Operator 3: Strange Phenomena
Sticky, bright red grease shed from the spine of the sword.
--The thick, red soup resembles the blood of a galloping horse. The high temperatures of Berloberg cannot dry out the mechanical lubricant of these armored beasts. Only by shaking off the dirt from the blade can it remain sharp.
The cold wind blew from the southwest to the northeast.
It's like the weapon of [North Wind], adjusting the wind direction according to the samurai general's will.
Originally, the meteor was sheltered from the wind, but in just a few breaths, the icy rain and shards that hit him stung his cheeks and irritated his eyes, yet he dared not blink.
This guy can control wind and rain? Is this his soul power?
That's outrageous!
With that thought in mind, Meteor gripped Berloberg's hilt tightly, his sword-wielding stance perfectly upright, facing his opponent from a distance of several meters.
He exhaled scalding hot breath from between his teeth, his brows lowered and his eyes fixed on the steel body of the armored warrior. The soft flesh of his eyelids and brows was itchy from the cold rain, but he dared not be distracted.
A bright orange plasma molecule vibrated, illuminating the sword blade. The samurai general's iron boots moved slowly across the asphalt road, the sword gradually shifting with his movements.
The wind and rain poured down on the armor of the North Wind, causing the high temperature of the nuclear furnace to steam out white mist. Even from a great distance, a meteor could hear the hum of the high-speed rotation of the motor shaft in the other's body. The feeling was so strange—it was like the engine of a new energy vehicle accumulating energy.
[That's Mingkong's spirit! Soul Power's true name is [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos]. This soul power is related to water, ice, steam, or liquids, as well as supercritical plasma. The high-frequency weapons of Shinto City are divine weapons that the research team developed by reverse engineering based on [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos].]
Obtaining supercritical molecular materials requires expensive energy inputs in engineering laboratories, and the control of temperature and pressure parameters is extremely stringent.
However, [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos] can help researchers repeatedly try and fail, consuming only Isoragi Meiku's spiritual power. Based on supercritical water, we have made many scientific advances in the field of materials science, including C60 fullerene and MCFC fuel cells.
Let's talk about it later.
The meteor didn't have time to listen to the glorious deeds of the dead; it needed the Hot Wind to calm down.
The clouds surrounding the samurai general grew thicker and thicker, resembling the aura of a god, like scattered white ribbons, or the avatar of a thunder god in a ukiyo-e print. The magnetic storm mass condensed into an illusory form.
The image of [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos] is almost identical to this armored warrior. Perhaps the artificial body that Isoragi Meiku created for himself before his death was based on Soul Power, which was used to create a steel body for his spirit.
The moment when the moisture completely enveloped the North Wind—
The meteor felt a strong gust of wind rush towards it!
Suddenly, a pitch-black spearhead shot out from the fog. The blade of the spear concealed its long shaft. Unlike an arrow, it did not twist its shaft in the air to maintain balance. Instead, it was like a spinning bullet that pierced through the air, arriving so suddenly!
Before the meteor could even react, the Homo sapiens' reflexes were completely unable to process the close-range, bullet-like spear attack. By the time [Mr. Wei Meng Rap] blocked the blow for him, his mind had already been severely damaged by the sonic attack once again.
--The North Wind rushed in from the fog almost as if following the spearhead.
The sonic boom of the spearhead drowned out the armored warrior's charge; the greatsword came so fast and so urgently!
Meteor, carrying Berloberg, hastily engaged in battle, fighting and retreating in disarray. Seeing the enemy's fierce attack, he removed the blade from his main hand and used the greatsword to block it. The immense impact threatened to cleave his waist and abdomen, but a crimson spirit immediately came to protect its master— A Xing was barely holding on by relying on his soul power.
As Berloberg clashed and rubbed against the carbon steel greatsword, sparks of steel flew and iron filings appeared. Meteor staggered and lost his balance repeatedly. With each step the North Wind took, he had to take a step back—a duel between two swords was a contest of speed and the ability to change direction, a contest of reaction and the integration of offense and defense.
The battle had barely begun. After North Wind opened the way with his spear and gained the upper hand, he relentlessly pursued the center line. This mechanical lifeform possessed exceptional swordsmanship; aside from his initial attack—a slashing slit in the enemy's center that was blocked by the spirit—he never strayed from the center line. His subsequent advances and pressure were all aimed at Meteor's swordsman, relentlessly pursuing the center line.
--It seems that North Wind also understands that, given his height, he absolutely cannot give up the advantage in the center line.
Bu Liuxing is 192 centimeters tall. This warrior from the unknown has a better field of vision and can see the whole situation from top to bottom. If the center line is given up, he will have room to launch a furious attack, which is his area of expertise.
