Hysterical Strength

"Yo, isn't this Captain Kai? Long time no see."

The voice echoed through the tube building, and anyone could hear the mockery in it.

The people from the "Steam Party" surrounded the Green Street group at the bottom of the tube building from above.

Leading them was the "Red Hair" Kuntu, the same man who had appeared at the Elephant Tavern before. Looking at Kai, he wore a relaxed smile, as if victory were already in his grasp.

Suren looked at the enemies, his expression turning solemn. "Two professionals? This is going to be troublesome."

"Red Hair" Kuntu's Alchemical Implant was the Flame Lizard. Its primary material was the Flame Lizard's oil gland, an obscure and somewhat underwhelming Cursed Material. Yet this implant granted him extremely high fire resistance and the ability to manipulate flames. After adding several specially modified flamethrower mechanisms, he had become a "pseudo-Fire Elementalist."

His mechanical-plus-implant combination was precisely the mainstream New School style of Alchemy.

Although he was not as flexible as a pure first-rank Old School fire Alchemist, nor as physically strong as a normal professional, his lethality was no lower. More importantly, casting spells cost less.

It was like lighting a fire with a lighter versus using focused sunlight. The methods were different, but the results were the same—at least in the realm of low-rank spells.

As members of the New School, the Steam Party favored machinery over Alchemy.

To them, Alchemical Implants were merely auxiliary tools, while machinery was the main focus. Although this shortcut limited the upper bound of implants, the mechanical modifications added to them had no upper limit. Moreover, implants with weaker curse properties were less effective, but they also had a lower chance of causing mutations, allowing more people with mediocre Talents to use them.

However, Kuntu alone had little advantage against Kai.

In a one-on-one fight, Kai, a high-Agility Assassin Class professional, clearly had a much greater chance of killing the pseudo-spellcaster Kuntu.

But obviously, the enemy had thought of that too.

Another person who had unsealed his implant had appeared among their ranks.

He wore a black trench coat and an octopus-shaped metal mask. The exposed skin on his hands and neck shimmered with a dark, metallic sheen.

The moment Suren saw him, the information in his mind clicked into place. "Captain of West City's Thirteenth District, 'Steel Gorilla' Sith!"

Knowing that the Cross Society and the Steam Party could break into armed conflict at any moment, Suren had done his homework during this period. He had learned about the abilities of several famous professionals from the opposing gang.

This "Steel Gorilla" Sith had awakened the Beast Transformation Talent C-071—Ape. This ability allowed him to transform into a giant ape like a werewolf, causing his strength, speed, and toughness to increase dramatically.

It was a rather impressive close-combat Talent.

On top of that, he had obtained the obscure Salamander Iron Skin Alchemical Implant. Combined with a type of highly resilient Metal Bionic Skin developed by the Steam Party, it gave him extremely powerful defenses after unsealing the implant—enough to withstand musket fire.

That was why Sith had earned the title "Steel Gorilla."

"Quite troublesome."

Looking at the situation, Suren knew they had come specifically to deal with Kai.

One could fight, while the other could endure.

Kai's blade was sharp enough to cut people in half with almost every strike.

But this "Steel Gorilla" was clearly meant to counter assassins like him.

At least, Kai's blade could not possibly kill him in a short time.

"'Red Hair' Kuntu isn't much of a threat. His fire-control ability is strong, but his attack range is limited."

In Suren's eyes, now that he had become a professional, Kuntu was not much of a threat.

His attack methods were too limited, and the direction of the mechanical flamethrower was easy to predict.

Moreover, Suren's marksmanship, which had already reached Advanced Proficiency, was enough for him to kite the man and turn him into a sieve of blood.

But there was still "Steel Gorilla" Sith.

Suren narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied the trench-coat man upstairs, wondering, I wonder if an Armor-Piercing Alchemical Bullet can penetrate that guy's goggles.

Without combat data, it was difficult to judge.

Rumor had it that this man had endured Alchemical Bullets head-on before.

Even his seemingly only weakness, his eyes, was hidden behind rune-engraved goggles. They did not look easy to break. Besides, since they were among his few weaknesses, he would certainly guard them closely.

Suren felt that choosing these two professionals as the first targets was not a sound strategy.

Because the most troublesome situation was not the two professionals, but the number of enemies!

