Overload

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

What's wrong with this guy?!

His left hand was gone, and his right hand was wounded so deeply that it could fall off at any moment. He could only use one of his mechanical arms to press it down, but the more he pressed, the more painful it became, and it would also weaken his current combat power. If he didn't press it down... was he supposed to tear his arm off himself?

Ocott simply didn't have the courage, so he could only vent all his resentment and anger on Jie La Er.

But it was all for naught. Even though he was already locked up by the "Body Lock," this guy seemed unaffected and launched another attack on Ocott.

This time, Jie La Er's target was Ocott's leg.

In less than ten seconds, a conspicuous wound was left on Ocott's leg, which could be split in two if done again.

Clearly, Jie La Er did not intend to take Ocott's life outright; otherwise, he could have simply aimed his sword at Ocott's neck, and such a wound would have been Ocott.

Ocott understood that Jie La Er wanted to capture him alive. If he were handed over to the "Skeleton" forces, their years of preparation would likely be in vain. This was something Ocott absolutely did not want to see, but he was powerless to do anything about it. His hysterical attacks on Jie La Er were like a child throwing mud at an adult, doing nothing but distraction.

After a brief adjustment, Jie La Er bent down again, preparing to launch a new attack.

... This can't go on any longer!

Ocott's eyes widened little by little.

He absolutely cannot die here, absolutely cannot... affect the final plan!

As Jie La Er charged at Ocott once again, he saw Ocott's body begin to tremble violently, and the eight mechanical arms behind him suddenly began to dance wildly and erratically.

This made Jie La Er realize something, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes, but his movements did not slow down. He once again swung the metal bar into a semi-circle, the pale golden arc of light looking like the sun, and he aimed at Ocott's neck.

But we were still a step too late.

A crisp sound.

The wildly flailing mechanical arm slashed down like a blade, finally cutting the metal bar, which had reached its limit, in two.

The remaining mechanical arms immediately attacked Jie La Er as well.

Having lost his weapon, Jie La Er had no choice but to retreat.

However, when he retreated to a safe distance, he had six or seven more wounds on his body.

Jie La Er narrowed his eyes slightly.

He was certain that it wasn't him who had slowed down.

That can only mean... the other party is getting faster.

Jie La Er raised his head and looked at the other end of the carriage.

The eight mechanical arms were completely different from before; they had become more vibrant and resembled a unified whole. If they were previously just inanimate objects controlled by Ocott, mere weapons, no different in essence from the metal bars in Jie La Er's hands, then now these weapons had come alive.

Jie La Er certainly knew what it was.

[Divine Art: Overload].

This is the power of the Lyra God.

It can operate a metal body or prosthetic limb in an overloaded state for a short period of time, achieving higher efficiency and greater destructive power. However, the price to be paid is the user's mental strength and the machine's lifespan.

As for Overdrive, Jie La Er is naturally one of the people who understands it best. After all, more than a decade ago, he and his Night Star used Overdrive countless times to fight against pollutants that were more powerful than them.

However, the fact that Ocott can now use Overload is somewhat beyond Jie La Er's comprehension.

"I originally intended to ask you this after I severed your limbs," Jie La Er said, slowly raising the half-finished metal bar to Ocott. "Lyra initially prohibited the addition of new prosthetics because the human brain at present cannot control limbs that are not its own. But you not only added them, you added eight. Theoretically, you either cannot operate these eight mechanical arms, or you will go insane the moment you try to operate them. So how exactly did you solve this problem..."

Jie La Er stopped mid-sentence.

Because at this moment, Ocott's face was so distorted that it was not something a normal human could do. His mouth was stretched open into a bizarre arc, as if he wanted to tear his face apart, and saliva was dripping uncontrollably from his mouth.

"It seems you haven't solved this problem."

Ocott's expression was ferocious, but he was still conscious. He mumbled at Jie La Er, "What do you think we've sacrificed for the new era?!"

"Morality, compassion, rules," Jie La Er said. "I don't know what you've sacrificed, I only know what you've contributed. If this is the new era you're pursuing, then such an era should not have come."

"I have no time to waste with you, Jie La Er! A new era will surely come! But you will not have the chance to witness it!"

After saying that, Ocott launched an attack on Jie La Er.

... No, rather than saying that Ocott attacked Jie La Er on his own initiative, it would be more accurate to say that the eight mechanical arms carried Ocott as he attacked Jie La Er.

It was like a crazed spider, its legs, sharper than ordinary metal, crushing anything in its path to dust. These mechanical arms replaced Ocott's legs, making the already messy floor even more riddled with holes as it crawled along.

Ocott's body was flung into the air like a pendant.

At this moment, Jie La Er finally sensed the danger.

He tried his best to dodge and parry the attacks from the mechanical arms with the half-metal strip in his hand, but he was no longer as at ease as before.

Under the [Divine Art: Overload] state, these mechanical arms possessed greater speed and destructive power than before. Originally, Jie La Er could use the various seats and railings in the cramped space of the carriage to dodge, but now, the mechanical arms were so powerful that they could cut anything in their way in two. This narrow space instantly became Jie La Er's constraint.

