Steel Bone Withstood the Onslaught, Showing Its Tough Defense

The electric arc flickered in my palm, like a lighter running out of power, flashing for half a second before going out again.

Ye Mo didn't move.

He was about to charge—his toes were already pressed into the crack in the ground, his knees slightly bent, his muscles taut, waiting for the lightning bolt to explode along his veins and burn through the entrance of that black spot. But just before he exerted his strength, he caught a glimpse of Emma Frost out of the corner of his eye.

She collapsed to the ground, her forehead pressed against a block of cement, her fingers digging into the cracks until her nails broke, blood dripping from her nose down her chin, one drop, two drops, hitting the ground with a soft "sizzle," like red-hot iron hitting steam. She didn't even have the strength to lift her eyelids, let alone unleash another mental surge.

Ye Mo's sprint was abruptly halted.

He had considered taking a gamble: even if she couldn't hold on, he had to try. But the next second, Malekith moved.

The guy had his back to them, his hands plunged into the swirling dark vortex, as if soaking in an invisible Venom. But the wisp of electricity in Ye Mo's palm clearly startled him. He slowly withdrew his hand, several purplish-black energy threads trailing from his fingertips, turned around, his pupils blazing with ghostly flames, his gaze fixed directly on Ye Mo.

No nonsense.

The air suddenly felt heavy, as if the entire workshop had been stuffed into a pressure cooker, with a buzzing and exploding sound in everyone's ears. Immediately afterward, dark energy condensed into dozens of cone-shaped beams of light, shooting in from all directions at a speed so fast that even a shadow couldn't catch up with them, densely packed like a rain of arrows.

Ye Mo gritted his teeth, crossed his Steel Bone in front of his chest, and planted his feet firmly into the ground.

The first impact numbed his entire right arm, sending Mars flying from the metal surface; the second struck his shoulder armor, denting it; the third slashed diagonally at his waist, which he braced himself against, his legs buckling and nearly causing him to kneel, but he managed to hold on with his other leg; the fourth and fifth impacts followed in quick succession, leaving him no room to dodge and forcing him to take them head-on.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each impact felt like being hit head-on by a truck; his bones creaked inside the metal shell, and cracks spread from his chest down to his arms. He could feel the blood seeping from the cracks, sticking to the junction of his skin and metal, hot and pungent.

But he didn't back down.

They didn't retreat an inch.

He knew who was behind him— Emma Frost was still lying there. If he fell, the black light would pour down on her in the next second. She was almost unconscious now and couldn't block it at all.

Therefore, it cannot be tilted.

Ye Mo gritted his teeth, his tongue unconsciously bleeding, the taste of blood exploding in his mouth. It hurt, but he was fully conscious. He forced himself to open his eyes and stare at Malekith, even though half of his vision was blurred by sweat and blood.

Malekith stood at the center of the vortex, shrouded in black mist, his figure growing ever larger, the runes on his armor flashing by. He didn't approach any further, but simply raised his hand, unleashing new energy cones time and again.

Ye Mo's Steel Bone began to peel off.

The crack was deepest in his left arm; a diagonal slash had ripped open the outer layer of his forearm, revealing the blue-glowing tendons beneath. That was the X-Gene Resonance System automatically repairing itself, but the repair speed couldn't keep up with the damage. He could feel his nerves twitching, as if electric currents were coursing through them.

"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, his voice hoarse and inhuman.

He looked down at his hands. The arc of electricity in his palm had long since died down; the concept of "electricity" in the air was still completely suppressed, impossible to ignite. Lightning Control? He couldn't even generate a static charge now.

Then there's only one option left—to tough it out.

He lowered his center of gravity, his legs like two steel bars driven into the ground, his arms outstretched, forming a human shield wall in front of him. Before each impact, he tensed his muscles in advance, using the tension of his body to cushion the impact and try to prevent the force from reaching his internal organs.

But this tactic won't last long.

When the seventh wave of attacks came, three cone-shaped beams shot out in a triangular pattern, striking his chest, right shoulder, and left leg respectively. He blocked two of them, but the third grazed his knee, causing him to slam his knee into the ground, cracking the concrete floor in a spiderweb pattern.