Every time Meteor tried to regroup and regain control of the rhythm, sacrificing a portion of his body to create an opportunity to attack, the vicious greatsword was wielded with dazzling skill by the armored warrior, circling his crescent helmet and arms, switching between forehand and counter-hand strikes—
--The North Wind and thrusting winds were all aimed at Meteor's wrist, forcing him to retreat again and again!
Meteor's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he grew more and more frightened as the fight progressed.
This was the first time he had been at a disadvantage in a melee combat situation. During the thirty-one-round chase, he felt his hands getting cold and his eyes were red from the wind and rain, but he dared not blink, for fear that if he closed his eyes, several of his fingers would fly off!
Berloberg's cross-shaped sword parry was slashed away by Gao Zhoubo's broadsword! His finger guards and gloves were torn to shreds, almost damaging his tendons. If his stride hadn't been many times longer than that of the fierce warrior, his hands would probably have been chopped into a Cantonese dish, Chen Tianji pig's trotters.
--This guy's judgment of weapon length is terrifying! We've never fought before, and that greatsword is only slightly longer than Berloberg's, but he always manages to keep me out of his attack range and get free hits.
Is this the computing power of a robot?
Meteor continued to retreat with his sword, almost straightening his body as he swayed and jumped. In this state, he was unable to unleash a powerful attack with his waist and stance in perfect harmony. Under the threat of the North Wind and flashing blades, he repeatedly and hastily used the Berloberg to deflect the overly swift slashes, his eyes probably unable to keep up with the enemy's thunderous blades.
The clanging of metal against metal continued incessantly. This chase and escape continued for fifty-one rounds. Meteor, carrying North Wind, circled around, desperately protecting his right hand, fearing that North Wind would sever his arm. The moment the VENOM mechanism and Berloberg were separated from his body would likely be his death.
He felt like a fish caught on a hook, struggling with a very patient fisherman!
North Wind was short in stature, yet he wielded a long, 150-centimeter-long broadsword. Aside from the occasional step-and-sacrifice combo, his steps were very steady, and he rarely left the ground.
This is what's giving Meteor trouble: if things continue like this, he won't be able to outlast a robot with a miniature nuclear furnace! In just twenty or so rounds, he'll be exhausted and lose his balance, ending up Gate of Death!
[Meteor! Take his great spear and use it against him!]
Before Hot Wind could finish speaking, Meteor, who had the same idea, had already launched a counterattack!
He dodged North Wind's broadsword once again. In the instant the vertical slash was about to strike, his torso, which had been twisting his upper limbs and leaning backward, suddenly collapsed. He braced himself up with his left arm, flipped back to regain his balance, and his two calves suddenly tightened, twisting and rotating like a bell. He rolled up the spear with his left hand and fiercely thrust the spearhead out!
Hot Wind exclaimed--
Watch out!
The spearhead, thrusting out suddenly, deflected North Wind's sword-wielding hand.
Taking advantage of the distance, Meteor retaliated with another thrust!
North Wind suddenly knelt down and rose into a stance, intending to use all his strength to break the meteor stance.
Meteor felt that his strength with one arm was insufficient to continue, but he did not force it, letting the spear fly away under the control and obstruction of North Wind's blocking and blocking -- before North Wind could take another step to charge.
Taking advantage of his height, Meteor merely flicked the iron shaft of his spear, and the spear lashed down fiercely, forcing North Wind to sidestep and hide his knife, determined not to reveal his broadsword.
--This is the size difference between North Wind and Liuxing. With North Wind's arm span, if he were to face the enemy with the blade before starting the swing, the torque limitation would make the lever movement of the arm and the blade very cramped and awkward, and the choice of attack angle would only be a few.
In the blink of an eye, A Xing regained his rhythm and thrust his spear again.
North Wind crouched low, intending to advance on the pole, but instead slashed at the spearhead with his sword, only managing to take two steps forward.
--Ah A Xing raised his leg and charged at the spearhead. The slender iron rod was like a warhammer, smashing the Prajna mask on the armored warrior's face until it cracked.
North Wind tilted his head to the side, and was struck by the iron whip-like spear shaft, rolling two or three times before getting up.
Meteor exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes bloodshot. The series of fierce battles had left him mentally unstable, and he finally found a moment to catch his breath.
North Wind's broadsword slashed a charred crack across the asphalt road. As he regained his footing, the armored arm removed the shattered helmet, revealing a face that still retained some color.
Upon seeing the true nature of the North Wind, the Hot Wind immediately began to murmur.
[Isoragi Meiku.]
Bright red hair could be seen through the gaps in the helmet. The essence of the Holy Beast had completely transformed North Wind's brain. While other typical humans might have some protective measures, the artificial muscles and some nerves were taken from the Holy Beast.
