Hysterical Strength

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

The voice echoed through the Tube Building. Anyone could hear the mockery in those words.

The Steam Party thugs stood above them, surrounding the Green Street group at the bottom of the Tube Building.

Leading them was Red Hair Kuntu, the same man who had appeared at the Elephant Tavern. He looked at Kai with an easy smile, as if victory were already in his grasp.

Suren's expression turned grave as he looked at the enemies. "Two job holders. This is going to be troublesome."

Red Hair Kuntu's Alchemical Implant was the Flame Lizard, whose main material was the Flame Lizard's oil gland—a rare and somewhat lackluster Cursed Material. Yet the implant gave him exceptionally high fire resistance and the ability to control flames. With several modified mechanical flamethrower devices installed, he had become a "pseudo-Fire Elementalist."

This opportunistic combination of machinery and implant was the mainstream New School style of Alchemy.

Though it lacked the flexibility of a pure First Tier Old School fire Alchemist and did not strengthen the body as much as a normal job holder, its destructive power was no weaker. More importantly, it cost less to cast.

It was like lighting a fire with a lighter versus focusing sunlight through a lens. Different methods, same result—at least in the Low Tier spell range.

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

To them, Alchemical Implants were merely support tools; machinery was what truly mattered. This shortcut limited an implant's potential, but mechanical modifications had no upper limit. Moreover, implants with weaker cursed properties might be less effective, but they also had a lower risk of mutation, making them suitable for more people with mediocre talent.

Still, Kuntu alone held little advantage against Kai.

In a one-on-one fight, the highly agile Assassin Class Kai would have a far greater chance of killing the pseudo-caster Kuntu.

But clearly, the enemy had thought of that as well.

Another person in their group had also unsealed his implant.

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

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

Knowing that the Cross Society and Steam Party could break into armed conflict at any time, he had done his homework over this period and learned about the abilities of several well-known job holders from the rival gang.

Steel Gorilla Sith had awakened Beast Transformation Talent C-071: Ape. It allowed him to transform into a giant ape much like a werewolf, greatly increasing his strength, speed, and toughness.

It was an exceptionally good close-combat talent.

On top of that, he had acquired the obscure Salamander Iron Skin Alchemical Implant. Combined with the highly durable Metal Bionic Skin developed by the Steam Party, it gave him extraordinary defenses after unsealing his implant—enough to withstand gunfire head-on.

That was why Sith had earned the title Steel Gorilla.

"This is a little tricky."

Seeing the setup, Suren knew they had come specifically for Kai.

One could fight, while the other could endure.

Kai's blade was sharp enough to cut in two almost anyone with a single slash.

But this Steel Gorilla had clearly been chosen to counter an assassin like him.

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

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

To Suren, who had undergone Job Advancement, Kuntu was not much of a threat.

His methods of attack were too simple, and the direction of his mechanical flamethrower was highly predictable.

Besides, Suren's shooting, now at Advanced Mastery, was enough for him to kite that man and turn him into a bloody sieve.

But there was still Steel Gorilla Sith.

Suren narrowed his eyes as he studied the man in the trench coat upstairs. I wonder whether Armor-Piercing Alchemical Bullets can punch through that guy's goggles.

Without actual combat data, it was difficult to tell.

Rumor had it that he had once withstood Alchemical Bullets head-on.

Even his eyes, seemingly his only weakness, were hidden behind rune-inscribed goggles that did not look easy to break. And since they were one of the few weak points on his body, he would surely guard them closely.

Suren felt that choosing those two job holders as the first targets was not a sound plan.

Because the most troublesome issue was not the two job holders, but the number of enemies.

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

Under concentrated fire, they would inevitably suffer heavy casualties.

Suren was not certain he could evade the first volley of concentrated fire.

But for him, there was one piece of good news: most of the gun barrels were aimed at Kai.

After all, in their eyes, only Kai, a job holder, was the greatest threat.

With that in mind, Suren's gaze began to wander.

Gang shootouts were routine.

The veterans had mentally prepared themselves; they could die at any time in a clash with a rival gang. But the newcomers all looked somewhat lost.

Perhaps it was precisely because of these newcomers trembling before death that the Steam Party did not attack immediately.

Like hunters seeing prey fall into a deep trap, they would not kill it right away. They would first savor their handiwork.

Red Hair Kuntu looked down at them and laughed. "Captain Kai, yo, you don't look too well."

"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 want to play dirty?"

Kai mocked them without mercy.

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

Surrender was impossible. In a gang fight, it 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 long been prepared for sudden incidents, so no surprise showed on his face.

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

Suren's exceptional eyesight allowed him to see clearly that among the gunmen upstairs, two of them were staring at him through their scopes.

The moment his eyes met theirs, he knew he was receiving special treatment.

Suren was puzzled. Why aren't those two aiming at the veterans or Kai? Why are they watching me?

While the other gunmen casually aimed at the crowd, those two had their sights precisely locked onto him.

With a turn of thought, Suren immediately realized it. Did I get noticed because I was too close to Qiantiao before?

He pursed his lips slightly. It seemed he should stay away from important figures in the future, or enemies would be likely to give him special attention.

Since he had noticed that he was being targeted, Suren did not make any rash moves. Instead, he slowly lowered the shotgun in his hand.

To the enemy, that gesture made him seem harmless and allowed them to lower their guard.

But no one knew that Suren was rapidly analyzing the situation. The Tube Building's exits must already be blocked. After the first volley, only by escaping into that Underground Chamber can we use cover and darkness to take down the enemy.

The Green Street group was in an awkward position. Other than a few load-bearing pillars, the ground floor offered almost no cover.

With the enemy above them, if they engaged in a direct shootout, Green Street would be wiped out in an instant.

So Suren decided to strike first.

The violent rush of adrenaline made his entire body quiver with excitement.

A cold glint appeared in his eyes. Time to kill again.

Suren knew perfectly well that he had certain problems with emotional control.

After he killed those hooligans at the age of twelve, the therapist at the juvenile detention center had diagnosed him with a "dangerous personality."

But he did not believe that it was another self. More accurately, "he" was part of Suren's emotions.

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

It allowed him to compartmentalize certain negative emotions in daily life—violence, fear, killing intent, lust, and even pain.

Suren had once believed it was an illness.

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

When danger came, releasing certain emotions could unleash one's potential.

It was like reports from his previous life, where ordinary people had lifted cars weighing several tons with their bare hands in moments of crisis.

Just as he had been able to kill those young and strong hooligans in that state when he was only twelve.

It was a potential called Hysterical Strength.

The scientific explanation was that under extreme conditions, the body's hormones would surge from the adrenal glands into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. This filled the muscles with extra oxygen-rich blood, allowing them to exert greater strength. But the process was dangerous as well, with a high chance of causing organ failure, tissue collapse, and death.

Suren was not sure whether his condition was the same.

But once he released "him," his body became intensely excited. Hormones flooded through him, and his strength and neural reactions increased dramatically.

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