EP.8 Scenic Beauty: Mountains and Rivers

FE204863 remained motionless, its LED lights casting two streaks of azure light across the cross-sea bridge.

The sea was restless, and with the fluctuations of the soul power of the Wind God and the thunder god, wave after wave surged, crashing against the rocky red cliffs and turning them into shattered flowers and foam.

Even the meteor didn't dare to breathe.

--Because what his second brother just said to him.

"Only you, only you can defeat the supreme weapon of the Six Divine Paths. Even I, with the [Regret Pill], cannot do this."

The celestial being riding a magnificent steed arrived through the wind and fog, and the straight-line distance between him and the troop transport vehicle was getting shorter and shorter. In just a few minutes, they would have to set up their formations for a chase.

Meteor felt the psychic energy tides in the air, and to be honest, he was extremely nervous.

In the past, he wouldn't have been so nervous; for a blind man who can't see anything, darkness isn't terrifying.

But he had found the crucial Phosphor Butterfly in his life, and was no longer the ignorant [Fool]. His energy had been fully released, and he had finally grown up—able to perceive psychic characteristics more clearly.

To be honest, Meteor had never been so terrified on this journey—he had once faced the spiritual pressure environment of Niflheim and almost died. But back then, he was lucky in his foolishness and didn't feel any lingering fear when he came back to life.

FE204863 entrusted the two strongest enemies at the end of the level to Meteor, and stated unequivocally that the responsibility of defeating these two targets could only be fulfilled by Meteor.

But how can we defeat them?

The second brother's "Regret Pill" probably already knew the ending.

Why is it that even Regret Pill can't do what I can't?

Meteor didn't understand, and this incomprehension made him panic. He even had a strange feeling—could it be that his second brother had been traumatized and controlled by some kind of electronic virus, which was why he was spouting such nonsense?

[North Wind] alone caused him a great deal of trouble. He went through countless hardships to finally defeat the armored warrior, and he was just a hair's breadth away from losing his life. If his second brother hadn't arrived in time, he would have died long ago from the soul power attack of [Phenomena].

That kind of terrifying psionic attack could cripple a person's fighting ability with just a few small scratches on their arm, and if there was extensive damage, even the heart would be frozen into ice shards and minced meat. To think that one could gain an advantage against North Wind, a cyborg with superb swordsmanship, was simply a pipe dream.

More than once or twice, Meteor began to have second thoughts; his mind was almost completely dominated by fear.

I don't want to face this formidable enemy again.

He didn't want to go through that torment again.

And the most important thing is that—holding the red scarf that Brother Xue Ming from 3301 brought him, he seems unable to be brave anymore, unable to become that fearless little child again.

He has a lover of vital importance waiting for him to come home, and a promise he cannot betray waiting for him to keep.

Too many emotions were holding him back, preventing him from taking a single step.

"FE204863!"

Meteor was both surprised and terrified, and countless images flashed through her mind, including many people and things that were of vital importance to her life.

He called out his second brother's real name, using the code from the parallel universe as an important basis for his name, and for the first time seriously regarded the ghost in Xue Ming's body as a living person.

What should I do? I don't know.

"To defeat [North Wind], I have to fight with all my might. If [Strong Wind] is added to the mix, I really can't find any way to break through! Can I really survive? Can I really do it?"

"Although I can still utter a few stiff words, my body is trembling and shaking!"

Every cell in my body was screaming at me—"Silly child! Run! Run!"

"I can't control them."

"FE204863! If your 'Regret Pill' foresaw the ending, and I truly defeated them, then can you tell me? Tell me—how exactly did I do it?!"

The Sixty-Three man rested his arm on the car window, his eyes fixed only on his wristwatch.

The second hand moved forward little by little, and time slowly passed.

Bu Liuxing rarely saw his "second brother" idle; this time traveler from the [future] always seemed to be incredibly busy.

You are the one who has to live your life.

Sixty-Three didn't look at the shooting stars; his eyes were fixed on the clock, and he continued to concentrate on driving.

"These are the words you said when you set off, remember? Bu Liuxing?"

The troop carrier drove through a very small bend, about 600 meters long, and the turbulence it stirred up scattered the seagulls resting under the cross-sea bridge.

A Xing was stunned for a moment, speechless, and then inexplicably started to cry.

My nose stung for a moment, and I clenched my teeth, feeling a thousand kinds of resentment.

He did indeed make this boastful statement to Brother Ping An.

--Just like how children say all sorts of silly things when they're little.

I wanted to be a scientist, an astronaut, an artist, a great person. But when I realized how ordinary I was, my heart felt empty.

