Combat test

In front of Cheng Qi's right eye.

A palm-sized blue holographic screen suddenly lit up-the armor's own interface.

XXX-01 Memory Metal Ultimate Warrior Powered Armor

Force output: 65200 N

Precision and control: ±0.2 mm

Dynamic response time: 89.1 ms

Durability and fatigue limit: 10^9 cycles

Biosignal capture interval: 57 μs/cycle

Stress rating: 19000 MPa

Expandable memory metal capacity: 0.4 m³

Due to factors including the user's physical condition and genetic sequence, the armor's base capabilities have not been fully realized.

Cheng Qi's eyes widened.

As a child who had grown up amid technological ruins, he knew the basics of equipment repair.

These figures meant...

At full power, it captured my thoughts every 57 microseconds.

If my brain gave the command, it could throw a punch with 65200 newtons of force within a tenth of a second, with precision down to 0.2 millimeters.

And 65200 newtons was roughly the instantaneous impact of a ten-ton heavy truck traveling at ninety kilometers per hour.

That impact was already powerful enough. Concentrated into a single small fist, it would be absolutely terrifying!

As for that stress rating...

Old-era firearms, like submachine guns, would probably need hundreds of rounds striking the same spot head-on to penetrate it.

Even if this wasn't the main focus of a level-two civilization, it was already outrageous!

It wasn't earth-shattering, but those savage specifications were packed into nothing more than a thin, lightweight suit of armor.

If human technology were to achieve that kind of striking force, the armor would have to be enormous.

Foolish Boy stared with his glowing red strip eyes. "Seems you're even fiercer than me now!"

"Due to factors including physical condition and genetic sequence, the armor's base capabilities have not been fully realized..."

"Genetic sequence..."

Cheng Qi sighed and silently shook his head, then rallied himself. "What does that expandable memory metal capacity of 0.4 cubic meters mean?"

A brief supplementary note followed that entry.

-Can be controlled at will or configured automatically by the system.

"I need to test it."

Cheng Qi straightened up, narrowed his eyes, and locked onto a fragment of starship wreckage nearby that stood a full five meters tall.

It was made of high-density metal, bulky and thick, giving the impression that it would neither decay nor move for ten thousand years.

The instant Cheng Qi formed the thought, the blue holographic screen in his field of vision displayed the optimal strike point, strike angle, striking posture, and fastest approach route!

Cheng Qi couldn't help marveling.

Technology was humanity's ultimate pair of wings.

In that second, Cheng Qi moved.

His legs drove hard, crushing and shattering the rubbish beneath his feet.

Following the blue curve in his field of vision, he darted around the uneven debris like lightning and reached the enormous chunk of metal in an instant.

The optimal strike point became a red ring of light, which abruptly shrank.

Cheng Qi leaned back, his body suspended in the air and his tattered cloak billowing. He raised one long leg and drew it far back, leaving enough room to build up power.

XXX-01 rapidly analyzed the situation.

Cheng Qi needed powerful support to withstand the immense reaction force at the instant of impact.

In a flash, four dark silver metal support arms snaked out from the ankle of Cheng Qi's planted foot and plunged deep into the ground.

At the same instant, two even longer mechanical arms extended from the back of his neck.

Like two mechanical spider legs that had suddenly sprouted, they likewise touched the ground, providing powerful support for Cheng Qi's back.

Meanwhile, the foot he was swinging outward was instantly covered in dark silver metal.

It took longer to describe than to happen. All of this occurred in just a tenth of a second.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The enormous piece of metal wreckage, which looked to weigh nearly five tons, visibly deformed the instant Cheng Qi's instep struck it. Then a tremendous burst of acceleration shattered its stillness, wrenching it out of the rubbish heap as his kick sent it flying!

It howled through the air, followed by another tremendous crash as the giant piece of metal wreckage buried itself deep in a mountain of rubbish thirty meters away!

Cheng Qi stood where he was, his chest heaving.

What incredible striking power!

At that instant, the mechanical support arms extending from his body silently retracted.

At a thought from Cheng Qi, flowing liquid surged from his wrist again, slowly forming a sharp dagger.

With another thought, the dagger changed shape, extending into a dark silver spear nearly two meters long.

"So that's what it means!"

Cheng Qi felt the spear in his hand as though it were an integral part of him. "I can use those 0.4 cubic meters of expandable memory metal, and it can change shape automatically!"

An intense light shone in Cheng Qi's eyes.

The most remarkable thing about XXX-01 was its thin, lightweight form.

At that moment, it lay hidden beneath Cheng Qi's clothes like thermal underwear. Only by turning back his cuff slightly could he see its silver edge.

No one would realize that a young garbage rat like him was actually wearing combat armor from a level-two civilization.

Foolish Boy raised the communicator high into the air, and after a burst of crackling static.

Hyena's impatient voice came through.

"Brat, it's about time. Have you set out yet?"

"I'm telling you, my time is valuable. If you're late, I won't fucking buy your stuff!"

Then Hyena hung up without another word.

Cheng Qi smiled calmly.

He was still playing hard to get.

Quite possibly, Hyena was already burning with impatience, pacing around the bar like a cat on a hot tin roof.

"Foolish Boy, we've gathered most of the equipment we need."

"Come on. Let's go meet the biggest bully on Bar Street."