The smoke and dust hadn't cleared yet; broken bricks and charred metal fragments were still falling. Ye Mo knelt on one knee, his knee embedded in the crack of the floor tiles, large sections of the Steel Bone frame peeling away to reveal the slightly reddish tissue beneath, like an engine part burned to its limit. He dug his fingers into the cracks in the ground, his knuckles turning white from the effort, as he slowly propped himself up.
My legs feel a little weak.
It's not that I'm afraid, it's that we've almost run out of steam.
The Rocket attack had shaken his internal organs, leaving his ears ringing. He couldn't even hear what Tony was shouting behind him, only seeing his lips move, roughly meaning "almost there." He didn't respond, nor dared to turn around—dark figures swarmed outside the door, and there were even more heat sources than before, at least five approaching from different directions, two of which were ridiculously hot, clearly enhanced types.
He caught his breath, raised his hand to wipe his face, his palm covered in a mixture of ash and blood. His hoodie collar was torn, and his neck burned. Looking down, he saw a thin, long scratch oozing blood. If it had been just two centimeters off, the poisoned needle would have pierced an artery.
The needle was now stuck in the ground at his feet, completely black with a spiral pattern at the end; it was clearly not an ordinary bullet. The gun that fired it must have been hidden behind some cover some distance away, a sniper, designed to strike when you let your guard down.
Ye Mo sneered and muttered under his breath, "System, wouldn't you call this workplace bullying?"
Of course, no one replied to him. The system never spoke or gave any notifications, but it existed, like an extra nerve in his brain. He didn't feel it normally, but it could always give him an extra half second of life in crucial moments.
He stretched his shoulders; the metallic scraping sound was particularly jarring in the silence. His right arm's Steel Bone was 60% repaired, but his left arm was far from it, with cracks spreading across the joints and the Regeneration rate unable to keep up with the wear and tear. He knew he couldn't take another explosion head-on; another one and he'd be dead on the spot.
But we can't lose the door.
Behind them was Tony, the core program of the Anti-Extremis Armor, their only chance to turn the tide. As long as this place didn't fall, there was hope.
He stared at the door, his ears perked up, listening to every sound. The footsteps were light, the sound of tactical boots on gravel was deliberately muffled, and there was that low-frequency hum—the sound of a human body burning at high temperature—getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from behind the ruins on the left, moving swiftly along the wall, carrying a modified pistol with the muzzle pointed inside the laboratory. Ye Mo's eyes narrowed, and the Steel Bone in his right arm instantly extended, the edge of his palm thinning and lengthening to form a short blade, which he then swung horizontally with a backhand.
The man reacted quickly, raising his gun to parry, but the barrel was bent by the impact, and he flew out like a sandbag, knocking over two of his accomplices.
"Well done!" Tony whistled from behind. "I wouldn't mind having ten more."
"Save your energy praising me." Ye Mo gritted his teeth, quickly retreating to his original position in front of the door, his arms once again in a defensive stance. "They won't just send small fry."
Before he could finish speaking, a tiny metal needle shot through the air at such a speed that its trajectory was almost invisible. Relying on his combat instincts, he turned his head to dodge, the poisoned needle grazing his neck and leaving a tear in the collar of his hoodie before embedding itself in the control panel behind him with a soft "ding".
Without hesitation, he swung his still-intact right arm, its Steel Bone gleaming, and swept the open space in front of him with the edge of his palm. The force of the blow sent shards of stone flying, forcing back an enemy soldier who was about to sneak up. The man couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the face by a piece of stone. He staggered backward and was then struck on the helmet by Ye Mo's elbow, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
The smoke thickened, and the enemy began throwing incendiary bombs. Clumps of fire exploded at the doorway, billowing black smoke that obscured visibility. Ye Mo squinted, relying on his hearing to pinpoint the location. He knew the real threat lurked in the blind spot, ready to strike at any moment.
Sure enough, less than ten seconds later, a distorted sound came from the speaker, as if it had been processed through multiple modulations. "You won't last long, Tony won't thank you."
The voice seemed to come from near and far, carrying a seductive quality.
Ye Mo grinned and whispered, "System, don't you think so?"
Still, no one replied to him.
But as soon as he said that, he felt more at ease. He closed his eyes for three seconds to block out visual distractions, relying entirely on his ears to detect the frequency of footsteps. Two people were flanking him from within the smoke; one was slowly approaching from the front, while the other circled around to the right window, preparing to climb in through the window.
