The electric arc crackled in Ye Mo's palm, the Steel Bone joint in his right leg was still smoking, and the stinging pain from when the coolant was poured in hadn't subsided. His entire leg felt like it was being shoved into a red-hot iron pipe and ground back and forth. But he didn't have time to rub it, nor did he have time to curse the system— Ultron's red eyes were already locked onto him. The figure hovering in the air slowly raised its hand, and the mechanical legion behind it unfurled its cannons in unison, a dense array of lights lighting up in the night, like an endless barcode during a supermarket sale.
"Come on, keep fighting!" He yelled, his throat practically bursting, and before he could finish, the other side responded.
Not one, but seven energy beams simultaneously blasted in, accompanied by high-frequency Shockwave, armor-piercing bullets, and a swarm of miniature missiles. The entire battlefield instantly turned into a pressure cooker, the air itself distorted and warped. Tony's armor flipped to the side, barely dodging the main attack, his left arm thruster exploding into a ball of sparks. Captain America held his shield horizontally, taking the brunt of a shockwave, his entire body slammed into his knees, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch. Thor's Mjolnir had just been swung out to interrupt the third beam when the fourth grazed past his shoulder, the smell of burning immediately filling the air.
"The cover's gone!" Black Widow grabbed Hawkeye and pulled him down. The two rolled behind a pile of scrap metal, but the junk was instantly shredded to dust. "We can't hold out for ten seconds!"
Ye Mo glanced at his teammates out of the corner of his eye and saw that they were all pinned down in a circular defensive formation in the center, but the surrounding area was open ground, without even a concrete slab to stop the bullets. His mind raced: close combat? His right leg felt like it was cramping up even if he moved it; dodging through Wall Phasing? The system was still stuck on the loading screen after he used a combo last time; Telepathy interference? Ultron's data stream encryption level was more complicated than the Wi-Fi password at the market yesterday.
No, we can't win this game by relying on positioning.
He gritted his teeth, pushed forward with both hands, and silently chanted, "Light up that blue light on the seventh floor!"
Deep within their consciousness, a pale blue ripple suddenly appeared somewhere in the " Gene Spiral Tower," like someone throwing a pebble into a still well. Immediately afterward, a semi-transparent spherical force Force Field unfolded with a "bang," thirty meters in diameter, enveloping all seven people. The surface of the light membrane flowed with fine patterns, like the dynamic noise of an old-fashioned television screen, steadily blocking the subsequent three rounds of salvo.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The energy beam struck the shield, creating ripples that sounded like the lid of a pressure cooker rattling as dumplings boil. The shield trembled slightly, but didn't break.
"Holy crap?" Tony glanced down at the wrist scanner. "Did you do this? A new skin or a hidden skill?"
"Don't ask!" Ye Mo gritted his teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Save your energy for a counterattack. How long this shield lasts is entirely up to fate!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ultron changed his tactics. Three heavy mechs crawled out from behind the wreckage, their shoulder cannons rotating in unison, locking onto the center of the shield. High-frequency Shockwave were fired in tandem, forming a spiraling shockwave that slammed into the light membrane.
"Buzz--!!!"
The sound was so shrill it could scrape off eardrums; the surface of the shield rippled violently, and the internal air pressure instantly became unbalanced. Hawkeye's ears bled, and he groaned as he nearly collapsed; Thor landed on one knee, only managing to steady himself by plunging his Mjolnir into the ground; Tony's armor alarm blared, and his helmet visor automatically lowered its soundproofing layer.
Ye Mo felt like two iron nails were drilling into his brain, his temples throbbing as if they were about to explode. He slammed his left hand against the Steel Bone energy port on his chest, while keeping his right hand in a forward-pushing position, adjusting the energy output rhythm while cursing inwardly. "System, give me some hints! This thing drains my health faster than buying Moutai on Singles' Day!"
No one responded.
He was used to it by now.
"Don't just stand there!" His throat was dry, and he growled, "Find your chance! Don't wait until I'm dead to make your move!"
These words sounded like he was urging his teammates on, but they were actually a way of encouraging himself. He needed to shift his focus, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to withstand this sense of being torn apart.
Outside, Ultron into the air, and the mechanical legion re-formed its ranks, the red light from the charging cannons stretching out in waves. It didn't rush to attack again, as if it was observing the pattern of the shield's frequency fluctuations.
Inside the shield, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Tony quickly inspected the thruster damage, his fingers flying across the control panel; Captain America returned to his position, gripping his shield tightly again, his eyes scanning the entire area; Black Widow tore off a piece of her clothing to quickly bandage Hawkeye's right leg, whose bow was already fully drawn, the arrow tip aimed at Ultron's head sensor, his hand steady as if he hadn't just been shot.
No one spoke, and no one backed down.
Ye Mo took a breath, the smell of blood in his nostrils lingering, unsure whether it was from before or seeping in now. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces.
Tony was repairing equipment, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his lips still moving—probably arguing with JARVIS again; Captain America stood ramrod straight, like a steel bar driven into the ground, unyielding to the wind; Thor stared up at Ultron, lightning flashing in his eyes, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth—this madman might actually enjoy this scene; Black Widow finished bandaging Hawkeye and casually patted his shoulder—a light, but warm gesture.
He suddenly laughed, a laugh that surprised even himself.
For the past two years, he's felt like he's been hitching a ride. Tony taught him technology, Captain America taught him discipline, Thor taught him not to be afraid to confront challenges head-on, and even Natasha offered him a tranquilizer when he was being overwhelmed by the data stream. He always said, "The system made me do it," but it was really just a way to avoid taking responsibility.
But now, it's his turn to stand outside.
"This time, it's my turn to protect you," he said softly, his voice barely audible to himself.
The next second, he gave up resisting the pain and instead accepted it, letting the throbbing sensation spread throughout his body along his nerves, as if he were using his body as a high-voltage power line to withstand the electric current. The shield's light, which had been somewhat weak, began to stabilize, the surface noise decreased, and the thickness of the light film visibly increased.
Ultron seemed to sense something was wrong; his eyes flashed red, as if he were reassessing the threat level.
It raised its hands, and the mechanical legion recharged, the red light from the cannon muzzles becoming denser and more dazzling than before.
Ye Mo planted his feet firmly on the ground, pushed his arms forward, and the Steel Bone bone joint in his right leg became hot again, with white smoke rising up his trouser leg. He could feel the shield vibrating, his body trembling, and blood dripping from his chin onto his chest, leaving dark red dots.
But he didn't move.
The position remained the same, the posture remained the same, and the gaze remained the same.
In the distance, the crater blasted out of the mountain by the previous attack was still smoking. The wind swirled Ashes across the battlefield, causing tiny ripples to appear on the surface of the shield. Inside the light membrane, seven figures stood silently, as if a pause button had been pressed.
Ye Mo stared at Ultron and uttered two words:
"Bring it on."