Ye Mo's hand was still on Emma Frost's wrist; her pulse had stabilized. She was asleep, breathing evenly. His fingers had loosened slightly, but he hadn't completely let go. He didn't move, nor dared to, afraid that pulling away would wake her. But he himself was nearing his limit.
The old wound on his back felt like it was being repeatedly stabbed and pulled out by a red-hot iron bar. A dull, jagged pain shot through his ribs, and the muscles in his arms twitched, making him completely powerless. All the injuries he had endured while fighting the Abomination had erupted at this moment, making it difficult even to sit up straight. He leaned against the broken wall, cold sweat streaming down his neck, his clothes clinging to his back, soaked through.
He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing. Bruce had taught him that heartbeats and nerve signals could influence each other, and as long as the rhythm was right, he could fool his body and temporarily suppress the pain. He started counting his heartbeats, one, two, three... but the more he counted, the more chaotic it became, his mind filled with the scene from just now— Emma Frost transforming into Diamond Form to block Abomination's punch, her whole body shattering like glass, and then collapsing.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
No, I can't think about these things.
He wasn't taking care of anyone right now; he was saving his own life. If Abomination got up later, he wouldn't even be able to stand, let alone fight. His Wall Phasing Technique was still on cooldown, his Steel Bone State was unstable, his Vibranium Shards were down to 3%, and his Regenerative Phasing was out of control. He had to save himself, or no one would survive.
He withdrew his hand from Emma Frost's wrist, gently laid her down, and placed a scrap of cloth under her head. Then he shifted his body, leaned against the wall, and sat cross-legged. He placed his hands on his knees, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
"Don't mess it up," he thought to himself. "Now is not the time to fail."
But the sensation inside his body was getting increasingly strange. It wasn't just simple pain; it felt like something was moving inside. His cells were breaking down and then rebuilding, like countless tiny knives scraping against his blood vessels. He gritted his teeth and endured it, sweat beading on his forehead, his fingers digging into the seams of his pants.
Just when he was about to give up, a picture suddenly flashed through his mind— Emma Frost opened her eyes, looked at him, and said, "The ash on your face... it suits you quite well."
That sentence wasn't gentle at all; it was still as sharp-tongued as ever. Yet, it was just that one sentence that warmed his heart.
He remembered the feature the system had mentioned—" Emotional Resonance Amplification." It was activated when he saved her. He had always thought it was just a mental boost, but now he thought it might be more than that.
He tried it, focusing his attention on the "heat" and guiding it towards the wound on his back. At first, there was no reaction, and the pain almost made him cry out. But he didn't stop and kept pushing, like pushing a stuck door.
Suddenly, a sliver of blue light appeared beneath the skin.
It was very weak, gone in a flash. But he saw it.
Immediately afterward, a deep gash on his arm began to move. The bleeding stopped, and the flesh at the edges gradually receded inward, with new skin growing from underneath like vines climbing a wall. He looked down, unable to believe it.
"This can actually work?"
Before he could react, a voice rang in his mind:
"High-intensity fluctuations in life activity detected... meet the activation conditions for ' Extreme Regeneration '."
" Regeneration capability successfully activated."
" Gene Spiral Tower Level 12 unlocked, full sequence capability synergy efficiency increased by 40%."
Ye Mo was stunned.
It's not a hallucination.
He raised his hand, turned it over, and the wound that had once been deep enough to expose the bone had scabbed over; when he touched it again, even the scar was gone. He moved his shoulders, and the pain in his back receded, like the tide flowing away. He tried to stand up; his legs were still a little weak, but he could manage.
He looked down at Emma Frost; she was still asleep, her brow slightly furrowed, perhaps not having a peaceful dream. He knelt down and gently brushed the hair from her forehead.
"This time, it's my turn to protect you," he said.
After saying that, he stood up and walked to the center of the open space. Abomination was still lying there, its chest heaving, and it hadn't woken up. He walked over, squatted down, and stared at its face. This guy was tough and Regeneration, even better than him, but he wasn't very bright and was driven purely by emotions. If Emma Frost hadn't used her mental interference to make it miss its punch, he would have been smashed into a pulp long ago.
He reached up and touched the back of his neck, where the EMP device's interface was still attached. The battery was low, but it could be used once more. He took the Vibranium fragment out of his pocket and glanced at it: 3%. He couldn't waste any more; he had to wait for an opportunity.