He suddenly opened his eyes, his Steel Bone left leg bursting out of the ground, instantly sprinting five meters, and delivered an elbow strike to the enemy's helmet on the windowsill. The enemy didn't even have time to react before being knocked unconscious and tumbling off the windowsill.
On his way back to defend, he casually pulled off a dangling power line, wrapped it around another person's ankle, causing him to fall, and then kicked him unconscious.
The movements were clean and swift, taking not a second longer than necessary.
He then retreated to his original position, raising his arms in a defensive stance, his breathing becoming more even than before. Although his body was nearing its limit, he had regained his rhythm. He knew the enemy wanted to wear him down with psychological warfare, but he had long since stopped believing in any notions of "gratitude" or "repayment." He was standing there not for anyone's thanks, but because he had promised—he would stay standing until Tony finished saying "Okay."
Tony's voice came from behind, slightly out of breath. "Almost there, just a little longer!"
Ye Mo didn't turn around, only snorted, "You said the same thing last time."
"This time it's for real." Tony's fingers didn't stop typing. "The core module is 87% loaded, the resistance chain waveform is stable, just give me three more minutes, and I can complete the final calibration."
"Three minutes?" Ye Mo stared at the dark figure outside the door. "Do you know how many times you can die in three minutes?"
"Then try not to die," Tony said casually. "I'm waiting to use you as a test subject."
Ye Mo twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't reply. He knew what Tony meant—as long as he could still stand, the door wouldn't break.
In the smoke, the enemy regrouped. This time, instead of charging rashly, they split into two groups: one group created noise from the front, while the other quietly circled around to try and break in through the ventilation duct. Ye Mo heard it clearly; the footsteps were too synchronized, which gave away their intentions.
He remained calm, and as the group approached the ventilation shaft, he suddenly kicked a collapsed shelf next to him. The entire row of metal shelves crashed down, blocking the duct entrance. The people inside coughed from the shock, and the plan was completely ruined.
Seeing their sneak attack fail, the enemy in front could no longer contain themselves and began to advance. The three men pressed forward in a triangular formation, wielding high-frequency vibrating blades with blue light emanating from them, clearly aiming to destroy the Steel Bone Structure.
Ye Mo took a deep breath, and the Steel Bone in his right arm extended again, forming a small shield. He neither charged nor retreated, but stood at the doorway like a nail.
The first man lunged forward, his blade striking the shield, sparks flying. Ye Mo used the momentum to his side, delivering a powerful left-handed punch to the opponent's temple, knocking him down instantly.
The second man followed closely behind, his blade aimed low, slashing straight at the knee. Ye Mo leaped to dodge, and upon landing, he kicked out, striking the man squarely in the chest. The man, blade and all, flew through the air, crashing into half a wall.
The third person hesitated for a moment, Ye Mo seized the opportunity. His Steel Bone right arm suddenly contracted and deformed, and a sharp spike shot out from his palm, piercing through the opponent's shoulder armor with lightning speed and pinning him to the wall.
The battle ended, and the entrance fell silent again.
He stood up, leaning on his shield, his breathing heavy. The cracks on his Steel Bone bones had multiplied, and his Regeneration rate had visibly slowed. He knew his body was nearing its limit.
But he was still standing.
Tony's voice rang out again. "Ninety-two percent, resistance chain synchronization successful, only final data encapsulation remains."
Ye Mo nodded, even though the other person couldn't see him. He raised his hand, touched the cracked glasses on his nose, and gently straightened them.
Outside the door, the firelight was still flickering, and black smoke billowed. He knew the enemy wouldn't give up, and the next wave of attack could come at any moment.
He flexed his fingers, the metallic scraping sound particularly clear in the silence.
"Hey, Tony," he suddenly said.
"Um?"
"If I lie down later, remember to drag me inside. Don't let me die at the door; that would be too embarrassing."
"Don't worry," Tony said without looking up. "If you really collapse, I'll stuff you into a cryogenic chamber the moment you're fixed up, then kick you awake to continue taking bullets."
Ye Mo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
The next second, he suddenly widened his eyes, crossed Steel Bone arms to protect his face, and leaned forward like an iron beast ready to tear its prey apart.
Outside the door, the firelight flared up again.