Nika Core's First Complete Loss of Control

The moment the Seastone fragment was pulled out, Su Hang's right leg slammed heavily back onto the wooden floor.

The wound was only two fingers long.

Yet the entire leg felt as though it no longer belonged to him.

His muscles could not contract, and his rubber ability had not returned.

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, placed the fragment into a lead box and immediately snapped the lid shut.

"Once Seastone leaves the body, the suppression won't disappear immediately."

"Debris may have entered the wound. You need at least two days of rest."

Su Hang braced himself against the edge of the bed.

"Two hours."

"Impossible."

"The next stretch of route enters the countercurrent zone in two hours."

"If Brand still has an ambush waiting, he won't wait two days."

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, pressed down on his knee.

"You can't even stand steadily right now."

"If you force yourself, the wound will split open again."

"Then let it split."

"Captain!"

Qi Hai pushed open the door and set a bucket of clean water against the wall.

"The medical ship has already passed White Reef, and the witness merchant ship hasn't fallen behind."

"I'll command the rest of the route. You lie down."

"The torpedo was only the first round."

"That's exactly why I can't let you go out with a useless leg."

Su Hang lifted his right foot.

The moment the sole rose half an inch off the ground, his calf lost control, and his shoe slammed into the floorboards again.

A system screen unfolded before him.

[Seastone residual suppression detected.]

[Nika Core fusion rate: 12%.]

[Temporary fusion rate may be increased to use intense fighting spirit to break through ability stagnation.]

[Warning: The host's physical strength and willpower cognition have not yet reached the standard for stable fusion.]

[Possible effects include emotional amplification, abnormal excitement, combat impulses, and autonomous ability activation.]

Qi Hai could not see the screen, but he stared at Su Hang's eyes.

"The system gave you a way?"

"It did."

"What's the price?"

"It'll be hard to control for a while."

"Then don't use it."

Su Hang lightly rubbed the knuckle of his index finger.

"I need to know whether the suppression can be broken through actively."

"If the black market dared to use Seastone once, they'll use it a second time."

"You're planning to test it on yourself?"

"Someone has to."

Qi Hai seized his shoulder.

"You just got back from that shattered net. You haven't even steadied your breathing."

"Trying it now is suicide."

"Let go."

"Answer me first."

"After you lose control, who can stop you?"

Su Hang looked at the Seastone handcuffs at Qi Hai's waist.

"Haven't you always carried the answer with you?"

Qi Hai did not let go.

"Those handcuffs can only restrain your limbs."

"If you turn the whole ship into rubber, I won't even be able to stand."

Mia entered the medical cabin carrying the weather wheel.

"There are no abnormal ship shadows ahead for the next two hours."

"At least wait until the medicine reaches Greenleaf Island before attempting fusion."

Su Hang shook his head.

"The observation ship still hasn't been found."

"The enemy knows our course and the medicine ship's speed."

"They can switch to another method at any time."

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, looked frantic.

"But your wound is still bleeding!"

"Wrap it tight."

"This isn't something that can be fixed by wrapping it tight!"

Su Hang looked up at him.

"You handle the injuries. I'll handle the next attack."

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, was so angry that his fingers trembled.

In the end, he still took out bandages and tightly wrapped Su Hang's right leg layer by layer.

Qi Hai stepped back half a pace, but his hand settled on his sword hilt.

"If anything abnormal happens, I'll stop it immediately."

"Fine."

"If I tell you to stop, you stop."

"Fine."

"You agreed too quickly."

Su Hang gave a short laugh.

"Because I'm not planning to lose control."

A screen unfolded before his eyes.

[Increase Nika Core temporary fusion rate to 20%?]

Su Hang confirmed.

His first heartbeat suddenly grew heavier.

Thump!

The glass bottles in the medical cabin trembled at the same time.

When the second beat fell, the area around the wound on his right leg rapidly heated up.

The lingering suppression in his flesh was forcibly pushed aside, and his stiff muscles gradually regained their elasticity.

Thump!

Thump!

The drumbeats grew clearer and clearer.

Su Hang supported himself on the bed and stood.

When his right foot touched down, the floorboards sank beneath it, then bounced his sole back up.

Mia immediately looked at the vibration needle on the weather wheel.

"His heartbeat has already exceeded normal combat frequency."

"My leg's recovered."

Su Hang bent his knee. The wound did not split open again.

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, stared in shock.

"Your blood flow is speeding up too."

"Are you forcibly repairing damaged muscles?"

"Not enough."

Su Hang tried clenching his fist.

Power surged rapidly through his arm, and the last trace of numbness in his right leg vanished.

His body felt lighter than ever. Even every wave crashing outside the ship seemed to be urging him to rush out.