"No... I can't keep getting beaten like this," he thought to himself.

But what could they do? The raid had failed, Emma Frost was crippled, and he himself was nearing his limit. Malekith clearly sensed his weakness and intensified his attacks, giving him no chance to breathe.

Ye Mo closed his eyes briefly.

A scene from a moment ago suddenly flashed through her mind— Emma Frost lying there, her fingers still moving, even though she was almost out of it, she still used her last bit of strength to disrupt Malekith's spellcasting rhythm.

That pulse saved him.

Now, it's his turn.

"If you hold on for one second, I'll hold on for ten." He murmured to himself, unsure whether he was speaking to her or to himself.

He stood up straight again.

Even though his knees were still shaking, even though his Steel Bone were cracked in many places, even though his mouth was full of blood, he still straightened his body.

With his feet firmly planted on the ground and his arms outstretched, he stood like a crooked wall, firmly blocking Emma Frost and Malekith.

The attack continues.

One, two, three...

His body trembled violently, the metal surface peeled off piece by piece, Mars flying everywhere. The crack in his chest had gone through, revealing the pulsating tissue inside; the burns on his back were beginning to carbonize under the high temperature, emitting a burnt smell; his left arm was almost useless, and he could only lift it with difficulty.

But he didn't fall.

His gaze remained unchanged.

He stared intently at Malekith, as if to say: Come here, if you dare, step over my corpse.

Malekith seemed to have sensed something as well.

He paused for a moment, his raised hand movement slowing slightly. His purple pupils contracted slightly, as if he were looking at this human for the first time.

Then, he raised his hand again.

This time, five cone-shaped beams shot out simultaneously at tricky angles, targeting Ye Mo's head, heart, abdomen, and knees—all fatal points.

Ye Mo knew this was a killing move.

He didn't have time to block everything, so he could only protect his core area. He crossed his arms over his chest, lowered his head, and forced his knees together.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The head was grazed, and half of the Steel Bone helmet exploded open, tearing the scalp and causing blood to flow down the cheek and into the eyes; a blow to the abdomen sent the person sliding half a meter backward, carving a furrow in the ground; the knees took a heavy hit, causing the legs to completely lose their strength, and the person plummeted downward.

But he managed to brace himself with his elbows.

He didn't kneel.

Even though his whole body was trembling, even though his vision was starting to go black, even though all he could hear was a roar in his ears, he used the last bit of strength to prop himself up.

His arms remained in front of him, blocking his way.

Like a broken statue, it stands in the center of the ruins.

Malekith stood at a distance, making no further move.

He looked at Ye Mo as if he were looking at something that shouldn't exist.

Dark energy flowed slowly around him, the vortex still spinning, the fusion process not stopping. But his attack temporarily halted.

Ye Mo was panting heavily, each breath feeling like swallowing a knife. He could feel blood seeping from his wounds, his body temperature dropping, and his muscles twitching. The Steel Bone's repair system was still running, but at a slower and slower pace, like an engine running out of fuel.

He knew he couldn't hold on much longer.

But as long as it can still move, it cannot fall over.

He slowly raised his head, wiped the blood from his face, grinned, and revealed a mouthful of bloody teeth.

"Come on," he said in a hoarse voice, almost inaudibly, "Is that all you've got?"

Malekith did not respond.

But he didn't attack again.

The workshop fell into a brief silence, broken only by the low hum of dark energy, like the sound of some ancient machine in operation.

Ye Mo stood rooted to the spot, arms outstretched, legs planted firmly on the ground, his body covered in blood, his Steel Bone cracked all over, yet his eyes still shone with a frightening intensity.

He didn't move.

They didn't move an inch.

Behind her, Emma Frost remained motionless, lying amidst the wreckage.

Ahead, Malekith stood silently amidst the black mist, as silent as an abyss.

Time seemed to stand still.

Ye Mo's fingertips twitched slightly.

The arc of electricity in his palm flashed for another half second.