EP4: Inscrutable Stratagem

In a world where everything remains still, even the fiercest winds and torrential rains will disperse.

The meteor could do nothing; he could only watch helplessly as the Hot Wind gradually dissipated.

--To be honest, Meteor quite likes this guy, even though he's just the ghost of the Fen Feng.

This hero's phantom has many flaws and many, many similarities to the meteor.

The nameless warriors suffered heavy losses when they first entered the Stone Hill Town area, and it was Hot Wind that saved Meteor's life. However, it did not mention a word of repayment, but instead discussed with Meteor the destruction of the annoying electronic kingdom.

The moment it woke up, it burst into laughter, shouting that it was coming back to life.

It too can be confused, and be mesmerized by the allure of the Hei Mu Qianshou, becoming lost in the false memories based on Shihara Momo.

Having witnessed the Nameless One's combat capabilities, it also felt a strong sense of resentment. Its pride would not allow anyone to surpass it, after all, its original form was the Fen Feng.

It may waver, become silent for various reasons, and doubt its own abilities.

It possesses a woman's compassion, and feels pity for the two brothers, Yezhong and Yoguang.

It's like a hot-blooded young man in his early twenties, completely lacking in leadership qualities and immature. But that's precisely why Meteor felt the Hot Wind of the wind was so comforting.

It's not like a machine; it's more like a young person who's proud of their achievements and wants a reward, or who's wronged and wants to cry when they've made a mistake.

But when the Hot Wind was finally about to grow up and become the Fen Feng, it used its spiritual power to formally meet the meteor in the form of a spirit—which was also the last moment of its life.

"I am Bu Liuxing, Artificial Intelligence for electronic programming."

"I must say goodbye to you now. In your mind, I heard so much noise."

"They captivated me; the outside world was so beautiful. The nameless man returned to the station once more, and travelers moved back and forth between the platforms without worrying about the Madness Butterfly and the calamity beasts."

The Cuckoo Knight stepped forward and placed his hand on Meteor's arm.

Its spirit can return to the VENOM organization at any time. The electronically modified Shining Stone artifacts will become Soul Might's second home, but Fen Feng's home is gone. Everything that was worth relying on, everything that was enchanting, everything that was beautiful has died.

It really is just a ghost; we need to continue elaborating on the theory of ghosts itself.

"When I look back on your life, I find it difficult to express my astonishment in just a few words; it is too dazzling and radiant."

"I constantly remind myself not to pry into your memories, not to try to savor your soul."

As the Cuckoo Knight's "helmet" opened and its two curious hands were fully extended, a clear, low, and reluctant voice emanated from its beak.

The more I see, the emptier I feel.

"It feels like something pierced my heart, leaving an irreparable wound."

"Hei Mu Qianshou will put a price on your memories. When these priceless treasures were exposed to me without reservation, I wavered more than once, wanting to use my soul power to manipulate your body and send you to the Extreme Bliss Space —to turn you into my puppet, into a walking corpse."

"While you are asleep, thanks to the Liman model, I can savor this part of your life, return to the beginning of the story, and replay your entire career from your perspective. All your experiences will belong to me."

"I can't even imagine how wonderful that would be."

"I really can't believe it. It's like the protagonist of a fairy tale suddenly came into real life, and I have the opportunity to become that protagonist."

"If I could live my life again, what would I choose?"

"In retrospect, I chose the worst path, the most difficult and arduous path."

"Just like Fen Feng's choice back then, when he was still a hot-blooded young kid, he told the BOSS that he wanted to develop the Northeast, go to the most dangerous Ryukyu Islands, and overcome difficulties in unknown territories."

"That was a desperate and dangerous place that even the blessings of Ming De, and virtue could not protect. Stations were rebuilt one after another, and fell one after another. In the repeated battles between the Blue Flash Butterfly and the Red Flash Butterfly, countless people achieved fame and fortune, and countless people died with their eyes wide open in disbelief."

"Bu Liuxing, time is almost up."

Can you hear me?

The Cuckoo Knight's illusory form began to burn, and the Liman model of the VENOM organization began to collapse and perish.

This electronic brain can no longer handle the information flow brought by the Soul Power super energy. The electronic brains of ordinary citizens in the Shinto City have a service life of eight years. The lifespan of Hayabusa and Zhong Kui is a little longer, while the special tool Hot Wind is used to solve periodic crises may only have a memory of less than two years. The internal structure of the electronic brain is also very fragile.

"I started to feel pain."

The Cuckoo Knight looked up, the pits on his body increasing, and his feathers beginning to burn.

Its language block started having problems, and the translation module stopped working, so it was switched to Japanese.

"The pain from the flames is so strange."

"It feels like a sword cutting through flesh."

"At first, it's a cold, stinging sensation, then your skin feels like it's being pulled apart; even the slightest spark could burn through your nerve endings."

"I thought I was dead."

The Hot Wind began to ramble, recounting the past of shooting stars, as if it were expressing its wishes for this life.

"A long, long time ago."

