Act 15: Unbroken, Unbreakable
Foreword:
Let the dead bury the dead. Since we have life, we should live on, and live happily.
Leo Tolstoy | War and Peace
[Part 1: Man and God]
A philosophical pioneer once said this in the Initial D movie:
--God is God because He did things that ordinary people cannot do, and that is why He became God.
It sounds like a piece of British dry humor, but that's the truth. People always like to attribute incomprehensible, unpredictable, amazing skills and occasional miracles to the hand of the gods.
But for the best in their fields, these things are as commonplace as drinking water and eating; they are the skills they rely on for a living, their means of survival.
The moment the nameless gunsmith appeared, all the petty monsters in the recreation room involuntarily retreated in fear.
The leader of Crimson Fortress can berate the nameless warriors one by one every day like reciting a menu, but when it comes to actually facing the Gunsmith, he immediately falls silent and becomes as quiet as a chicken, just like those idiot youths arguing online.
In the eyes of the Blood-giving Monster, the Gunsmith is Death God, the General of Tears is Death God's good partner, and Charon, the ferryman of the River Styx.
"Gunsmith!!!!----"
It's unclear who started it, but these Armadillo Hunters returned to their old ways couldn't pass the spiritual pressure test at all. One of the mentally fragile underlings screamed shrilly, and red spots bearing the Vita Imprint burst from his skin. In the moment of his mental breakdown, his body was also about to bloom with bright red flowers.
At the pre-battle mobilization meeting, CC's leader excitedly and passionately told his brothers that the target of this battle was the gunsmith!
The underlings, under the influence of alcohol, were all in high spirits and full of arrogance, but when the gunsmith actually came before them, the morale of the gang almost collapsed instantly.
Chaos erupted at the scene. People rushing to retrieve weapons crowded together, and core members involuntarily huddled near CC's leader. A minor stampede occurred, resulting in two older members of the fighting gang having their intestines trampled out.
"Is there an explosive? He must have planted a bomb somewhere!"
"Am I going to die?! Why does this guy dare to show up in front of so many of us like this?!"
"He never fights a battle unprepared! My goodness!"
"Boss CC! I feel like I can't breathe... I... Ugh!"
Amidst the piercing cries for help, the second group of scouts went to see the Madness Butterfly first. Its belly suddenly swelled and exploded; at the moment the Vita Imprint erupted, the blood-red butterfly flew out.
Don't say these war gang members are cowards. Six years ago, these mercenaries were just henchmen for the Madness Butterfly Sect, not even a legitimate Religious order. The Unborn Alliance, where Lawrence once belonged, was such an organization—a family-run gang led by one or more leaders, working for the Religious order, engaging in armed conflict with local governors, demanding political leverage, and creating a balance in the black and gray industries, making the illegal legal and the unreasonable common sense.
This group is first-rate when it comes to forcing women into prostitution, trafficking people, and bullying those displaced by demolition and the elderly living alone. They can even challenge militia organizations, and everyone gives each other face and goes through the motions, eventually settling things with money.
To receive help from the Immortals is like a thug receiving a divine initiation from Pellegrini —they will still feel intense fear when they see the gunsmith.
Even the most composed CC couldn't muster any anger at this moment.
The man in front of the recreation room was a thousand times, ten thousand times fiercer than him.
Anonymous
They had originally planned to ambush the gunsmith in the rest area, but instead of catching him, they captured Hasben Madison instead. This resulted in an extra meal, and the victory celebration was only moved forward slightly. How did things turn out like this in the time it took to eat that one meal?
He was somewhat annoyed, but not regretful, because he was the leader of Crimson Fortress, and the decisions made by the leader must be correct!
If it weren't for these useless brothers scrambling and eagerly begging Lord Pellegrini for the elixir, there wouldn't be this victory celebration banquet—and we wouldn't be poisoned by this drinking culture!
CC! Listen up! Stay calm! Think of a way to survive! You're not wrong! The ones who are wrong are these useless cowards!
"Gunsmith, since you're still willing to talk to me a little longer, why don't we lay down our weapons?"
"No, no, no," the gunsmith interrupted, "You've misunderstood."
