Act.13 Elevation · Promotion
Foreword:
In a sense, everything is killing each other.
Fishing cost me my life, but it also sustained me.
--Ernest Miller Hemingway
[Part 1: Hitting a Woman?]
The wind tousled Meteor's hair as he examined Zhong Kui's artificial body and separated the Dragon Slayer Sword from Berloberg.
He tossed the heavy iron block aside, gripped the blade of light tightly once more, and exhaled a long, heavy breath.
Zhong Kui stretched her arms forward, and the pair of short swords in her hands moved like nimble snakes, her knuckles flexible and boneless, allowing her to control these high-frequency weapons from all angles.
Her eyes were fixed on the invading enemy, her lips parted slightly, her breath sweet as orchids, and her long, blood-red tongue stretched out, its two split tips trembling violently—
"Hey kid, did you see that tongue?"
[That's her biological radar; her core engine emits infrasound waves, and that tongue, in conjunction with her prosthetic eye, helps her pinpoint our location.]
[Her sensor units are rich and three-dimensional, much more advanced than those of Yezhong and Yoguang.]
[So.]
The Hot Wind didn't finish its sentence.
--The meteor had already shot up!
Holy crap! This young man!
With the rubber soles of his boots firmly planted on the iron plates of the corridor, A Xing practically launched himself forward, leaping forward. This was a swift charge technique he had developed after countless battles. The continuous leaps could accumulate enormous potential energy, so he didn't need to consider his body balance while running; he could focus all his power on the slashing motion!
Zhong Kui's pupils contracted slightly, locking onto the rapidly approaching enemy.
Her heart was being tested; the power unleashed by this Homo sapiens before her, who had not undergone artificial body modification, clearly exceeded her expectations.
A dazzling light burst forth from Berloberg's sword as Meteor lifted the greatsword and slashed down fiercely!
Zhong Kui did not dodge. When the core engine was running at full power, it emitted a piercing roar. The MCFC fuel cell stack was ejected from the body immediately, emerging from the spine and going to the exoskeleton for heat dissipation.
She held both swords directly at Berloberg's slashing point, intending to take the blow head-on!
The arms and torsos of the two men trembled violently the moment their blades touched, and sparks flew as steel and carbon isotopes clashed!
The woman continued to push forward with her two swords, changing the trajectory of her attacks; she wanted to sever Meteor's fingers!
A Xing felt like he had run into the claws of a tiger; Berloberg's cutting force was like mud flowing into the sea—unsustainable! The steel bar had already chipped and broken from the friction with the carbon isotope of the blade.
--The high-temperature blade, blocked by the high-frequency weapon, burned some graphite from the carbon isotopes, causing no further damage.
He suddenly stopped! He was about to deal with Zhong Kui's stabs, but his abdomen suddenly gave way, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that strange "palm lines" once again cover the soft flesh of his waist!
Several unseen hands were gripping his spine, the point where his lower body connected to the ground, tightly. This was Zhong Kui's eerie infrasound attack! A sinister move that even a psychic would find difficult to observe and catch!
No sooner said than done --
--Meteor felt a chill on his wrist, his movements slowed by ten milliseconds, and his Thumb, which was gripping Berloberg tightly, was about to be carried away by Zhong Kui's twin swords!
Instead of retreating and running away, he used the force of Zhong Kui's downward thrusting finger as Berloberg, and the nearly 1,000-degree blade could tear through any armor.
Zhong Kui's pupils instantly separated from his sights, as if he had lost his spirit. He never expected this kid's fighting spirit to be so strong!
She was wrestling with a bull that wasn't afraid of pain. Even the simulated enemy in the VR training course could make battle damage assessments, but Hot Wind didn't have that kind of determination!
Eight-toed steel claws gripped the ground tightly, and she retreated repeatedly! Like the hind legs of a wildcat, the body-bound feet led Zhong Kui to one side of the corridor. She wanted to deflect the fierce pressure from Berloberg, but the sudden fall of the sword caused her pupils to dilate, forcing her to release the lock-on state of full-force attack and split her attention to observe the enemy's weapons.
Meteor's two Thumb were almost hanging by his sides, nearly severed at the base. Contrary to Zhong Kui's judgment, he did not lose his strength.
Six years ago, Ming Ge hung on the Eureka Volcano City, clinging to the cliff face for two hours.
Meteor had always admired this feat, so this extreme sports enthusiast was able to use only four fingers to exert all the strength of his forearm to grip the weapon!
This is his talent, the foundation of his ability to slay demons and monsters!
Berloberg was practically kissing the oil duct in Zhong Kui's neck, about to sever her artery!
The intense heat ignited her hair, and her engine roared as she constantly adjusted her sword and body posture, maneuvering nimbly through the narrow corridor.
She retreated to the side, only to find that the shooting star was like a hungry wolf relentlessly pursuing her.
If you take a step back, your opponent will follow suit.