"Look!" Sixty-Three suddenly spoke to Meteor in Japanese: "With such a beautiful view, don't just think about escaping!"

"There's a wonderful smell in the air, and the salinity of the ocean is just right for life."

"The bright yellow and orange pebbles on the beach are also very beautiful."

"Without the sun, the lamplight shimmered on the shallow, layered sea, like silk falling into the water."

"The speed was 165 kilometers per hour, and the lights on both sides of the cross-sea bridge shot behind us like comets."

"With so many breathtakingly beautiful scenes, we can't just focus on saving our lives!"

Bu Liuxing couldn't understand. He didn't understand what his second brother was trying to say, so he looked out the car window. His originally anxious heart gradually calmed down, and the cold sweat on his forehead was dried by the hot wind, turning into coarse salt grains.

"Sixty-Three, why are you always like this?"

"They always like to do things I don't understand and say things I don't comprehend."

"Is Ming Ge really the same person as you? He's always so straightforward and honest in his actions and words."

"Although it's a bit rustic"

FE204863 lowered his arm. In that instant, he no longer needed to care about the [time] and [event], nor did he need to act according to the [Regret Pill].

"This journey is your inevitable path, my little brother."

Sixty-Three turned around, still wearing that wanton and wicked smile on his face—completely different from Xue Ming's, this older brother always had an inexplicable villainous aura when he smiled.

"If you ask me whether I am the same person as Jiang Xueming or not..."

"That definitely doesn't count. We are two completely different individuals, and we can't be each other's ghosts."

"In this story, Jiang Xueming only told you the first half of the sentence, the first half that you've heard so many times you're sick of it—"

"--How so? We're still kids, we're a long way from becoming gloomy adults!"

"Is this the correct sentence?"

Bu Liuxing was about to reply, but his second brother had already started his rambling and couldn't stop.

When FE204863 activated the [Regret Pill], he was speechless. Having left Soul Might, it was as if he wanted to repeat all the words he had left unsaid halfway through.

"I'm so sorry, you're not in my life."

Sixty-Three patted Meteor on the shoulder, his smile containing a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"It seems I grew up very, very early, from an infant to a wild beast, and then to an adult, missing out on the teenage years in between."

"I think this is wrong; the missing section in the middle must be added."

"The ten or so hours I spent with you were an extremely precious experience for me."

Bu Liuxing was a little embarrassed. "Second Brother, what are you saying?"

"FE33031 told you the first half of the sentence." Sixty-Three released the steering wheel, crossed his arms smugly, and looked incredibly proud of himself. "I can't lose either! I'm going to tell you the second half."

"Even when we grow up, we can still live like children!"

Seeing that the troop carrier was about to go out of control, Meteor frantically tried to grab the steering wheel!

"Hahahaha!" Sixty-Three laughed heartily, growing happier and younger with each passing day. "Are you scared?"

"Of course I can!" The moment Meteor took control of the vehicle, he tensed up, his eyes fixed straight ahead. "What are you doing, Second Brother?!"

Sixty-Three: "I want to ask you! Am I more terrifying! Or are the North Wind and gale behind us more terrifying!"

Meteor: "I don't know!"

Sixty-Three: "Can't say it? I'm going to hit the brakes!"

Meteor: "You! You! It's you! It's you!"

Sixty-Three: "Is death more terrifying, or is the inability to live and the inability to die more terrifying?!"

Meteor: "This question is too complicated! I don't know."

Sixty-Three gripped the steering wheel again. "Then let me ask you another question."

Xue Ming, who came from a different time and space and a different dimension, suddenly became profound and weathered.

The lights flashed past those dark eyes again and again, and the shooting star stared intently, as if it were about to be sucked in.

"Little brother, is losing your family and loved ones scary?"

"Yes. I'm very scared."

"Yes, indeed. I've been defeated by it too."

"Sixty-Three, our time is running out."

"Don't rush, let's take it slowly."

"Um"

"But your family will learn of your death, and your loved one will have to part from you, a separation that will last a lifetime."

"Everyone who knew you can no longer find you, even the adorable little wolfhounds at JoeStar's bar, who used to wait for you to pat their heads every day—they can't wait for you anymore."

Upon hearing these words, Black Brother immediately came closer and began to whimper.

Meteor pressed on, "Am I going to die? Sixty-Three! You've already seen how I died?"

"I should say—you've died many, many times." Sixty-Three bluntly recounted his experiences in different timelines.

"To die under the wheels of a car, to die from a bullet."

"The cyborg was split in two, or even earlier, fell to his death in the elevator."

"Every time you, you annoying brat, die, I have to start a new game with my head in my hands."