He closed his eyes and tried to activate his newly activated abilities. Regeneration not only heals injuries but also accelerates the recovery of physical strength. He let the blue light flow through his body, starting from his heart and traveling to his limbs. His muscles tensed up again, his nerve signals became clear, and even his vision brightened a bit.
He opened his eyes and clenched his fist.
The knuckles made a "click" sound, like steel bars being tightened.
He stretched his shoulders, spun around, and landed with his heels kicking up a cloud of dust. He smiled.
"You can start now."
He looked back at Emma Frost; she rolled over and shrank into the corner, probably from the cold. He went back, put his hoodie back over her, and then took a spare jacket from his backpack and put it on.
Dawn was breaking, and the distant horizon was turning white. The fire was still burning, and the smell of smoke mixed with the stench of burning drifted over. He stood in the middle of the ruins, surrounded by wreckage. The ground was cracked, half of the walls had collapsed, and there were signs of a struggle everywhere.
He walked to a broken pillar, picked up a piece of live circuit board, and stuffed it into his bag. In a place like this, anything could be used as a weapon. He then pulled a piece of metal pipe from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and found it heavy enough to be used as a stick.
Having done all this, he stood back where he was and looked at the Abomination.
The guy wasn't awake yet, but his breathing had become heavy. He could feel the air changing, the pressure increasing. This guy could suddenly attack at any moment.
He's not going to hide anymore.
He now possesses Regeneration; as long as he doesn't die, he can continue. The Wall Phasing Technique is almost ready to cool down, and his Steel Bone State can be maintained for longer. He even thinks he can try the Regenerative Phasing again; as long as he finds the right moment, inserts it into the back of the neck, and the electric current might paralyze him directly.
He took a few steps forward, getting closer to his Abomination.
Five meters.
Three meters.
One meter.
He crouched down and stared into its eyes.
"If you wake up now," he said, "I wouldn't mind sending you back earlier."
As soon as he finished speaking, Abomination's eyelids twitched.
Ye Mo didn't move.
It let out a low growl, its chest heaved violently, and its arms began to twitch. The ground trembled slightly.
Ye Mo stood up, took half a step back, and touched the EMP interface on the back of his neck with his right hand.
"Come on," he said.
The Abomination suddenly opened its eyes, which were completely red and had no pupils. It slammed its fist into the ground, sprang up, turned to face Ye Mo, and grinned, revealing its gleaming white teeth.
Ye Mo raised his hand, and EMP was activated.
Blue light flashed from his palm, traveled along the metal tube, and headed straight for the Abomination's face.
The Abomination raised its arm to block, an electric current surged through its arm, its muscles twitched, but it didn't stop, its other hand grabbing directly at Ye Mo's throat.
Ye Mo dodged to the side and swung his elbow at its temple. It made a thud, like hitting concrete.
Abomination swayed, then turned and kicked.
Ye Mo jumped away, landed and rolled, grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and threw it. The pipe hit the back of its knee, causing it to stagger and kneel on one knee.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ye Mo rushed forward and punched it in the back of the neck. Thump! The sound was frighteningly muffled.
With Abomination roar, he swung his hand back to slap Ye Mo. Ye Mo ducked to avoid it, but was thrown back by the force of the air and crashed into the wall.
He slid down, spitting out blood, but immediately looked up and laughed, "Had your fun? Let's do it again."
He stood up straight, moved his neck, and his Regeneration abilities began to repair his internal injuries. He could feel the blood flowing again in his veins, and the severed capillaries were reconnecting.
He rushed forward, pounding his fists into the Abomination's back in turn. Once, twice, three times. With each punch, his arm grew heavier, but he didn't stop.
Finally, Abomination couldn't take it anymore. He suddenly turned around, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up.
Ye Mo's feet left the ground, his face flushed, but he was still smiling.
He raised his hand, palm facing the Abomination's face, and the EMP recharged.
The blue light is getting brighter.
He squinted in Abomination and increased the pressure on his hands.
Ye Mo's neck made a cracking sound, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, his Regeneration abilities suddenly erupted.
Blue light exploded beneath his skin, instantly reorganizing the severed tissue and restoring his power. He kicked Abomination in the chest, breaking free of his restraints, landing and rolling to create distance.
He gasped for breath, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked up.
Abomination covered its face, burned by EMP, and was howling and flailing its arms wildly.
Ye Mo stood up straight and clenched his fists.
" Regeneration is activated," he said. "Now, it's my turn."
He charged toward the Abomination, twice as fast as before.