She hesitated for a moment, her tactical decision was a fraction of a second slower, and she felt a chill on her feet. The sudden stomping sound was like a timpani. Just a hair's breadth away, this kid was about to step on her toes and make her take the full force of the sword!
In the very first round, the two engaged in a fierce and aggressive battle within arm's reach.
As the three weapons moved from the front to the side, Berloberg's blade sliced through the endurance plate, leaving charred marks on the petri dish. The culture medium instantly boiled, and the Angel Infant's brain churned in the scalding water before finally passing away!
The sword's momentum stalled midway, slowing its fierce forward thrust, finally giving Zhong Kui a chance to catch his breath.
She steadied herself and kicked A Xing hard in the side and ribs.
In just one moment! Meteor felt like his spine was about to crack!
His eyes rolled back, and he felt a surge of stomach acid, almost vomiting.
Zhong Kui is about to unleash a second attack, just like before!
Halfway through the side kick, Meteor raised his leg to block and strike the groin hard. His iron-like knee landed precisely on the android's hip joint, followed by a fierce spring kick that almost broke Zhong Kui's thigh!
With more room to maneuver with her twin swords, Zhong Kui recovered quickly from the counterattack of the intercepting kick. She tried to raise her sword to cut open A Xing's right hand, but as soon as she moved her arm forward a little, she was immediately thrown off balance by Meteor's double kick.
She hadn't expected this kid to be so resilient.
This fighting spirit is worlds apart from that of the hypothetical enemy in Extreme Bliss Space.
The two were to switch positions. The moment Berloberg was detached from the wall, Meteor didn't hesitate and quickly retreated to the control room—fighting with Zhong Kui was pointless; his goal was to shut down this brain factory, and his mind was perfectly clear.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhong Kui's face. In this state, the adrenaline pumped into her brain by the artificial body was driving her insane, yet this thing was still able to maintain its intelligence.
She stepped forward to stop him, sacrificing her left hand by getting caught on Berloberg's blade. She lunged forward, crouching low, and slashed at Meteor's calf, trying to equalize the distance—she couldn't let this kid succeed.
Meteor swung his sword in response to the opponent's force, but Berloberg missed!
He felt a sudden lightness in his body, as Zhong Kui's leg shot into the air. This self-sacrificing leg-sliding move caused him to lose his balance, and then the throwing technique took effect. When he got up from the ground, he was back to where he started.
"Hoo--" Zhong Kui finally exhaled a breath of scalding hot air, putting away all her contempt and mockery. Apart from the high-frequency weapon, she had used all her strength. The heat dissipation vents on her shoulders almost blew her hair to the ceiling, and the artificial muscles of her cyborg began to emit overload and overpressure alarm signals.
She drew her sword as a warning and quickly pulled out an electrolyte solvent from her carrying gear.
Meteor was observing Zhong Kui's hip. This woman's right leg near her waist was seriously injured. His Jeet Kune Do technique was personally taught by Brother Xue Ming. His timing for the counterattack was excellent, and it must have caused very serious damage, like two trucks colliding head-on. It was the combined force of this woman's kick and his full-force straight kick.
He took an electrolyte solvent from his armpit with two fingers and then injected it into the VENOM device.
The two Thumb, which had been severed and were now just flesh and skin, seemed to have a mind of their own. They quickly straightened up, and then the nanomechanical medical unit snapped the broken bones back together and reconnected the muscle structure.
[Boy]
Meteor: "Don't interrupt, I don't have time for your outdated instructions."
[I... I didn't mean to say anything. I...]
At this moment, the combat skills that Bu Liuxing displayed were something that Hot Wind could not comprehend fifty years ago; this young man's combat power had long surpassed that of the undead within his physical body.
[That's what I wanted to say]
[You're fucking awesome, kid!]
On the other side, a terrifying cracking sound came from the base of Zhong Kui's thigh. The universal interface of the thigh prosthesis could hardly recognize this torso. Under the repair of the medical unit, Zhong Kui's hip joints were almost completely reshaped and remodeled.
Her face was deathly pale. When she looked at the battle damage on the HUD, she could see her leg and hip bones completely deformed. The artificial muscles had turned into a jelly-like mass of protein under the brutal intercepting kick. The enormous internal energy had nowhere to go and generated a temperature of nearly 170 degrees Celsius in an instant, almost melting part of her thigh.
Previously, Yezhong had sent back the battle log.
--Just recently, this kid and Yezhong evenly matched.
Why? Why does he seem like a completely different person?!
Zhong Kui couldn't understand why this kid's fighting power was still increasing!
Could it be that his psionic attribute allows him to instantly become stronger when facing a powerful enemy?
There was no time to think!
[Part ②·She's Not Human]
The moment the meteor regained its strength, it raised its sword and slashed at the petri dish beside it.
Zhong Kui's engine started running again, and the energy battery emitted an eerie purplish-red light.
The low-pitched infrasound attack arrived as expected, and she subdued the tiger!
Suddenly, a dozen or so palm prints appeared on A Xing's upper arm and neck, and his neck was also gripped by these invisible hands!