Of course, the more important reason is that... the locks on Jie La Er's body are still not unlocked.

Those fine chains that stretched up from the depths still restricted Jie La Er's every movement and every attack.

Previously, he could kill Ocott even when he was under limited circumstances, but now, he was like an insect trapped in a spider web, watching helplessly as a terrifying spider crawled toward him.

"Bang"!

The metal bar in his hand was cut in half again and was completely unusable. Jie La Er had no choice but to take out his dagger, but he knew that the dagger could only keep him alive for a minute or two at most and would not have any effect.

Finally, when Jie La Er was cornered by Ocott, he heard that long-silent voice echo in his mind.

"It seems you need a new deal."

Boom!

The carriage was completely destroyed. As Jie La Er retreated towards the carriages ahead, he asked himself, "Have you been waiting for this opportunity?"

"Rather than saying I've been waiting, I'd say I have a keen eye for business opportunities," Bai Wei said with a smile. "So, how about a deal?"

Another loud bang, and the eight mechanical arms ripped open the doors between the carriages, then chased after Jie La Er like wild beasts. Ocott, who was on top of it, was covered in blood during the violent movement, but he didn't care at all.

This attack method reminded Jie La Er of something, but he wasn't sure yet.

Jie La Er said in a deep voice, "Then tell me the details of your deal, and I'll see if it's reasonable."

"Tsk, it's already this late, you're about to die, and you still want to talk about whether it's reasonable or not," Bai Wei said with interest. "Aren't you afraid I'll just stand by and watch you die?"

Jie La Er blocked a thrusting attack with his dagger, sparks flying, the immense force nearly causing him to drop the dagger from his hand.

Even so, he showed no panic whatsoever, and calmly said, "Even in death, there are some things that should never be done."

"Hehe, that does sound like something you would say," Bai Wei said calmly. "But don't worry, I wouldn't make you pay for such a small trouble."

A roar whose meaning was unclear.

The fully extended mechanical arm cleaved the entire carriage in half, as if wantonly displaying its power and being a formidable monster.

... Is this a minor inconvenience?

"Two trade options, you can choose yourself," Bai Wei said slowly. "First, let me take over your body and fight for you. The good thing about this trade is that you don't need to pay too much, but the bad thing is that I'm not sure if the 'locks' on your body will be unlocked after I take over your body, so the outcome of the fight is uncertain, and at most, there's only a 70% chance of winning."

... Can you still have a 70% win rate without unlocking the lock?

Jie La Er didn't know whether he should believe it or not, but he still rejected the plan because allowing a being far more terrifying than the guy in front of him to control his body was not a wise decision no matter how you looked at it.

He slightly turned his body to the side, dodging another attack from the robotic arm.

The sharp mechanical arm grazed the steel plate on his chest, sending sparks flying. These sparks landed on his beard, giving him a faint smell of burning.

"What's the other option?"

"The other option... is simpler. You just need to get close to his main body, that half-dead guy," Bai Wei said. "Leave the rest to me."

"All we need to do is get close to his main body?"

"Yes, you should have guessed what's controlling these eight hands by now, right? Now, all you need to do is turn that guess into fact," Bai Wei said with a smile. "That's easy for me."

Jie La Er was silent for a moment, but he didn't stop moving. He continued to back away, moving closer and closer to the first carriage, which was the place that connected to the Fifth District Bridge. Once he crossed the bridge, the Devil Squad would immediately come out to deal with the trouble here.

But Jie La Er knew very well that he absolutely could not cross the bridge in his current state.

So, after yet another carriage was destroyed by Ocott, he asked, "So, what do you want?"

"A promise."

"A promise?"

"Yes, Jie La Er, a promise," Bai Wei said, "A promise that won't violate your principles of conduct."

"... What are the specific details?"

"Hehe, I can't reveal the specifics now," Bai Wei said with a light laugh. "I'll tell you sometime in the future... So, shall we proceed with this deal?"

"Roar"!!!

Ocott let out a completely inhuman roar, and this time, he was incredibly close to Jie La Er.

The outcome can be decided in a single moment.

Jie La Er didn't want to agree; his intuition told him that the promise would bring him a lot of trouble in the future... But he knew he had no choice, not even time to think it over, because the mechanical arm had blocked all his escape routes.

Then he doesn't need to choose.

He stopped retreating, and under the restraint of the "Body Lock," he used all his strength to charge towards Ocott's true form.

"If it doesn't violate my code of conduct..."

He leaped high toward Ocott, his posture like a reptile breaking free of its web and launching a final attack on its natural enemy.

"Then I agree," he said softly.

In Ocott's eyes, Jie La Er's figure rapidly magnified. The few remaining rational thoughts in his brain sensed something amiss, but were quickly swallowed up by a greater madness. Uncontrollable instinct made him open his mouth wide once more, almost tearing his entire jaw apart.

