Early Results

The Abomination roar still echoed in his ears, and the sound of shattering glass fell like raindrops. Ye Mo fell from the air, feeling the tremor as soon as his feet touched the ground. He knew he couldn't hide anymore; if he dodged again, it would be an escape, and he wouldn't be able to escape.

He took seven steps back, each step landing firmly on the rubble. He pushed forward with both palms, his consciousness sinking deep into his body. There was a place there called the Gene Spiral Tower, the third level being the Force Field Construction Zone. He had only tried it once before, practicing in the lab with Tony's test turret. Back then, the shield only lasted three seconds before exploding, and the system notification even called him a "fragile mage."

But now there's no choice.

The Abomination charged forward, its right fist raised high, its muscles bulging as if about to burst. The punch brought a gust of wind as it slammed down, cracking the ground. Ye Mo closed his eyes, extending his Spatial Perception, and activated his shield when the fist was half a meter away from him.

A flash of blue light, and the shield unfolded into a hemispherical shape, adhering to his front.

Boom!

The impact slammed into him, causing Ye Mo's knees to buckle and his entire body to sink. His hand split open, and blood flowed down his knuckles. But he didn't move, his feet gripping the ground tightly. The shield swayed, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface, but it didn't break.

He opened his eyes, looked at the dust and rubble that had been blasted into the air, and breathed a sigh of relief.

It's done.

This thing is really tough.

A notification sounded in his mind, "Shield successfully blocked; Gene Spiral Tower energy stabilized."

Ye Mo almost burst out laughing. He thought the system would say something like "Congratulations, host, on your first time taking a BOSS skill head-on"—a cringeworthy line. But it was so serious, which made him a little uncomfortable.

He wiped the dust off his face and quickly scanned his surroundings. The attack had blasted open a large area of rubble, and a pile of reinforced concrete had collapsed, but not far away, a fallen steel beam was stuck diagonally in the ground, like a crooked door frame. It could be used as cover or to block movement.

The key is—he has to live long enough to be useful.

The Abomination withdrew its fist, glanced down at its hand, seemingly surprised that its attack had been blocked. A low growl escaped its throat, its shoulders trembled, and more of the dark liquid beneath its skin seeped out.

Ye Mo knew it would come again.

Before the other party could make a move, he immediately used his Regeneration abilities to treat the wound on his ribs. It still hurt, as if someone was sawing it back and forth. Although the bleeding had stopped, any rough movement would cause it to tear again. His kneeling earlier had caused the wound to bleed again, and now he could only rely on his Self-Healing to endure it.

As he channeled his strength, he kept a close eye on Abomination's movements. The guy was stronger than before, his legs were thicker, and his stance was different. Before, he leaned forward like Beast; now he looked more like a warrior preparing to charge.

Something's not right.

This is not simply a case of berserk evolution.

Someone is controlling it, and they're controlling it more skillfully than last time.

Ye Mo recalled what Emma Frost had said: there was external suppression within the consciousness of Abomination. Now it seemed that the manipulator was adjusting its tactics, no longer letting it fight randomly, but instead trying to crush it with absolute power.

Let's see whose shell is harder.

The Abomination lunged a second time, faster than ever. This time it struck with both fists, slamming down from above, clearly intending to smash him and his shield into the ground.

Ye Mo didn't move.

He's waiting.

Waiting for the most opportune moment.

His Spatial Perception extended once more, locking onto the trajectory of the punches. Just as his fists were about to land, he pushed forward with both hands, and the shield deployed again. This time, he preemptively released the force, his body slightly lowered, and his feet staggered, distributing the impact throughout his body.

Boom!!!

An explosive sound erupted, sending up a cloud of dust. A large crater sank into the ground, cracks spreading outwards in a radial pattern. Ye Mo was trapped at the very center, his arms numb, his ears ringing, and his teeth clenching painfully. The cracks on the shield widened, resembling a shattering ice surface, but it still didn't break.

He took a breath and looked up.

Abomination stood in front, his fist still suspended in mid-air, seemingly not expecting him to block it again.

Ye Mo grinned. "You're quite strong, but that's about it, isn't it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the shield emitted a soft "beep" sound. His heart tightened; he knew this was a cooldown notification. Although the system didn't specify a time, this sound meant that it couldn't be activated continuously for a short period.

He needs to hurry.