CC: "Did you misunderstand?"
The fledgling eagle flaps its wings, then fires a burst of gunfire!
The roar of bullets interrupted all of CC's excuses, forcing him to swallow back all the pleasantries and nonsense he had prepared!
"I'm counting heads." The gunsmith's draw speed was astounding.
From the moment he entered the room, he had been observing the movement of the people inside, and the strange collapse in morale did not make him take it lightly.
These guys seem to have firearms, but they haven't dared to take them out? Why?
Jiang Xueming couldn't understand it; even with his extensive experience in battle, he wasn't entirely clear on the reason.
In the social circle of the Blood Monster, there circulates terrifying fairy tales about a King of Hell who, if you dare to pull out a gun in front of him, will see your own fingers and hear the Chinese phrase "Expelliarmus" the next second.
Unfortunately, no one has bothered to correct this rumor.
--Because you'll die even if you don't draw your weapon, and you'll die a much worse death.
Fifteen bullets from the fledgling eagle shattered twelve heads in the first reaction zone. He pulled back his gun, moved sideways, and reloaded. Only six seconds had passed, and Death God was back in action, leaving forty-six lives still alive in the spacious recreation room.
Screams and curses, venomous eyes and blank stares all turned toward the menacing figure at the gate.
CC finally came to her senses, her eyes blazing with fury!
This guy seems genuinely prepared to single-handedly eliminate all the hunters in the house!
"You look down on me?! Gunsmith!"
Jiang Xueming didn't answer; he was busy emptying the magazine, his fingers practically sparking from the handle!
Fragrant Dream, hiding behind its true form, frantically churned and loaded bullets, then threw out another magazine!
It's time for another round of intense firepower.
--The four heroes in the second reaction zone finally mustered their courage from the headless corpse of their comrade and awakened their fighting spirit.
They all drew their guns to fight back, trying to lean forward and unleash a barrage of fire from their submachine guns!
At that very moment, the fairy tale came true!
Fingers turned into scalding, fleshy pulp, flying towards the unfortunate man behind him along with shattered shrapnel and the receiver. These nylon parts and metal fragments, bombarded by the Young Eagle ammunition, transformed into deadly throwing knives! Every touch resulted in a bloody gash, a white thread cut through the Kevlar layer. Two seconds later, Manager Dave realized that he had a deep, bone-revealing laceration on his thigh.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
Don't blame CC for being slow to react. It was nine seconds after the battle began, and this leader finally decided to rally his troops, ordering his teammates to split up and avoid the gunsmith's deadly field of fire!
"This guy only has one pistol!"
The younger brothers finally came to their senses and rushed to the windowsill to draw away the gunsmith's fire so their teammates could get a direct hit.
Meanwhile, the combat unit that had been cautiously approaching the submachine gun in the room, after a moment of nervousness, finally stopped hesitating.
--The brothers who acted as human shields, buddies, you won't die in vain.
This is a simple multiple-choice question. For the gunsmith, to intercept enemies trying to break through through windows, he must give up the firing arc between 11:00 and 2:00. He can't possibly cover every target while providing suppressive fire. Is he alone?
Let's look at the results directly!
The suicide squad that rushed toward the window consisted of twelve men. If they could break through the glass window, they could either flank the gunsmith from behind or abandon their teammates and escape.
The archers, who had been on guard, had already begun to draw their weapons. Regardless of whether the gunsmith could still unleash the terrifying "Expelliarmus" spell, they had to give it their all.
Time began to flow again. Fragrant Dream finished loading the third magazine, finally shifted her body, and pulled the sentry corpse in front of the entertainment room door to stand beside Xue Ming.
The deafening gunfire never ceased!
This is the most ruthless light infantry unit in the Nameless Ones' arsenal!
Like a flowing stream, bullets rained down on the enemies rushing towards the window, the rhythmic cadence of the gunfire full of feeling!
Gunsmiths don't work alone. Fragrant Dream, carrying her submachine gun, fires like she's playing whack-a-mole, pulling the trigger in sync with the enemy's charge, quietly waiting for the suicide squad's head to come into the right firing line. Just like the technique she used in the Dead Puppet Agency's restaurant, she uses her body to aim, waiting for the target to enter the iron sights, then pulls the trigger one by one.