Then, a mushy monster emerged from Ocott's throat, roaring at Jie La Er with endless madness and pleasure.

Jie La Er's eyes widened instantly.

Sure enough, the one controlling those eight mechanical arms wasn't Ocott, but rather... the pollution Ocott had implanted in his body!

At this distance, the mental erosion that the pollutants exerted on Jie La Er was unavoidable.

Soon, Jie La Er felt the contamination flow into his brain along with the roar.

Then, that frantic roar echoed in his mind.

Jie La Er then knew that he had been corrupted.

The pollution coalesced and took shape in Jie La Er's sea of consciousness.

They darted about wildly, and the power surrounding them could destroy the minds and reason of hundreds of ordinary people in an instant.

It's like a wolf rushing into a sheepfold.

But what puzzled them was that there were no sheep in the sheepfold.

There was only darkness and nothingness.

No matter how they explore, they cannot find the edge of this sea of consciousness.

Until they saw a chair.

A "person" was sitting in the chair.

He looked as if he had been dead for a long time; his entire body was empty, with more than half of his parts and organs gone, leaving only what appeared to be a shredded shell.

Even so, this mutilated body still made the pollutants "feel" uneasy.

Logically speaking, they shouldn't have any rationality other than instinctive madness, but they still quieted down, stopped their seemingly endless roars, and silently looked at the mutilated body.

Then, they "saw" the mutilated body slowly open one of its eyes.

The mangled body glanced in this direction.

Just one glance.

The pollutants all went crazy.

"Clatter".

Jie La Er landed safely, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Because he felt that the pollution in his mind... had been eliminated.

How long has it been?

From the moment he realized he was contaminated to the moment the contamination was lifted, that is, the time it took to land... was there even a second in between?

When will the pollution be so easily eliminated? Or was everything just my imagination? Is he still contaminated?

Before Jie La Er could figure it out, a heart-wrenching wail immediately drew his attention.

The one who screamed was Ocott.

The eight mechanical arms seemed to have their own consciousness, and were tearing at Ocott's body like madmen, as if they wanted to rip their master to pieces.

Judging from the behavior of these robotic arms, they don't seem to be killing their master, but rather... they are afraid.

They kept tearing at each other, just trying to escape from here, desperately trying to escape something.

Pollutants... it's insane.

Jie La Er, who came to this conclusion, couldn't help but wonder if he had gone mad.

The pollutants have gone mad!

As their host, Ocott sensed this even more clearly. He didn't know what had happened either, but the contaminants released to erode Jie La Er's mind returned instantly, displaying immense fear. This fear drove them, already devoid of reason, even more insane.

They were originally powerful because of their madness, but now they are driven mad by fear. Their instincts have shifted from destruction to terror, and this terror nearly tore Ocott apart.

Ocott didn't know what had happened. He used all his strength to suppress the out-of-control pollutants and regain control of his arm, thus avoiding the outcome of it being torn to pieces on the spot.

But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, a crisp "snap" sound rang out.

He subconsciously turned his head and then saw a scene he would never forget.

Jie La Er slowly stood up, wiping the wounds on his face as he softly said, "As expected, you used contaminants to control those mechanical arms, and you implanted the contaminants into your body. According to the laws of Lyra, you... can also be defined as a contaminant."

The clicking sounds rang out continuously.

Those were the "locks" binding Jie La Er's metallic body, which were now breaking inch by inch, and then falling off Jie La Er's body like rust being shaken off.

"According to the laws of Lyra, it is the duty of every Knight to eliminate contaminants, and contaminants will not be protected by the 'locks'."

Jie La Er had stood up straight, and the long-dormant metal vibrated wildly, as if a sleeping lion had awakened.

Ocott finally realized what was happening. He quickly retreated, shouting in fear, "You can't touch me! I'm not a pollutant! I'm Lyra People! I'm Lyra People!"

Jie La Er didn't speak, he just stared at Ocott quietly, and in stark contrast to his calmness was the metal on Jie La Er's body.

Its vibrations became more and more frequent, and the sounds it emitted became louder and louder. It was like a wild beast that had been bound for ten years, with its bones broken, its fangs worn down, and its eyes gouged out. But when it smelled the scent of its natural enemy, this beast would still desperately destroy the cage, cut the chains, and let out the most deafening roar.

This is human nature.

This is the nature of the night star.

After being sealed away for ten years, this body, which should have been obsolete long ago, enters [Overload] amidst extreme roar.

"Bang"!

The last link in the chain deep within the body collapsed during the [Overload].

Ocott finally felt fear and immediately tried to escape, but before he could turn around, Jie La Er grabbed one of the mechanical arms.

"You are the pollutant," Jie La Er said calmly. "And my duty is to prevent any pollutant from corrupting Lyra."

He exerted force, pulling Ocott toward himself, while simultaneously raising his fist in the Overload state.

Then he punched Ocott through the heart.

"Failed to break 6,000. jpg, but this is still a big chapter. For now, this is all the combat can be written. I hope the reading experience is better than before."