The corners of his mouth rose against his control.

"A little higher."

Qi Hai's expression sank.

"That's enough. Stop the fusion."

"It's only at twenty percent."

"There's something wrong with your laughter."

"I'm not laughing."

The moment he spoke, a low laugh squeezed from Su Hang's throat.

"Ha... hahaha!"

The floor of the medical cabin suddenly bounced upward.

Medicine bottles, scissors, and other medical tools all flew toward the ceiling.

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, lost his footing and crashed into the wall.

Mia grabbed the doorframe.

"Su Hang, shut down the core!"

"Why shut it down?"

Su Hang stomped down, and an entire wooden wall bent into an arc before rapidly returning to normal.

"This ship is too slow."

"If we catch the observation ship and drag out everyone hiding behind it, won't this be over?"

Qi Hai blocked the cabin door.

"The medicine is still on the ship. You can't start a fight."

"Send the medicine away. I'll go alone."

"We're at sea!"

"The sea can turn into rubber too."

Su Hang raised his right hand. His five fingers stretched out on their own, bypassing Qi Hai and reaching for the main mast outside.

Qi Hai drew his sword.

"I said, stop!"

The flat of the blade smashed heavily into Su Hang's wrist.

Su Hang felt no pain. His laughter only grew louder.

His rubber arm wrapped around the blade and yanked violently, dragging Qi Hai several steps forward.

"You can't stop me."

"Then let's find out."

Qi Hai cut the mainsail rope with a backhand slash.

Boom!

The heavy canvas, freed from its restraint, fell from the mast and crashed through the medical cabin roof, covering Su Hang completely.

The deck turned into soft rubber.

The canvas bounced back up the instant it fell.

Su Hang drove his right fist toward Qi Hai through the cloth.

Before the fist even struck, the entire deck had already been crushed into a deep crater.

"Mia!"

"The sail corner is here!"

Mia grabbed the bucket by the wall and splashed all the clean water over the canvas.

It was useless.

Su Hang's fist continued forward.

"That's freshwater!"

Chopper, the doctor's apprentice, pointed toward the stern.

"The seawater's in the emergency bucket at the stern!"

Mia turned and rushed out of the cabin.

Qi Hai crossed his arms and took the punch head-on.

Bang!

He was sent flying, smashing through two railings with his back.

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but both hands still gripped the sail ropes without letting go.

"Su Hang, look carefully!"

The laughter beneath the canvas paused for half a breath.

"Who are you hitting?"

The rubber fist rose again.

This time, the movement was noticeably slower.

Mia dragged the seawater bucket back onto the deck and pressed the soaked corner of the sail directly onto Su Hang's right arm.

His power weakened instantly.

The rubberized deck began to revert.

Su Hang let out a low growl. His left hand actually reached around the canvas and lunged for Mia's throat.

"His hand!"

Qi Hai pounced forward and rammed the arm aside with his shoulder.

His fingers grazed Mia's neck and smashed the wooden crate behind her.

All three of them tumbled into the depression in the deck.

Seawater slowly seeped through the canvas, and Su Hang's strength faded layer by layer.

The drumbeat shifted from frantic to heavy, finally returning to a normal heartbeat.

The laughter stopped.

Su Hang lay beneath the wet sail, breathing heavily.

"Lift the sail."

Qi Hai did not let go of the rope.

"First, tell me who you are."

"Su Hang."

"What were you trying to do just now?"

"Chase the observation ship."

"Do you still want to chase it?"

Su Hang fell silent for several breaths.

"No."

Only then did Qi Hai lift the canvas.

The injury on Su Hang's right leg had already healed by more than half, though bloody marks from the Seastone cuts still remained on his skin.

Su Hang raised his right hand, but it suddenly clenched into a fist on its own and struck at Qi Hai's abdomen again.

Smack!

Qi Hai caught his wrist.

The fist stopped an inch away.

Su Hang stared at his own hand, the smile vanishing completely from his face.

"I didn't give the order."

Mia covered her scraped neck, her voice icy.

"It didn't wait for your order just now, either."

Chopper, the medical apprentice, checked his pupils and heartbeat before quickly wrapping a strip of seawater-soaked cloth around Su Hang's wrist.

"Your strength recovered too quickly. Your will couldn't keep up."

"Your body is treating combat as a way to continue the fusion."

Su Hang looked at the shattered railing, then noticed the medicine boxes scattered across the deck.

One of the wooden crates had been knocked to the edge of the ship. Another half foot, and it would have fallen into the sea.

Qi Hai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and set the seawater bucket in front of Su Hang.

"If you refuse to stop next time, I'll dump the whole bucket of seawater over your head."