Taking advantage of the Abomination's hesitation in retracting its fist, he quickly retreated, circling around the collapsed steel beam. He deliberately made a louder sound with each step to attract the Abomination's attention. Sure enough, the Abomination turned and chased after him, its heavy steps causing the ground to tremble with each step.

Ye Mo leaned against the steel beam to steady himself, his right hand reaching for the pocket at his waist. Inside were two Vibranium fragments, one with 3% charge, the other unactivated. He didn't want to use it so soon, but the current situation left no room for hesitation.

He took out the 3% piece and held it in his hand.

At the same time, he placed his left hand on the steel beam, feeling the vibrations transmitted through the metal. This thing was sturdy enough to help him determine the direction from which the enemy was approaching. He closed his eyes briefly, focusing his attention on his hearing and touch.

Abomination drew near.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

Three meters.

It stopped suddenly.

Ye Mo opened his eyes and found that it hadn't rushed over, but was standing still, its chest heaving, its eyes fixed on him. Its gaze wasn't that of Beast, but rather like it was assessing the situation.

He was waiting for instructions.

Ye Mo's heart skipped a beat.

If the other party is receiving a remote signal, there must be a frequency fluctuation. When the shield first blocked the attack, the system indicated that the energy was stable—meaning that the confrontation produced some kind of resonance reaction.

Maybe...

He placed the Vibranium shard on the spot where the shield would be generated, right in front of his chest. Then he took a deep breath, focused his mind, and tried to reactivate the shield.

A faint blue light flickered.

This time, he didn't fully expand, but maintained a thin layer, like a membrane floating in front of him. At the same time, he guided the Regeneration power to his arms and legs, ensuring he could move at any moment.

Abomination stirred.

But instead of rushing over, it slowly raised its hand, palm facing him.

Ye Mo's pupils contracted.

This is not a posture for a physical attack.

This is energy storage.

He immediately realized the danger.

The next second, a dark green energy wave burst from the palm of the Abomination, rushing straight towards them.

Ye Mo abruptly pushed the shield to its maximum, shrinking behind the steel beam. The moment the energy wave struck the shield, the entire area was illuminated. Blue and green clashed, producing a piercing friction sound. The shield vibrated violently, cracks rapidly spread, and flickering breaks began to appear at the edges.

But he held on.

After the energy wave dissipated, only half of the shield remained lit, like a faulty light bulb. Ye Mo leaned against the steel beam, breathing rapidly, his palms sweating profusely.

But a smile crept onto his lips.

He sensed a faint resonance between the shield and the Vibranium fragments during that brief exchange. The sensation was fleeting, like an electric current gently passing through nerve endings.

The system didn't speak, but his intuition told him that this might be the breakthrough.

He carefully collected the fragments and looked at the Abomination standing there.

This creature was also panting, its arms trembling slightly, clearly indicating that the previous attack had taken a toll. Its evolution was not yet complete, its power was unstable, and its controller was still figuring out the rhythm.

Then don't blame me for resorting to underhanded tactics.

Ye Mo flexed his wrists to confirm that his Regeneration abilities were still functioning. Although his ribs still ached, at least it didn't affect his mobility. He slowly walked out from behind the steel beam, straightened up, and raised a hand towards the Abomination.

Then he made a "V" sign.

It means: You're not good enough.

He glared at him with Abomination, a roar rumbling in his throat, and stepped closer again.

Ye Mo did not retreat.

He knew his teammates would arrive soon.

Tony's aircraft wouldn't be late, and Emma Frost's mental interference was almost ready. He just needed to hold on a little longer, block one more heavy blow, and he could create an opportunity for the team.

He raised his hands, preparing to activate the shield for the third time.

This time, he would concentrate all his energy on the front, even if the shield shattered, he would let the recoil shock the Abomination's nerves.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the Gene Spiral Tower.

The third layer, the Force Field Construction Zone, is where full power is unleashed.

Blue light began to gather.

Abomination surged forward.

He raised both fists high and brought them down with a devastating force.

Ye Mo opened his eyes and suddenly pushed forward with both hands.

The moment the shield deployed, he heard a system notification:

"Defense mode activated, cooldown period locked."

He smiled.

They've arrived.

The shield met the fist with a resounding crash.

The massive impact caused the entire ruin to tremble.

The shield's surface was covered in cracks, and its light flickered, but it remained intact.

Ye Mo gritted his teeth and persevered, his feet sinking into the ground.

At that very moment, he saw the eyes of Abomination blink.

That's a reaction only humans would have.

It... regained consciousness for a moment.