Freed from the constraints of the VENOM mechanism, Meteor could clearly sense that the nano-armor on his right arm was completely out of control.

The burning cuckoo knight continued to bless the warrior, its body radiating a dark red light that threatened to burn through the spirit's fur.

Your blood is like my blood.

Your heart is like mine.

Will I forget everything in my mind?

How could I possibly forget?

It raised its arms, and the strange and bizarre hands of its limbs were fully open, like the eight-armed Arhat in mythology.

Take a closer look.

"See clearly the light that makes up the body."

It drew closer to the meteor, its eyes burning bright red, and the scattered psionic tides transformed into crimson ripples.

"This is an ancient story."

"They can uproot flowers and break tender buds and new shoots."

But it can never kill spring.

Time flowed slowly forward, and Meteor could feel his palms regaining strength, just a little bit at a time.

Even with only a tiny bit of the icy, Chamo Sword still gripped tightly in his palm, his heart pounding slowly, heavy yet powerful.

The Hot Wind had turned into glowing embers.

"Who am I? Perhaps only the wind remembers."

The two roads leading east and west to Niflheim converge here: one is Red Star Hill, and the other is the Shinto City.

"--Engrave the heartbeat of steel upon the world."

It clenched its fist and gave the shooting star Thumb.

"You're about to move forward again, don't rush, you're about to move forward."

"My dream used to be to become an astronaut, a great scientist, to achieve great things, and to go to very, very far places to see scenery that no one has ever seen before."

"The BOSS showed me the stars of the underground world, and the painted dome of the Nine Realms Station is truly beautiful."

The Hot Wind's fingers vanished, turning into ashes in the flames.

"And you let me hear the voice of the Milky Way."

"Brother, it's time to say goodbye forever."

Do not grieve, for a man's heart is as hard as iron until death.

Before the words were even finished, the cuckoo knight's feathers vanished in that instant—

--An even stronger red light burst forth from this eerie spirit.

Like a cocoon bursting open, [Mr. Wei Meng Rap] emerged from the spirit of the Hot Wind.

It never spoke again, never lost control again, and became a loyal and reliable rhinoceros beetle general.

The crimson spirit came to the meteor's side and merged with its original form. It clasped its hands together in a Buddhist gesture, and the rapidly descending Chamo Sword, which was slashing towards it, was unable to move.

"Strong Wind!"

The meteor's eyes were red, but it did not shed a tear, for its friends were far away, and its enemies were close at hand.

He roared hoarsely, his soul power shattering the enemy's weapon along with his physical body. Power surged through his body, and in the instant of the unity of spirit and flesh, the flaming butterfly broke free from the ghost's restraints and was finally able to spread its wings and fly high.

The ninja lost his balance and power, unleashing a powerful plasma jet from his broken high-frequency weapon.

Meteor threw a punch with resentment, Mr. Wei Meng threw the broken half of his sword with all his might, creating a loud sonic boom!

Blades and fists struck the ninja, but the force dissipated like mud flowing into the sea.

The electronic ghost's magical psychic powers transformed part of its artificial body into mist, attempting to absorb the impact in this way.

Ignoring everything else, the meteor continued its pursuit.

His target was clear—the brain of the Gale.

To unleash Soul Power, both spiritual essence and physical essence are essential foundations.

The Liman model of thought is an electronic brain based on the human brain. The cranium and neural activity create spiritual energy. Even if this ninja can use a variety of ninjutsu, its brain structure must not undergo serious deformation.

Punch after punch! Meteor showed no sign of pausing for breath!

He held his breath, fearing that a weakness in his lower back and diaphragm would hold him back, so every punch he threw was terrifyingly powerful.

Arms drilled through eyelets of wind, bombarding the cloud-like flesh and blood of the gale, while fists aimed at the head were like heavy sledgehammers, unable to find the right nail.

The same goes for Mr. Wei Meng; he followed the meteor's lead and threw a punch, but the terrifying punches, which were close to the speed of sound, could only cause minor scratches to the wind.

You can't kill me!

A cacophony of static emanated from the phantom of the ninja, a mocking and sarcastic sound.

"Give up!"

The greater the force of the punch, the more it tilted Gale's head to the side; Meteor was swatting a fly with a palm leaf fan—it was impossible for him to hit it.

He ignored Gale's words as bullshit and continued throwing punches tirelessly.

In the thick, damp fog, two figures were chasing each other at high speed, one illusory, the other solid.

Gale's head bobbed up and down like a flying head from a mythical creature. He could freely change the position of his brain using the powerful magnetic fluid of his artificial body, sometimes dropping into his stomach, sometimes into his arm.

But the meteor kept chasing after him, and his complexion grew worse and worse.

"This guy's stamina is amazing!" Gale thought to himself in surprise.

--After Bu Liuxing started fighting hand-to-hand, he never took another breath.

Jifeng originally intended to combine some waste liquid from MCFC fuel cells with nanomechanical devices and leave it in the clouds as a static trap. As long as Bu Liuxing inhaled this air, he could injure this reckless warrior with an electric current.