"You, like the Hot Wind, have died countless times."

"So I want to ask you, which is scarier, dying or the world after death?"

"When you died, my heart ached. My flesh and blood began to bleed again. My important partner suddenly passed away. If you were still conscious, I was powerless to help you in your final moments. That feeling is the most painful."

"I want to share this pain with you; you need it now."

"As for why we suddenly switched to Japanese? We're short on time—"

"--I won't repeat the previous questions; this is also for Hot Wind's ears."

You bastard!

Before he could finish speaking Sixty-Three words, Meteor felt his mind go completely blank. This was something he never dared to even think about—not that he couldn't think of it, but that he dared not even consider it.

A surge of heat rushed from his chest to the top of his head, and his brows furrowed, turning him into someone extremely angry and terrified.

Sixty-Three continued—

"--The General of Tears, keep crying."

"If you can still cry, that's a good thing, the best thing in the world."

"Courage doesn't come from nowhere, just like your soul power."

"You'll have to walk the rest of the road yourself. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

"This is my first time at this branch, and it might be my last."

"Because I don't know what happens next, your brother Xue Ming will take over this body in thirty-one seconds and fight alongside you."

"Your spirit power is truly wondrous. Just touching its arms with my own allows me to receive its protection as a knight. You're such a gentle little boy."

Sixty-Three immediately changed his tune and told a horrible joke, pointing at the fat, Black Brother in the carriage.

"Debuting alongside a chubby guy like you is perfect for a Japanese baby's physique."

Meteor squinted, her expression quite strange, as if she wanted to laugh but dared not laugh too loudly, afraid that the Hot Wind would hear her.

"Hahahaha! You really are Ming Ge!"

"That's just how men are, they always have to be tough, either their mouth or their smirk—you can't control that instinct." Sixty-Three glanced at his watch, raised his hand in farewell. "Time's up, that's it for today's shift. See you again someday! Goodnight! Makabaka!"

The next moment--

--Xue Ming Top is now online.

A powerful electric current surged from the VENOM mechanism. The moment he awoke, the nameless War King saw the troop transport vehicle speeding forward.

"A Xing," Jiang Xueming asked, "What's the situation now?!"

Bu Liuxing quickly explained, "There are two extremely powerful cyborgs chasing us!"

"Hold on tight, I'm stopping the car," Jiang Xueming shouted.

Bu Liuxing: "Stop?"

Jiang Xueming observed the unusual celestial phenomenon behind him in the rearview mirror.

They'll be caught up sooner or later. At this speed, if attacked, the enemy won't even need guns, bullets, or swords. If the vehicle capsizes and falls into the sea, both of them will have a slim chance of survival.

Rather than fleeing, it's better to confront the enemy head-on.

With Ming Ge back by his side, Meteor's heart began to race; he seemed unafraid even if the sky were to fall.

He involuntarily summoned his soul power and punched Xue Ming.

"--What are you doing?" The sudden surge of psionic energy was like a slap in the face, startling Xue Ming.

The meteor exclaimed excitedly, "This is my psionic energy! I can protect you! I can also use it to protect myself!"

Although he didn't know what Meteor was up to, Xue Ming didn't care; his attention was mostly focused on the two knights behind him.

Just before slowing down and coming to a stop, he checked his ammunition and immediately noticed Jingguang hanging on his chest plate. This drastically different method of carrying reminded him of FE204863.

"I can feel a strong spatial disturbance, could it be that..."

Meteor practically jumped up. "Yeah, yeah! Ming Ge, you thought of that right away?!"

Jiang Xueming frowned, racking her brains but unable to come up with a solution, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

"Let's talk about it after we take care of the enemy— Ahei!"

Black Brother immediately came over, and Xue Ming pulled out two straps from the roof panel to secure the military dog and let Black Brother withstand the impact of braking. But when he looked back, he was stunned by the sight of Fatty Blackie's flesh.

"Good heavens!"

But now was not the time to be surprised. He had hastily assessed the Black Brother's current weight and figured the straps on his hands were probably ineffective—so he slammed on the brakes.

The troop carrier drifted and swerved on the highway, then immediately rolled violently!

Almost instantly, the two knights, North Wind and Jifeng, took the initiative to dodge, and their composite sights lost their lock in an instant. All battle plans had to be rewritten.

The enemy's vehicles going out of control seemed to be something they hadn't anticipated.

--The troop carrier rolled around a dozen times and arrived in front of the two supreme weapons. In just a few tens of milliseconds, a violent roar suddenly erupted from the car window.

