The Destroyer's cannon muzzle was already glowing white, and energy beams could erupt at any moment. Ye Mo's left arm was still hanging down, the bones dislocated, and the lingering force of Regenerative Phasing caused his muscles to twitch all over. He braced himself with his right hand on the ground, and the moment his fingertips touched the ground, the shock traveled up his palm.
Three seconds left to charge. Three more seconds until it's fully charged.
That's enough.
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the ninth level of the Gene Spiral Tower. There, sealed was a gray-black fragment of ability, left behind by the remains of Mutants he had encountered in an abandoned laboratory. At the time, the system only prompted him with the message: "[ Steel Bone Structure ] Gene Fragment has been collected," and then there was no further activity.
Now he needs to combine this thing with the [ Skeletal Enhancement ] and [ Metal Assimilation ] within his body.
Whether it works or not, it's just this one shot.
There were no notification sounds or countdowns in his mind. Only his bones began to heat up, as if red-hot iron bars were being shoved into them. His spine cracked vertebra by vertebra, his shoulder blades protruded outwards, and his skin hardened rapidly, revealing a grayish-white alloy sheen.
The pain was worse than a broken hand. It felt like someone was using an electric drill to grind his bones from the inside out.
But he didn't shout.
He slammed his right foot into the ground, taking half a step forward, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His newly hardened Steel Bone forearms formed an arc-shaped shield, perfectly aligned with the Destroyer's cannon muzzle.
The beam of light shot out.
It hit him squarely in the chest.
The shockwave ripped through the air, cracking the ground into a spiderweb pattern, and overturning nearby vehicles. A heatwave swept across the street, melting and smoking the asphalt. Emma Frost, standing on higher ground, saw Ye Mo's figure engulfed by the intense light, sliding half a meter backward without lifting his feet.
He stopped.
The Steel Bone frame was glowing red-hot, white smoke rising, and a faint cracking sound came from within. A crack was spreading along his ribs, but it hadn't collapsed. His breathing was heavy, but he was still panting.
Thor lay sprawled on the ground, nearly thrown off his feet by the impact. He looked up and saw a smoky humanoid silhouette standing in the firelight, its arms outstretched, forming a wall between him and the Destroyer.
He didn't move.
Ye Mo looked down at his chest. The surface of the alloy was charred black and hot to the touch. He moved his wrist; the joints were stiff, but he could still move it.
"I can still hold on," he thought to himself.
Emma Frost's Mental Network was still functioning. She floated in mid-air, sweat beading on her forehead, her temples throbbing. She knew she was nearing her limit; another forced interference might cause her to faint on the spot.
But she still went ahead and pressed it in.
The Destroyer raised its right fist, preparing for a close-quarters attack. Suddenly, its movement faltered, and its aim at Thor shifted by five degrees. This was Emma Frost's final attempt to disrupt it.
Thor seized the opportunity, flipped himself up, and charged at the joint on the opponent's back with the steel bar raised. The sound of metal clashing rang out, and sparks flew. Although it didn't break through the defenses, it made the Destroyer stagger.
Taking the opportunity, Ye Mo knelt down on one knee and adjusted his breathing. He felt a backlash pulling at the Steel Bone Structure within his body, as if his body was rejecting this temporarily modified frame.
"Force lock to current mode," he commanded in his mind, "Disable unnecessary neural feedback."
The system didn't respond, but Steel Bone's condition stabilized.
He raised his head and looked towards the center of the battlefield.
The Destroyer turned around, and two burning blue dots locked onto him. The previous attack had failed to penetrate him, seemingly causing it to hesitate briefly. It paused for half a second before restarting its attack program.
Just that half-second.
Ye Mo suddenly stood up and stomped his right leg hard on the ground. With the power of his Steel Bone leg, the ground cracked, and he moved sideways like a cannonball, directly blocking the Destroyer and Thor.
The opponent's left fist had already been thrown, aimed at Thor's head.
He raised his hand to block.
The punch struck Steel Bone's forearm with a dull thud. His arm sank, his knees bent slightly, but he didn't fall.
The Destroyer retracted his fist, preparing for his second combo.
Ye Mo made the first move.
He clenched his right fist, concentrating all his strength into a single point, and slammed it down onto the seam of the Destroyer's waist armor. A piece of alloy knuckle broke off, exposing the metal fibers inside, but the punch landed squarely.