This is Hayate's Lightning Release ninjutsu, his trump card—

--But what it didn't know was that the meteor no longer had the VENOM mechanism, and the Hot Wind had left him forever.

The muscle strain and lactic acid buildup from the continuous punches made Meteor's movements slower and slower.

The gale finally had a chance to fight back. It seized the opportunity and found a faint connection and a vague pattern in these fierce and powerful combinations of punches.

It learns very quickly, seizing the opportunity to raise its broken sword and prepare a counterattack.

In a fight between a weapon and an unarmed opponent, the speed of the wind naturally has the advantage. However, the wind was too afraid to act rashly because of Bu Liuxing's abundant elemental energy reserves. Only now, when it was absolutely certain of its victory, did it finally draw its sword in anger.

The broken sword flew straight into the path of the meteor's punch!

It was a feigned escape. The blade was aimed at Meteor's eyes, completely concealed within a thin line. From Meteor's perspective, the knife looked like a needle, and in the misty environment, the distance was impossible to discern.

Without hesitation, he thrust his arm forward, raised his leg, and shifted his waist, channeling all his strength into his right arm.

[Pfft!]

A piercing pain shot through him, and Meteor felt like he was grinding his teeth to powder.

Just as Gale had predicted, the broken blade of the Chamo Sword pierced Meteor's right arm without any resistance.

It pierced through the gap between the middle fingers, entered the palm, pierced the wrist, and reached the forearm, almost cutting the forearm in half!

Bright red blood gushed forward like a fountain, following A Xing's sudden surge in blood pressure.

Just as Gale was about to draw his sword, he was shocked to find that he couldn't pull the broken sword out at all. Meteor's crimson spirit did not launch a coordinated attack, but instead gripped the broken sword tightly. Almost at the same time, his left fist was already thrown out.

"Bang!--"

The fist blasted away the dust and smoke, striking amidst plumes of bright red blood.

Gale tried to repeat the process, transferring the brain further, but the reaction speed of the nano-sized prosthetic body decreased after being stained with human blood.

It couldn't escape it, it couldn't escape it at all; its brain felt like it had sunk into thick mud, and it couldn't move at all.

"You're just like me." Meteor drew his broken sword and casually tossed it off the bridge.

"--They all have red blood."

From the moment the battle began, Hayate's chin was injured, and dark red bloodstains appeared on his mask. Therefore, Meteor concluded that Hayate's artificial body was different from other gods, still using iron-rich red blood cells to transport oxygen.

Blood remains "alive" for a period of time after leaving the body. This brute, who had gained some intelligence, was diligently studying psychic tomes in the Arcane Library. For wizards and mediums, blood was a tool for communicating with all things, gods, and demons.

Pouring scalding hot blood onto the electronic brain of a ninja can affect its soul power, whether it's a rejection reaction from modern medicine or a disruption of spiritual mediums related to psychic energy.

"You're probably not a 100% cyborg."

Meteor didn't give chase immediately; the injury to his right arm was far too severe. First, he suffered burns, then a knife wound; within hours, blood loss and infection could have killed him.

The ninja lay sprawled on the bridge, his body as mushy as mud. His brain was damaged, and crackling electricity emanated from his entire body.

The meteor tied the scarf of 3301 to the broken arm, making it obedient again and whole once more.

He clenched his fist again and angrily shouted out Gale's true name.

"The person hiding behind that mask, that's you, isn't it!"

"A good partner that greets the Hot Wind from the very beginning of the journey."

"You've been secretly keeping Yezhong's soft prosthetic body, which can transform into a man, woman, old person, or child."

"You can open the back door of the security center and tamper with the private community of Extreme Bliss Space."

"Extreme Bliss Space has everything, yet you live in a cave— Plato also said this."

"What people see as reality is merely a shadow in a cave."

"--Ishimura Shimura Chidō! You're still alive!"

The ninja removed his mask, revealing an aged face.

Just as Meteor had suspected, this supreme weapon named after the Gale Fighter was none other than Shimura Chidō. His eyes were cold, and he no longer seemed like a living being. However, his face had not undergone artificial body modification and needed to be covered up, as he was unwilling to show his true face.

The broken sword of the Shamo fell from the hundred-foot cliff and crashed into the rocks on the beach.

Seagulls flew in unison from the seashore, smelled the fresh blood, and immediately pecked at the sweet food.

Many birds swallowed the scraps of iron whole, and in pain, they took flight, only to fall heavily into the sea.

Shimura Chidō didn't say much; he had suffered a severe head injury, with a piece of his skull caved in.

"Bu Liuxing"

This guide first said the following:

--I want to embrace a complete life; the Hot Wind is no longer my commander, it's just a ghost.

Meteor didn't want to think about how much truth the old man was saying. Perhaps only these two sentences were true, after all, there were hardly any real things in the entire Shinto City.

Qian Tang straightened his stance, ready for hand-to-hand combat, his black clothes tattered and torn.

"Bring it on."

Meteor clenched his fist, summoning the power of his soul.

"Okay, let's do it then!"