Fragrant Dream, acting irrationally, tore open the car door and leaped out with Xue Ming, gun in hand, launching a sudden attack on [Swift Wind]!

On the other side, Meteor was thrown around in a daze, protected by his soul power, as he tumbled and crashed in the narrow passenger seat. As he and Black Brother climbed out of the wreckage into the carriage, Jiang Xueming was already fighting with two dismounted celestial beings.

Meteor wanted to step forward to help, but before her physical body could move, her crimson spirit had already protected Xue Ming. The powerful [Mr. Wei Meng] was close to Xue Ming, dealing with Su Feng's fierce slashes.

[Go get your weapons!]

The thick fog gradually obscured everything. Meteor retrieved Berloberg and the Dragon Slayer Sword. By this time, Ming Ge was no longer visible. However, about twenty meters away, a terrifying blast and explosion rang out.

Just now, Xue Ming lunged at the horse ridden by the ninja, but it was as if he had plunged into a thick cloud of dust.

He concluded that the power of the Gale God's soul seemed to be related to wind, clouds, dust, and mist, and could convert matter into tiny particles at the nanometer level. This was also an indispensable spiritual energy for the Shinto City in the field of nanomaterials.

Together with his two spirits, Fragrant Dream and Mr. Wei Meng., he faced off against the North Wind Warrior.

The thick fog occasionally cleaved a conspicuous crack in the long scroll-shaped broadsword, and the Fragrant Dream left behind afterimages as it moved at high speed. The loud noises when it collided with the fog almost deafened Xue Ming!

The water mist burst into a spherical vacuum zone in an instant. At the same time, the Gale Ninja appeared out of thin air, like an omnipresent ghost, carrying the Chamo Sword to cut off the head. However, fearing Mr. Wei Meng's powerful output, he threw out scattered pieces of iron as bait, accompanied by high-frequency shuriken to deliver the final blow, but Meteor's soul power blocked them all!

Without Mr. Wei Meng, Xue Ming wouldn't have been able to deal with both of them at the same time.

He was struggling greatly. In the extremely low visibility, North Wind was like a fish swimming in the deep sea, his knife moving with him as he struck and then retreated. He had no intention of engaging Xue Ming in a prolonged fight.

According to the battle records of the two gods, this nameless War King's fighting ability was beyond comprehension, and he had to be executed with extreme caution using his Soul Power.

At first, Xue Ming was just passively taking hits, but after a few rounds, he found a pattern in the coordinated attacks from the two gods, who were attacking from the front and back.

He commanded Fragrant Dream and Mr. Wei Meng to switch places, pointing their guns at the troop carrier beside Meteor—though he couldn't see it, he remembered the vehicle's posture and structure when it overturned.

The North Wind Warrior charged forward again, sword in hand, but this time the Mr. Wei Meng did not dodge. He met the challenge head-on, almost in accordance with the Meteor's original fighting style, and prepared to bring his palms together to unleash the domineering technique of drawing a blade from a bare hand.

At the same time, the assassination attempt by the ninja from the Gale Ninja arrived as scheduled. Xue Ming felt the ground beneath his feet soften and deform. The originally solid asphalt had become a medium for the ninja to use earth-release techniques, and the vicious assassination attack came from under his feet!

But Fragrant Dream was much faster than Gale! The Steel Cat pounced into the soft nano-asphalt particles, and the sparks from the friction instantly ignited the modified coal. Before Gale could even swing its sword, Fragrant Dream's selfless attack created a ball of flames, which then crashed onto the second-floor railway tracks.

Xue Ming finally seized the opportunity to fire, the bullet heading straight for Meteor!

In a flash, the 9x39 heavy bullets swept through the thick fog, creating a dense network of craters. Xue Ming could see clearly now—Meteor in the crater had been shot, Mr. Wei Meng had immediately shielded A Xing's body.

He didn't stop firing; in this fast-paced combat, shooting time was extremely precious. He immediately began a sweeping attack, bullets traveling along A Xing's left arm towards the MCFC fuel cell of the troop carrier. With just five bullets, Mr. Wei Meng, in order to protect his body, shattered the fuel cell and the main circuit control unit with his powerfully swung fist!

The powerful pulse of electricity almost completely swept away the dense fog!

Both Gale and Wind Chaser entered a brief power outage self-protection state. The exposed MCFC fuel cell retracted into their bodies, the lights on the exoskeleton armor went out, and even the heat dissipation vents were closed, exposing the lifeless bodies of the armored warriors to Meteor's eyes.

Just then, Xue Ming shouted loudly at Liuxing--

"--Do what you do best! Meteor! Finish him off with Berloberg!"