At the same time, the giant steel cat, while executing its shooting action, also used its tail to pull up another submachine gun attached to the corpse of the sentry at the gate.
Just as the fledgling eagle ran out of bullets, it landed right in the gunsmith's hands.
Two tight firing lines, one hundred submachine gun bullets, and thirty pistol bullets—simply took away the remaining forty-five lives.
CC's spirit protected him; it was Lord Pellegrini's [Storm Eye].
The bullets grazed his flesh and, upon contact with his spirit, instantly transformed into twisted and deformed iron filings and steel sparks. Impacted by strange spiritual energy, they spun and tangled, their immense internal energy unable to be released, eventually turning scorching red-hot. When they landed on the floor, these bullets burned charred marks into the carpet.
Click--
The gunsmith tapped the release button on the submachine gun to make sure the magazines were empty, not intending to deal with CC, the enemy leader, immediately.
It seems the bullets aren't working on this guy, but we'll have to keep trying.
The blood and gore scattered everywhere, along with the headless corpses, left CC somewhat dazed. He had witnessed the nameless battle before, back when he could only hide behind the Religious order, silently watching all this from among the filthy corpses.
He survived by sheer luck, but has been haunted by a deep psychological scar ever since.
Every time the patrol scouts of Guangling Zhixi sounded their loud silver flutes, he would wake up from a nightmare, thinking that Death God had come to take his life.
But this time...
This time, he had nothing left to lose!
Dave's body was not stiff, with a dozen or so bullet holes and blood still spurting out, making him look just like Tom, whose mother had been shot!
"Brother CC"
"Holy crap, he's not dead!?" CC was about to close Dave's eyes when she suddenly screamed, all the grief and indignation she had just managed to muster vanished.
This was nothing more than a painful final burst of energy before death; Dave's belly was filled with White Lady's larvae crawling out.
Blood gushed from his eyes. The brutal impact of the bullets and the sudden increase in intracranial and intraocular pressure caused him to shed two lines of bloody tears of regret.
"Pain"
After saying that, Dave froze completely, his pupils dilated and he looked utterly dead.
"Anonymous!----"
CC roared to the sky, and the Soul Power [Storm Eye] swirled into a huge vortex at his feet.
The carpet was torn apart by the chaotic shockwaves of spiritual pressure, and the man-eating monster revealed its crimson eyes amidst the smoke and dust, seemingly gaining a more ferocious edge, its fighting spirit becoming even more intense and soaring!
"I want you to be buried with me!"
[Part ②: Battle]
The gunsmith drew his gun and fired without a word.
The submachine gun bullets struck the wind wall without causing any real damage.
But Jiang Xueming was determined to do it anyway, even if the bullets didn't work.
He was like a patient angler, constantly changing his bait. The range of Fragrant Dream was only sixteen meters, not enough to reach that high-value target. Bullets were the best means of probing, and even using them to deplete the opponent's mental energy was a very wise choice.
Once a magazine is emptied, Fragrant Dream fills the reload gap, firing in rapid succession.
Both submachine gun barrels were glowing red-hot. All twelve magazines collected from the corpses had been emptied, and the bolts were showing signs of overheating and accidental discharge. If they continued firing like this, the barrels would explode!
CC's fighting spirit was waning under the relentless barrage of bullets. He was at the eye of the storm, constantly using the divine power of his Soul Might, but he realized that the Gunsmith had no intention of ceasing fire!
Does this guy not even want to use his psionic powers? Does he want a direct confrontation with me?
At this rate, the [Storm Eye] that Lord Pellegrini bestowed upon me will be completely useless!
It is indestructible and possesses immense power! If it even touches the gunsmith, its terrifying spiral force will shatter his body!
"Damn it!"
Losing patience, CC must charge forward! He must shatter his inner demons!
Having traversed the mountains of corpses and seas of blood left by his brothers, he took heavy steps, leaped out of the storm, and soared high toward the gate—not enough distance, so he jumped again!
Jiang Xueming's pupils contracted slightly, clearly astonished by the little giant's jumping ability.