The bright red hair, resembling a Pompeii worm, suggests that North Wind's entire body no longer possesses any human-like features.
The samurai general rallied his troops, drew his sword, and stood up to challenge Bu Liuxing to a duel.
"Bring it on!"
The meteor didn't respond; his eyes were cold as he felt the oncoming wind and rain, wanting his overloaded brain to rest a little longer.
--As Ming Ge said, this is a kind of sneaky tactic, like when you encounter a strange but ritualistic opponent, you can use this tactic to recover your stamina.
Like in their previous military careers, in the high-pressure environment of urban warfare, holding a gun, aiming, and crouching at a position required maintaining a high level of concentration. For the soldiers of Guangling Zhixi, holding a position and maintaining aim for a little over a minute was already their limit.
To give a more intuitive and easy-to-understand example, in FPS games like CS: GO, the average person can maintain a fixed aiming position for ten seconds without moving, and catch a suddenly appearing target with bullets – that's already an excellent mental state.
After exhausting his strength during the repeated escapes and the thrilling sword duels, Meteor needed to rest for a while. Unlike his elder brother Xue Ming, he didn't have such strong mental power.
The samurai general only gave Meteor five seconds to rest.
--It seems they've noticed something.
North Wind's two composite sights quickly overlapped and locked on, merging into one from the flame pattern of the sixteen-layered chrysanthemum, finally realizing that this cunning enemy was panting and recovering.
He strode forward, brandishing his knife, and closed in.
--Meteor raised the severed spear shaft and stabbed again!
The North Wind did not give way; the sharp, broken spear struck the square shoulder armor and went astray to the other side.
Meteor immediately discarded his spear, gripped Berloberg with both hands, and drew his sword to fight!
The two swords clashed, and the two men wrestled like bulls, both gritting their teeth and leaning forward to block each other!
North Wind, being short and lacking height advantage, relied almost entirely on his copper skin and iron bones to fight from below, aiming to thrust his blade, capable of tearing through everything, upwards and forwards to slash through the shoulders, neck, and torso of the meteor!
A Xing felt like he was fighting against a jack. Berloberg's gleaming blade was trying to push its way forward, completely splitting the iron lump in two from top to bottom!
The constant changes in force transmitted from the sword and blade caused the two to subtly adjust their sword-wielding postures, like dancers on a tightrope. A slight misstep could send the high-frequency blade or the Berloberg to other places, cutting open wrists and fingers, gouging out eyes, and even slicing off skulls!
North Wind raised his leg to stomp on Liuxing's foot, but was met with a counter-kick from his opponent, his steel boots slamming into the asphalt road and cracking it.
The moment his legs lost their balance, a raging inferno erupted before his eyes, and Berloberg gained the upper hand, like an unstoppable warhammer falling!
The mechanical warrior, whose movements were strange and unpredictable, acted decisively. His right hand, which had been holding the back of the hilt of the sword as a lever, saw that the center line had been lost and the situation was beyond saving. He immediately switched hands to press down on the back of the blade, trying to stop the fiercely powerful greatsword.
His waist was as soft as chewing gum, his legs were still rooted to the spot, his entire upper body was bent at a ninety-degree angle, and the moment he fell backward, his whole body spun around his waist and abdomen, like a Transformer without a sense of front, back, left, or right.
Berloberg used the rotational force to pull it away, slashing at the asphalt road. Meteor's eyes were filled with disbelief as he saw North Wind's upper body quickly return to its original position, spinning back with a fierce slash.
He was almost unable to react; he was frozen in place, unable to move after unleashing his full power with his sword.
He could only watch helplessly as [Mr. Wei Meng. Wham Rap] tried to stop the greatsword, his bright red fist deflecting the blade, leaving a horrific wound on his torso, the greatsword slicing through his intestines and leaving his body at the root of his left thigh.
At that moment, Meteor seemed not to understand what was happening. As the excruciating pain struck, his body, modified by the VENOM mechanism, finally gushed out scalding hot blood. The pain stimulated his sensitive nerves, and the instant the Gate of Death opened for him, he suddenly regained consciousness.
Without hesitation, North Wind unleashed a spray of crimson ice flowers from his blood-stained longsword and immediately continued his attack on Liuxing.
Meteor dared not move rashly, unaware of the severity of his injuries. Hot Wind didn't even dare to speak.
If you retreat further, you might be able to survive for a few more rounds, but the tear in your abdomen will become deeper and deeper, the blood will flow more and more, your muscles will lose strength, and you will have no chance of victory.
He could feel the special power of [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos] affecting his physical body. The moment he was stabbed and seriously injured, his blood seemed to turn into ice, and an indescribable coldness enveloped him. In just twenty seconds, perhaps his heart would also turn into a block of ice.