There were nearly fifty enemies, with dozens of guns and rocket launchers aimed at the Green Street group.

Under concentrated fire, there would inevitably be heavy casualties.

Suren was not confident that he could avoid the concentrated fire in the first instant.

Still, there was one piece of good news for him: the vast majority of the gun barrels were aimed at Kai.

After all, in their eyes, Kai was the only professional and therefore the greatest threat.

With that thought, Suren's gaze began to wander.

Gang fights were part of a gang's daily life.

The veterans were mentally prepared and knew they could die at any moment in a clash with a rival gang. The newcomers, however, all looked somewhat at a loss.

Perhaps precisely because these newcomers were trembling before death, the Steam Party did not attack immediately.

It was like a hunter seeing prey fall into a deep trap. He would not kill it right away, but would first admire his own handiwork.

Looking down from above, "Red Hair" Kuntu laughed. "Captain Kai, yo, you don't look so good."

"Heh. Is this all the Steam Party is capable of? You ran away from the Elephant Tavern with your tails between your legs last time, and now you're trying to play dirty?"

Kai mocked them without mercy.

Then he quietly said to the gang members beside him, "Most of their attention is on me. I'll draw their fire later. Find your own opportunities to attack. Prepare to fight to the death, everyone."

Surrender was impossible. A gang fight could only end when one side wiped out the other.

Everyone understood that.

With guns pointed at him, Suren's adrenaline surged violently.

He had already been mentally prepared to face sudden incidents, so there was no surprise on his face.

However, after taking a closer look, he noticed something strange.

Suren's extraordinary eyesight let him clearly see that, among the shooters upstairs, two men were staring straight at him through their scopes.

The moment his gaze met theirs, he realized that he truly was receiving "special treatment."

Suren found it strange. Huh? Why aren't those two aiming at the veterans or Kai? Why are they watching me?

The other shooters aimed lazily at the crowd, but the gazes of those two gunmen were precisely locked onto him.

Suren's thoughts turned, and he immediately realized something. Could it be because I stayed too close to Boss Qiantiao before, and someone has taken an interest in me?

He pursed his lips slightly. It seemed he should associate less with influential figures in the future. Otherwise, enemies might give him special attention.

Since he had noticed that he was being targeted, Suren did not move rashly. Instead, he slowly lowered the shotgun in his hands.

In the enemy's eyes, this action showed that he was not a threat and allowed them to lower their guard.

But the others did not know that Suren was rapidly analyzing the situation in his mind. The exits of the tube building must already be blocked. After the first volley, the only way we might use cover and the darkness to kill the enemies is to flee into that "Underground Chamber."

The Green Street group was in an awkward position. Aside from a few load-bearing pillars, there was almost no cover on the lower level.

The enemies had the high ground. If the Green Street side tried to trade shots with them, they would be wiped out in an instant.

Therefore, Suren decided to strike first.

The feeling of his adrenaline surging made his entire body grow excited.

A cold glint appeared in his eyes. I'm going to kill people again.

Suren knew very well that he had problems controlling his emotions.

When he was twelve, after he killed several thugs, the therapist at the juvenile detention center had diagnosed him with what they called a "dangerous personality."

But he did not believe that this was another self. More accurately, "he" was a part of himself—an emotional aspect.

Later, the education and treatment he received at the juvenile detention center taught Suren how to precisely manage that part of his "emotions."

This allowed him to separate certain negative emotions from his daily life, such as violence, fear, killing, lust, and pain.

Suren had once thought this was an illness.

Later, he discovered that it was also a means of self-preservation.

When faced with danger, allowing certain emotions to erupt could awaken his latent potential.

It was like the reports from his previous life about ordinary people lifting several-ton cars with their bare hands during crises.

Just as he had been able to kill those strong young thugs when he was twelve.

That potential was known as Hysterical Strength.

The scientific explanation was that, under extreme conditions, the body's hormones would surge out of the adrenal glands, enter the bloodstream, and flow throughout the body. This filled the muscles with excess oxygenated blood, allowing them to exert greater strength. But the process was dangerous as well, with a high chance of causing organ failure, tissue breakdown, and death.

Suren was not sure whether his condition was the same.

But once he released "him," his body would become extremely excited. Hormone secretion would surge, and his strength and neural responses would increase dramatically.

Now, with a gun pointed at his head, he was feeling that sensation again.