The blade stopped at one side of the polycarbonate plate, and the heat it emitted gradually melted the polycarbonate plate of the petri dish.
"Ah!!!!!------"
A deafening roar erupted from the meteor's throat! The powerful sound, exceeding 130 decibels, stirred up a scorching, raging wind!
The sound waves stirred up turbulence, tearing apart the shackles binding the meteor! They almost made Zhong Kui's hair stand on end!
Her pupils, which had been locked in place, were once again thrown off balance by the overwhelming sound.
Berloberg smashed the petri dish; the liquid boiled instantly upon contact with the sword, turning into scalding steam.
The temperature throughout the corridor was rising, reaching a frenzied fifty degrees Celsius, and the chaotic vortex in the air turned into a scorching Hot Wind that urged a decisive battle.
In the misty fog, Zhong Kui could see nothing!
Neither optical sights nor biometrics could help her lock onto her target.
The culture medium supplying nutrients to the artificial brain is rich in organic matter, causing the Angel Infant's neural signals and the Bu Liuxing's bioelectrical signals to mix together!
Neither thermal imaging nor sonar radar could pinpoint the meteor's true form.
The room temperature was far higher than that of Homo sapiens. In this narrow corridor, the sonar oscilloscope kept displaying the echoes left by the terrifying battle roar.
In an instant Zhong Kui's expression became ferocious and terrifying, and only a faint glimpse of the bright red VENOM light source could be seen in the mist, like the scarlet eye of a vicious wolf!
The C60 mesh covering her body rapidly vibrated and disintegrated, and the high-frequency weapon modules of her two swords started operating, ready for a decisive battle!
"Come!"
A shooting star responded from the mist.
"Good!"
In the first round, the heavy steps were like the resounding war drums!
The thick fog suddenly dissipated! A massive, muscular beast leaped out from the scalding steam!
Berloberg brought forth a brilliant light!
Zhong Kui's composite sight hadn't even locked onto the meteor's form yet, and the ⑧-shaped pupils hadn't yet converged!
The distance was too close! The time was too short!
He came so fast! Much faster than last time!
Did he extend the sprint distance? Did he only start his run-up and sprint after returning to the corridor entrance?
Time seemed to slow down at that moment.
--A visible layer of wind pressure rose from the surface of Berloberg's blade.
When Zhong Kui saw all this clearly, the plasma of the high-frequency weapon was out of control, and the strong magnets and electricity could not restrain the blade that could cut through everything.
She watched helplessly as Berloberg sword flashing with brilliant light, dodged the two swords—
--The wind pressure on the sword contained a dense layer of water vapor, like clouds maintaining a critical state, or vaporized condensed clouds. These things acted as a protective shield for Berloberg, breaking through her high-frequency armor.
The C60 blade was shattered by Berloberg! It deflected her arm!
The sword slammed into her shoulder, instantly smashing into her chest cavity! The skeleton in her right ribcage was exposed, and the sonic generator shattered along with it!
Sparks traveled down his abdomen, severing his left leg bone from his navel in two!
The greatsword slammed into the floor, carving its way into the iron-stone path.
--Zhong Kui did not lose his fighting spirit. At the moment his body disintegrated, he still had one arm that could move, and he used his sword to fiercely stab at the meteor!
She felt a gust of wind on her face as a thick shoulder suddenly approached and knocked her chin away!
Half of her body floated up, and when she could see the shooting star again, she saw that the young man had grabbed her only hand that could retaliate—the hand holding the sword.
Wow, that was fast.
Such a quick reaction.
What a terrifying guy!
The meteor tore off half of the body, lifted it high above its head, abandoned Berloberg, and threw Zhong Kui behind it like a kite with a broken string.
He stood sideways, with Zhong Kui's headless and crippled lower body in front of him, and a beautiful ghost about to die from the power outage behind him.
When the thick fog completely dissipated, Meteor remained standing on Zhong Kui's hair, vigilantly observing the walking corpse, making sure that the puppet no longer had the strength to suddenly attack.
He pulled Berloberg out of the floor and smashed Zhong Kui's head!
Suddenly, the woman's hand, which was tightly gripping the short sword, twitched, and the hilt slipped from her palm, as if a taut nerve had snapped, and she breathed her last.
The MCFC fuel cell at the spine also lost all light and turned grayish-white.
An SD card emerged from the hilt of the high-frequency weapon.
Meteor carefully picked the thing up, completely baffled as to what the woman was thinking.
[She... she seems to have something to say?]
Meteor wanted to put the SD card into the VENOM.
Wait! Wait, kid! Aren't you afraid this thing might be some kind of virus?!
"You're the one who's been infected with the virus right now," Bu Liuxing said nonchalantly. "If I crush this thing, you won't hear these last words, and you'll probably regret it for the rest of your life, right?"
[Uh. I. Uh.]
Meteor pointed at the corpse on the floor with her bright red arm and stuffed the SD card into the VENOM in her right arm.
"I'm not afraid of ghosts, especially not this woman now—"
"--They're completely dead!"