change.
Previously, it was mainly slapping… swift and merciless.
Now, it changed to pushing and sweeping.
The Guanyin's palms pushed forward flatly, repelling the clustered copper mechanical lifeforms, then swept the wreckage to the left and right, clearing a path to walk through.
Thus, with Netero leading, they forcibly opened a passage through the tide of copper mechanical lifeforms, advancing at a not-so-fast pace.
However, a shadow of gloom lingered over everyone's hearts.
Could they hold on until they made it out?
No one was certain.
Beyond's team faced the same situation as the Hunter Association's team.
An endless stream of copper mechanical lifeforms, like waves, crashed upon Beyond's team one after another.
However, Golem's firepower attacks, with overwhelming force, shattered all the copper mechanical lifeforms ahead into pieces.
Led by Golem, Beyond's team also decided to break out.
But both sides had to face one problem.
That was... endurance.
Would they be worn down alive by the countless copper mechanical lifeforms, or would they successfully escape relying on tenacious endurance?
Deep within the underground ruins, could they successfully escape this predicament?