His submachine gun was soon destroyed. Seeing the enemy break through the gale and leap straight toward his face like a sports car flying up a slope, he calmly switched positions with Hunwei and sent Fragrant Dream to test the enemy's abilities.
"[Storm Eye of the Storm]! -- Crush him!"
The Fragrant Dream tiger's whiskers were stirred by the raging wind, making it difficult to even open one's eyes. Yet, it stood still and threw a fierce punch! It was determined to meet CC's selfless charge head-on!
From the body of this elite unit emerged a tall and majestic blue behemoth, with wings on its back, eagle eyes, and a bird's beak, resembling Horus from Egypt mythology! When the iron fists of the two spirits clashed, [Storm Eye]'s fist was bitten by the steel cat, leaving a deep, bone-revealing crack!
The collision between the spirits caused a pool of blood on the floor, splashing water as if a heavy stone had been thrown into the blood, and the reflected Worthington jet could splash up to the ceiling!
"How is this possible!" CC stared at the scene in disbelief! He felt his internal organs shift, fell to the ground, his face turned ashen, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out blood mixed with broken respiratory tissue.
The combined attack of the charging leap and the power of the soul was blocked!
Fragrant Dream stood firm, blocking his full-force attack!?
Pellegrini's soul power is no match for Fragrant Dream, but its destructive power is extremely strong!
At the very moment of contact with the spirit, besides the sonic boom and shockwave, Xue Ming only felt a sharp pain in his right arm—
--Fragrant Dream's iron fist remained intact, but the steel armor on its arm was shattered inch by inch! Numerous dark tears were revealed, and the overflowing psionic energy spoke of the destructive power of [Storm Eye]. Its power transmission method was more like hitting a cow through a mountain; the fist, being in the eye of the storm, would not suffer any damage, but the more solid and powerful arm was ruined!
"That guy's spirit is amazing!" Fragrant Dream cursed through gritted teeth. "No wonder Hasben lost to that bastard! It hurts so much!"
"Hahahaha!" Seeing that the attack had worked, CC suddenly felt confident. "Hahahaha!"
He wanted to instill confidence with his smile, to forcefully pull up his trembling body, and to reawaken his fighting spirit.
"They say the Nameless One is invincible! Are you truly an unsurpassable figure, Gunsmith!"
"Now I'm proving with my strength that even gods bleed!"
"My blood is boiling! Hahaha! My blood is boiling!"
This once brave and passionate Red Stone People, after joining the Madness Butterfly's camp, still retains his childlike innocence.
He stretched and sprang to his feet with a clean, effortless movement. Seeing the gunsmith clutching his right arm, his face ashen, he suddenly felt a sense of security, as if victory was within his grasp. The Blood-giving Monster's self-healing ability far surpassed that of these frail Homo sapiens. As long as he continued to exchange blows with him, continued to fight with his spirit form!
--I, CC, will definitely be the one to win in the end!
"Come back!" Xue Ming summoned back his spirit, wanting Fragrant Dream to unite with him in spirit and body.
As the giant steel cat burrowed into Xue Ming's body, it asked, "Are you sure everything's alright?"
Xue Ming shook his finger, signaling the spirit to behave.
"This guy is completely impervious to reason; he's a tough, rotten piece of meat."
"If you don't come back, how can I activate your special ability? How can I take him down?"
Hasben regained some consciousness and wanted to say something, to remind the teacher to be careful, to say some nonsense, to cheer the teacher up and annoy her.
Before he could speak--
--Xue Ming assumed a fighting stance.
"Shut up! You're already dead! You're a dead man, you shouldn't be speaking."
If CC had been a bit more clever and used Hasben as a hostage, things would have become much more complicated and unpredictable.
At this moment, there was one lucky survivor who hadn't quite died yet. It seemed like Dave had just taken a trip from hell and returned to the human world. He wanted to say something, but his body wouldn't allow it. He had lost too much blood and didn't even have the strength to move his Adam's apple or vocal cords.
CC waved his hand with a heroic air, extending a duel challenge to Jiang Xueming.
"Let the dead bury the dead. Since we have life, we should live on, and live happily."
"Of course, you have to live inside my belly and become one with me."