Ability upgrade

Ye Mo's fingers were less than a meter from the shield's interface when his knees suddenly buckled. The impact had left his entire spine numb, and his vision blurred. He gritted his teeth and crawled forward, his fingertips just touching the metal frame—

Boom!

The Hulk kicked the shield again, twisting and deforming the entire door frame. Blue light exploded into countless arcs of electricity, crackling loudly. The shockwave threw him away, his back slamming hard against the wall. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and almost vomited.

He lay on the ground, trying to stand up by supporting himself with his hands, his arms trembling. His mind was buzzing; his Mind Control was still cooling down, and the Wall Phasing Technique required stable mental energy, which was unusable now. He still held the chip in his hand, but there was no chance to insert it now.

It's over.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the Hulk turned and fixed his gaze on him. His crimson eyes were filled with murderous intent, his muscles bulged, and he raised his foot to stomp down on him.

The ground shook, and dust fell in gusts.

Ye Mo didn't have time to dodge and could only raise his hand to block. Just as the giant foot landed, he heard a "ding" in his mind.

"A fatal impact detected. Emergency defense protocols activated."

Before he could react, an invisible layer suddenly popped out from his body. The next second, the Hulk's foot stomped down.

Bang!!!

The shockwave exploded, sending debris flying. Ye Mo was thrown three meters backward before his shoulder hit a pipe and he came to a stop. But he discovered that he was surprisingly unharmed.

He was stunned.

Looking down at my hands, I noticed a fleeting, water-ripple-like effect on the surface of my skin, which quickly disappeared.

"What the hell?" He panted, reaching up to touch his chest. He felt something there, like a thin film, very light, but he could feel it.

The system notification sounded immediately afterward, "Force Field Shield Ability Activated, Gene Spiral Tower Level 11 Unlocked."

His eyes lit up immediately.

It's not a hallucination! I've really developed a new ability!

He looked up at the nearly shattered alloy door, where the Hulk was preparing for another heavy blow. The shield was already cracked to pieces; a few more hits and he'd be done for. If this layer broke, the Gamma Radiation inside would spray out directly, and then forget about saving anyone; he himself would be doomed.

We can't wait any longer.

He pushed himself up, his legs still trembling slightly, but he didn't care. He stuffed the chip back into his pocket, pressed his hands to the ground, and focused his attention.

Thinking about the feeling of that barrier in my mind, I tried to let it go.

At first, nothing happened. He took a deep breath and changed his mindset—not to "block," but to "protect."

Buzz!

A semi-transparent, arc-shaped shield emanated from his palm, covering the remaining alloy door structure like an inverted bowl. Less than two seconds after it took shape, the Hulk slammed down with a punch.

Bang!!!

The impact caused a large dent in the shield, with ripples appearing at the edges, but it didn't break.

It's done!

Ye chuckled, almost losing his balance. This thing was more durable than he'd imagined, but it was mentally taxing. He felt a headache coming on, like the kind of fatigue you get from staring at a screen for too long.

Seeing that he couldn't break through, the Hulk roared and turned to charge at him.

This time the target is clear—it's him.

Ye Mo quickly retracted his shield and took a few steps back. He knew this ability was newly unlocked and he wasn't yet proficient in controlling it; taking a direct hit would definitely put him at a disadvantage. He needed to test how to use it skillfully.

He closed his eyes, recalling the "defense protocol" the system had mentioned. The four words swirled in his mind a few times before he suddenly realized—this wasn't a passively triggered life-saving skill, but a skill that could be actively released.

Moreover, the key lies in "anticipation".

The Hulk charged forward at incredible speed, each step shaking the ground. Waiting until it got close to deploy the shield would be too late; he had to prepare in advance.

He stood still, placed his hands in front of him, and began to gather energy. This time, before the Hulk could make a move, he first deployed a semi-circular shield in front of himself.

Boom!

The Hulk slammed his fist into the shield, the recoil causing it to sway. Ye Mo was also jolted, his arms going numb and his hands aching, but he didn't move.

It works!

He grinned. "Looks like... I'm not just someone who can take a beating."

A warm current slowly spread through his body, like the comfortable feeling of drinking hot water. He knew this was a sign that his abilities had truly returned to their rightful place. The 11th level of the Gene Spiral Tower was slowly rotating, and the new power was firmly under his control.

The Hulk, having been repelled once, became even more enraged. It growled and circled to the side, attempting a flanking attack. Ye Mo immediately noticed, quickly adjusting his direction, and his shield deflected, blocking the attack once more.

The third time, the Hulk jumped up and slammed down from above. He simply pushed his shield upwards, forming a dome-shaped structure, and managed to catch the attack.

Bang!!

The shock made his knees buckle, and he almost knelt down. But he held on.

He parried three times in a row, but the shield didn't break. Although he had to pause for a few seconds to recover after each block, it was enough for him to survive.

He was panting, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. He still couldn't keep up, but this new ability gave him confidence. At least now he didn't have to worry about being killed in one move.

My gaze swept over the shield door; the cracks were still spreading, but it wouldn't collapse anytime soon. The problem wasn't there.

The real problem is the mysterious figure behind the shield.

I clearly saw someone standing in front of the control panel, gesturing with their hand. If that person hadn't been interfering with the system, the Hulk would have been calmed down long ago. But the person hasn't reappeared, and I wonder if they've moved.

He took out the chip and examined the interface. Forcing a connection now was too dangerous; the Hulk could pounce at any moment. Besides, even cutting off the power wouldn't solve the problem of behind-the-scenes control.

We need to change our approach.

He retreated to the shadows of the side wall, maintaining a small shield over himself while observing the changes in the shield's frequency. Every few seconds, a blue light would flash, as if it had received some kind of signal.

Where is the signal source?

If it were remote control, there would likely be a delay. However, the Hulk's rampage was almost simultaneous, indicating that the other party is likely nearby, or even in this area.

He squinted.

If they could find the source of the signal, they might be able to trace it back. But leaving the cover now would only make them easy targets. The Hulk is still lurking nearby, ready to strike at any moment.

He gripped the chip tightly and whispered, "This time... first, I need to survive."

As soon as he finished speaking, the blue light on the shield door suddenly flickered violently.

Immediately afterwards, the Hulk turned around abruptly and charged toward the door again.

Ye Mo reacted immediately, rushing forward a few steps and deploying a shield in front of the door. This time, he narrowed the area, focusing it around the door frame to ensure that every inch was covered.

Boom!!!

The Hulk slammed down with a heavy punch, causing the shield to vibrate violently, but he held on tightly, not taking a single step back.

The blue light flickered, and the crack stopped spreading.

The situation has stabilized for now.

He was panting, sweat streaming down his forehead. He was nearing his physical limit, but his mind was much clearer than before. He knew that as long as this shield remained, he still had a chance.

In the distance, towards the control room behind the shield, a faint red light flashed, like an indicator light signaling a device restart.

Ye Mo's gaze fixed on them.

Slowly tighten your grip.