Regaining Freedom

Chu Hang slumped against the cold iron door, his chest heaving as he gulped down the foul air.

His mind was an utter mess, as though countless bees were buzzing inside it, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

That forceful twist that had snapped the alloy lock core had looked simple and crude, but it had nearly drained the last bit of energy he could muster. He needed time to recover.

Sliding down the icy wall, he dropped onto the cold concrete floor.

He was safe, but only for the moment.

Chu Hang closed his eyes and sank his full awareness into his body, trying to assess his condition.

The immense newborn power he had forcibly fused now lay silently and heavily in every corner of his body like a giant snake in hibernation, from his muscle fibers to the depths of his bones.

He could clearly feel its existence. Its vast, boundless Presence carried an oppressive force of its own, yet he could no longer wield it as freely as he had in the hangar.

It had become sluggish and inert, as though it regarded him, its new master, with wariness and detachment.

The system panel in his mind remained a lifeless gray. No matter how he called out to it, he received no response. It seemed that the cheat he had always relied on most had truly exhausted its energy and gone dormant. When it would awaken again was completely unknown.

Without the system's assistance and guidance, he felt like a farmer who had never encountered modern technology being suddenly thrown into the cockpit of the most advanced fighter jet.

He knew the machine beneath him possessed world-destroying power, but he could not even understand the symbols on its dashboard, much less start its engine or pull its controls.