Click.
A soft sound.
A dent appeared on the Destroyer's waist. It took half a step back, and for the first time, its movement faltered.
Thor saw it.
He stood on the flank, gripping the steel bar tightly, his eyes changing. Before, he thought this young man in the hoodie was just somewhat skilled, barely managing to hold his own with some unconventional tactics. But now he understood that the other man was using his body to take damage, creating an opportunity for him.
This isn't cooperation; this is sacrificing one's life.
Emma Frost's consciousness was still connected. She sensed that Ye Mo's condition was not right; his Steel Bone Structure was beginning to destabilize, and continuing to withstand the next attack might lead to a backlash at the genetic level.
"Don't go again." Her voice echoed in Ye Mo's mind, "You can't take it a third time."
"If I don't go, who will?" he replied, catching his breath. "It's having a harder time hitting me than hitting you right now."
The Destroyer assumed a new battle stance, arms outstretched, its core glowing once more. This time, the charging speed was faster, and the blue light was even more dazzling.
Another powerful move.
Ye Mo didn't retreat. He stood still, watching the light grow brighter and brighter. He knew that this time he might really not be able to hold on.
But he has to bear it.
He glanced down at his left hand. That hand was still useless; the bones hadn't been set properly. The Regenerative Phasing hadn't finished cooling down, so it couldn't be used again for a while.
Only Steel Bone can help.
He lowered his center of gravity, stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, and crossed his arms again in front of him. Several more cracks appeared on the surface of the Steel Bone, but he ignored them.
"Come on," he said.
The beam of light erupted again.
This time it hit right in the face.
His head snapped back, and he was pushed backward, each step carving deep furrows in the ground. His Steel Bone breastplate began to peel away, revealing the bloody, mangled skin beneath. Blood streamed from his ears, and his vision blurred, but his feet never left the ground.
Until the beam ends.
He stopped.
Standing.
Thor rushed over and caught him on the shoulder. He didn't fall.
"You're still alive?" Thor asked.
"Nonsense." Ye Mo spat out a mouthful of blood. "How could someone who's dead be standing here?"
Emma Frost landed slowly, and the Mental Network withdrew. Her face was pale, and she was a little unsteady on her feet. But she still walked to the two of them and put her hand on Ye Mo's back.
"The structure is unstable," she said. "If you hit it again, you'll be paralyzed."
"Then don't let it attack a third time." Ye Mo stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and looked at the Destroyer.
The mechanical giant remained in place, its chest glowing, seemingly reassessing the target's threat level. It had just withstood two consecutive high-energy attacks head-on and managed to retaliate; this defensive pattern wasn't in its database.
It began to maneuver around the perimeter, attempting to break through the defenses from the side.
Ye Mo noticed.
He stepped forward, blocking its path.
"Trying to get past me?" he sneered. "I'm standing right here, you can't get through."
The Destroyer stopped, and blue light swept over its entire body.
Then it raised its right arm, palm facing Thor.
It's not the main gun; it's a secondary weapon—a high-frequency oscillating pulse.
It is fast, has a short range, and is specifically designed to break through defenses.
Ye Mo was caught off guard.
But he doesn't need to react.
Emma Frost's Mental Network instantly rebooted. She bit her lip, forcibly cut into the signal stream, and implanted false coordinates at the last moment.
The pulse was misaligned.
It grazed Thor's shoulder and blasted into the ground, leaving a three-meter-long crack.
Thor was stunned.
He turned to look at Emma Frost. There was blood at the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained unwavering.
"Don't just stand there," she said. "It's about to change its tactics."
The Destroyer has indeed been changed.
It clasped its arms together, gathered core energy in its chest, and prepared to unleash a more powerful version of its main cannon. This time, the blue light almost illuminated the entire sky.
Ye Mo looked up.
"This time... it might really be going to collapse," he said.
"Then you'd better block one more time before you fall." Thor stood to his right and raised the steel bar.
Emma Frost stood on the left, raised her hands, and focused her mental energy once again.
The three stood side by side, facing the arrogant mechanical giant.
The Destroyer's cannon is fully charged.
Ye Mo raised his still-movable right hand and placed it in front of his chest.
The Steel Bone Structure emitted a deep hum.
Artillery fire erupted.