Where will the next attack come from?
Above or below?
This guy is skilled with both his left and right hands.
We must intercept him halfway.
I can't die here.
Help me! I need a fulcrum!
I need a helping hand!
At the moment of life and death, Berloberg's light went out. A thick layer of ice flowers grew on Meteor's belly, and he felt that his left leg had betrayed him.
The executioner's attack from the North Wind has begun!
A powerful, downward slash cuts through the raging wind!
The now-duller Berloberg thrust forward, gripped tightly by the dark arm, almost robbing him of his strength. Meteor wasn't sure if he could intercept the enemy's deadly slash; he had lost his aim, his left hand utterly powerless, and could only follow through with his right arm—
--The greatsword blazed with intense light once again halfway through the assassination attempt.
The North Wind's broadsword had just begun its slash, cutting into Meteor's shoulder, about to reach his heart. It was as if he had struck a sharp rock, as if Berloberg had lifted him up, his steel spine at the throat breaking in two, instantly draining him of all strength.
Suddenly, blood rained down from the meteor's body, and the ice flowers on its abdomen melted instantly.
He leaned forward, almost collapsing along with the weak, powerless iron body of the North Wind. His arms trembled violently as he knelt on the ground. He finally managed to get the electrolyte solvent, intending to give himself an injection, only to find that he had gone blind!
His left arm was completely unresponsive. He gasped for breath, trying to clear his head, but so much blood was flowing out of his body!
[Bu Liuxing! Quickly inject electrolytes!]
The Hot Wind urgently reminded the host, but Meteor couldn't do it; the moment the adrenaline subsided, he lost control of his body.
Within seconds, a tiny ray of light emanated from North Wind's steel replica.
[Damn it, this guy isn't quite dead yet!]
Meteor felt the hidden injury in his abdomen flare up again, and a chill ran through his torso and pleura, making his heart feel like it was freezing.
In the next second, FE204863 stepped on North Wind's head. Jingguang's gun exploded, and the heavy bullet pierced North Wind's eye socket. The soft brass armor wrapped around the steel core bounced in this strong head, finally sending him to his death.
Fragrant Dream was about to grab the electrolyte solvent.
Sixty-Three immediately shouted, "Use this!"
He took out Universal Elixir from his baggage; it was a small gift that Teacher San San had asked Xue Ming to give to her lover.
The meteor struggled to its death, finally waking from its Gate of Death state. It took a very long time, almost three minutes.
He felt his icy body finally regain warmth. Ice is larger than water, and the attack of the North Wind's soul power had almost ruptured all the major blood vessels in his body, and his heart had also died. It was a miracle that he survived.
Hot Wind dared not speak; in its view, North Wind process of killing a person was far too simple and swift. Simply injecting the enemy's body with water controlled by [Phenomena·Strange Power and Chaos], even just two hundred milliliters, could cause a severe heart attack. Whether freezing the blood or boiling it—this kind of soul-powered attack was extremely deadly to Homo sapiens.
The Universal Elixir circulated through Meteor's body twelve times, finally repairing his battered and tattered form.
His consciousness hadn't returned to his body yet; it was as if his brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long. He lay on his back on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
After a while, Sixty-Three kicked the little guy.
"Get up!"
The meteor jolted awake and scrambled to its feet.
"Ming Ge!? What brings you here?"
FE204863 hasn't even opened its mouth yet.
"--You're not Ming Ge!" Bu Liuxing immediately became alert.
Sixty-Three was somewhat surprised by the kid's reaction.
How did you know?
Bu Liuxing sat on the ground, pointing at Sixty-Three's chest armor. "Ming Ge wouldn't wear his secondary weapon on his chest!"
Sixty-Three was quite surprised. He took out Teacher San San's red scarf from his bag and tossed it to Meteor.
"Nice to meet you, please take care of me."
When Meteor received the scarf, she smelled Teacher San San's scent and suddenly felt a sense of peace, finally confirming that Jiang Xueming in front of her was not an enemy.
"Who are you? Are you Ming Ge's mental model?"
Fragrant Dream stood by, holding back for a long time...
"Let me speak! Let me say it! Let me speak!"
Sixty-Three covered the mouth of the giant steel cat, smiling broadly, like a wicked villain.
"I am FE204863".
A Xing was stunned, as if his brain had crashed, finding it hard to comprehend the story. Fragrant Dream, on the other hand, had a look of utter despair on her face, as if she had lost something important in her cat life and was now utterly worthless.
The meteor didn't know what had happened in between, but it still muttered something under its breath at the end.
"You can't be my father, right?"
Sixty-Three pulled the little brother up and led him to the troop carrier.
"Right."